San Diego City Official Censors Pictures of 'Gay Pride' Parade
by James L. Lambert
September 26, 2006
(AgapePress) - - In a podium dispute with a Christian activist, San Diego City Councilman Scott Peters rejected pictures of the recent San Diego "Gay Pride" event to be shown to the public. The activist, James Hartline, had come before the Council during its open forum to make his case -- with photographic proof -- that city representatives erred in sanctioning the event.
Last July, the City Council approved a resolution termed "Gay Pride Week," which is capped off by a parade held at week's end. The resolution was initiated by councilwoman Toni Atkins -- the first openly lesbian mayor of the city -- who aggressively defends homosexual causes in her public life as a council member. In its July 25 proclamation, Council members -- by their vote of commendation -- unanimously encouraged San Diegans to attend the event on July 28-30.
Hartline speculated at the time that, if exposed, the parade would be a public embarrassment to them. He now wonders why they chose to hide what actually occurred during the event -- such as promotion of strip clubs like "Déjà Vu" and pornographer Larry Flynt's store "Hustler."
Speaking at the September 12 forum, Hartline explained that he thought the July action to officially sanction the pride event was in poor judgment. He stated that since children were present along the parade route, it was improper to sanction an event where pornography was promoted, condoms and sexual lubricants were distributed, public nudity was on display, and male escort and strip club businesses were participants. Much of this evidence was depicted in photographs taken by San Diego News Notes reporter Allyson Smith.
Some of the pictures Hartline attempted to show at the forum were, according to the activist, "more graphic in nature." Hartline explained that his purpose was to expose the hypocrisy of Council members in granting their July motion. However, Council chairman Peters chose to prohibit Smith's pictures from being viewed by the public. "I can't allow you to put these pictures on television," he stated in city chambers.
According to Pam Hardy, Peters' communications director, Hartline "wanted to show some pictures that were inappropriate" and, therefore, were prohibited from being shown. She did not agree that Peters exercised a form of censorship, despite Hartline's claim, and refused to respond further when asked to explain why the police refused to cite parade participants for public nudity. She deferred that question to the police department and refused further comment.
Hartline states he is not surprised that Hardy was curt with AgapePress. According to the activist, Hardy worked for KPBS (the Public Broadcasting Service in San Diego) for several years and attended UC-San Diego in La Jolla -- both of which have a long history of being unfriendly to conservatives, he adds.
The activist notes that such indifference apparently resides in the local government halls as well. Hartline points out that San Diego's city leaders have a recent history of demonstrating intolerance to groups like the Boy Scouts, yet condone groups that represent negative aspects of society.
James L. Lambert, a frequent contributor to AgapePress, is the author of Porn in America (Huntington House). He is a licensed real-estate mortgage loan sales agent and can be contacted through his website.
