By Jacqueline Garretson, Opinion Contributor
For 85 years, Harvard Milk Days has been one of those traditions that reminds us why we love small-town America. Families line the streets. Kids chase candy. Neighbors catch up with one another. It’s a celebration of the community and the people who call it home.
This year, that’s not what everyone is talking about. Instead, the conversation has centered on Grafton Township Trustee Corrina Bendel-Sac and the shirt she wore in the parade: “Sugar & Spice and F*** ICE.”
People can argue all day about immigration policy. They can argue about ICE. They can argue about politics. That’s America. But this wasn’t a campaign rally or a political protest. It was Milk Days.
The response from the community was loud enough that the Harvard Milk Days Board of Directors felt compelled to issue a public statement. They didn’t dance around the issue. They said exactly what many people were already thinking:
“Harvard Milk Days does not condone profanity or explicit language at any of our family-friendly events. We never have, and we never will.”
The Board went a step further. They admitted they weren’t aware of the shirt during the parade and said that if they had been, it would have been addressed. They also announced that future parade rules will specifically ban profanity and inappropriate displays.
Think about that for a minute.
An event that’s been around for 85 years had to rewrite its rules because an elected official couldn’t use common sense.
Now it’s time for our political leaders to do the same.
And while Corrina Bendel-Sac is no stranger to controversy, this incident carries a different weight. The moment she took the oath of office as a Grafton Township Trustee, the rules changed. Elected officials don’t have the luxury of dismissing their actions as mere personal expression when they choose to represent themselves in public. They are entrusted with the confidence of the people they serve, and with that trust comes a higher standard of judgment, professionalism, and respect for the community. By choosing to wear explicit political profanity while participating in an 85-year-old family tradition, Corrina Bendel-Sac wasn’t simply expressing a personal opinion—she was acting as an elected official. The people of McHenry County had every right to expect better.
The McHenry County Democratic Party should follow the lead of the Harvard Milk Days Board and apologize for the conduct of one of its elected officials.
This isn’t about changing anyone’s political views. It’s about acknowledging that one of their elected officials exercised poor judgment at a community celebration. The Harvard Milk Days Board accepted responsibility for protecting the integrity of the parade. The Democratic Party should accept responsibility for the conduct of one of its elected officials.
The Republicans have a responsibility here, too.
Two members of the McHenry County Republican Party were reportedly present at the parade. If we’re going to ask Democrats to hold one of their own accountable, Republicans shouldn’t stay silent. Community standards shouldn’t depend on what letter comes after someone’s name. The same conduct that deserves an apology from one party deserves condemnation from the other.
This really shouldn’t be a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It’s a community issue. It’s about whether we can all agree that a family parade should stay family friendly.
The Harvard Milk Days Board answered that question. They rejected the conduct.
Now it’s time for our political parties to do the same. The Democrats should apologize for the conduct. The Republicans should publicly reject the conduct.
And hopefully, next year’s Harvard Milk Days will be remembered for what it has been for the last 85 years: children waving at floats, neighbors sharing a laugh, and a community celebrating a tradition that’s bigger than politics.
