Christian campaign succeeds in stopping city's endorsement of homosexual celebration.
For the first time in 10 years, the San Diego City Council failed to approve a proclamation declaring "Gay Pride Week."
Former homosexual James Hartline, who publishes an e-mail newsletter, The James Hartline Report, led a Christian campaign against the measure, which had been sponsored by out lesbian Councilwoman Toni Atkins, who is serving as acting mayor.
Atkins withdrew the bill following a council meeting on Monday night attended by several dozen Christians and homosexual activists. Hartline spoke against the measure, along with Pastor Leo Giovinnetti of the Mission Valley Christian Fellowship.
"This is a victory for families in San Diego," said Cindy Moles, San Diego/Imperial Counties Area Director for Concerned Women for America (CWA). "We are grateful to our members who responded to our request to pray, to contact their council members, and to attend this important meeting. They certainly helped make a difference. Common sense prevailed. We can only hope that corporate sponsors exercise similar common sense in the future and distance themselves from this immoral event."
Moles noted that companies, including technology giant Hewlett Packard, Wells Fargo Bank and California Bank and Trust, are advertising in the pride event's program. That program also features ads for Club X San Diego, which bills itself as "San Diego's largest pansexual leather, BDSM fetish group," Moles said. "This group sponsors 'dungeon' parties that facilitate sadistic sex. Do these companies realize the company they are keeping? Common sense says they should."
In June, Hartline's newsletter revealed that two registered sex offenders who had been convicted of child molestation were working with volunteer staff on the Gay Pride event. He wrote to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), asking him to withdraw his endorsement of the event, but the governor has not rescinded his letter.
In 2003, the City Council voted unanimously to add "gender identity" to the city's civil rights code, thus giving transvestites and transsexuals the right to sue for discrimination. In January 2004, the city declined to oppose a judge's 2003 ruling to eject the Boy Scouts from Balboa Park, where they have had a camp for several decades, and voted instead to drop the city's defense of the Scouts and to pay the ACLU $900,000 in legal fees.
Also last year, Hartline and local pro-family activists Allyson Smith and Phil Magnan appeared at a City Council meeting and were the only ones to oppose a resolution endorsing Gay Youth Pride Day. The council voted 7-0 to approve it. Since then, four of those members have left the council amid scandal: Mayor Dick Murphy resigned after being charged with financial improprieties; Charles Lewis died in August 2004 from liver disease, and councilmen Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza resigned after being convicted of taking bribes from strip-club owner Michael Galardi, who testified that Lewis had also received money from him.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Parade will be held on Saturday, along with a Pride Festival in Balboa Park. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune's news Web site SignOnSanDiego.com,the parade will feature "festooned drag queens to Dykes on Bikes, scantily clad go-go dancers to proud members of PFLAG."
"It's ironic that the Boy Scouts are considered unfit to use Balboa Park, while the city is happy to welcome a celebration of every perversion under the sun," CWA's Cindy Moles said. "Still, we're glad the council decided not to give its official stamp of approval to the overall event. It's a step in the right direction."