BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — There are special days to honor mothers and fathers for their contributions to society. What about a day celebrating those who don’t have children?

That's the proposal from Bainbridge City Councilman Ron Peltier, who asked fellow council members last week to support a proclamation he wrote designating the third Sunday in June as “I Didn’t Reproduce Day.” Peltier later said the day landing on Father’s Day was unintentional.

In his proclamation, Peltier wrote that those “who defer or abstain from procreation make a special contribution to humanity and to our biosphere, including with each deferred human birth preventing 900 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere, and for their contribution by omission deserve their own special day of appreciation.”

“It’s not a joke,” Peltier said at the meeting. “I’m dead serious.”

His proposal drew the ire of other council members and didn’t gain support to move forward.

In a later interview with the Kitsap Sun, Peltier said he stood by his proposal and said it ties in with his belief that the world is overpopulated, an idea that’s at the heart of many environmental issues, he said. His goal wasn’t to disparage mothers and fathers but to acknowledge people who have chosen not to reproduce and who make contributions in other ways, he said.

“Like a lot of things where people react, it’s an emotional issue,” he said. “Everyone wants to have children and grandkids, I understand that – we hope our son someday has a grandchild for us – but more than that, we care about the future of the planet.”

Peltier’s proposal received little support during the council’s brief discussion on the item last week.

“I think it’s incredibly insensitive,” Councilwoman Sarah Blossom said. “As the only person on this council who has not reproduced, I think it’s very insensitive. Some people aren’t able to, some people make a choice not to, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy with the choice, and it’s not something to celebrate. I think it’s really insensitive.”

“I agree with the lack of sensitivity,” said Councilman Joe Deets. “I don’t understand why you did this. I’m not in favor of this at all.”

The only bit of support voiced at the meeting came from Mayor Kol Medina: “I wouldn’t support bringing this forward in this way, but I certainly understand the point you’re making,” he said. “My wife and I for most of our life didn’t intend to have children, because we’re concerned about the environmental consequences of overpopulation. And that’s the point you’re getting at, I think. We ended up deciding to have a child, but we just had one and it’s just one, because we don’t feel the need to replicate ourselves in the world. We can leave fewer than the two of us.”

The proposal is a reference to a 2017 monologue by comedian Bill Maher proposing a holiday for those who haven’t had children.

“Let me be clear, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with having a small number of children,” Maher said in his bit. “After all, children are the leaders of tomorrow, sometimes they’re even the leaders of today. I’m just saying, where’s the holiday for single people?”