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Loading ...Colo. Springs leader supports gay, lesbian event
07.15.2009 4:12pm EDT
(Colorado Springs, Col.) An annual event in Colorado Springs organized by gays and lesbians has the ceremonial support of a city leader for the first time in years.
Vice Mayor Larry Small has issued a personal letter of support for PrideFest, which will include a parade and interfaith religious service Sunday.Mayor Lionel Rivera often issues proclamations for city events, but has withheld his support for PrideFest because the event hosts same-sex commitment ceremonies and he opposes gay marriage.
Small, a self-described conservative Republican, says gays and lesbians are members of the community who pay taxes, own businesses.
Colorado Springs is the home of Wil Perkins, author of a 1992 ballot issue that barred Colorado cities from passing laws to protect gays from discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the law.
Someone should remind the Mayor that he was elected to support the entire population of the city, not just the members of the Christian Taliban and their values of bigoty, intolerance, narrow mindedness, and hatefulness.
Well I say Hip Hip Hooray!! I went to high School and came out in Colo. Springs back in the late 70s long before the right wing moved in. The hippys were still running Manitou Springs my best friends owned The Lotus Eater Boutique not to mention Garden of the Gods was open 24 hours for ALL kinds of fun! Considering that back then the town was very sleepy laid back but still had a mean streak if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time this is a giant step in the correct direction (almost said right direction LOL)
It is nice to see my old stomping grounds are getting caught up with the times!! It beats the hell out of the bashing I got once downtown and when I tried to report it to police I was told it was my fault for being a “fag”!
I’m very PROUD of the Vice Mayor and the city!! The right must be on it’s way out!! YEA!!!
I agree Eric: It is nice to see Colorado finally doing something “correct”, lol. Colorado still needs a few anti-discrimination laws on the books though. Although the Sodomy law was repealed in 1973, Gay’s have had a rough go of it. Have they even placed non-discrimination laws on the books yet? Is it still legal for a police officer or employer to call you fag?
Time for me to do some research I guess.
As a Colorado resident, I would like to say that Colorado has both a hate crimes law and inclusive employment anti-discrimination law that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. As of July 1, Colorado also began recognizing a limited form of domestic partnerships.
I hope that things have improved in Col. Springs. When I was there in the mid 80’s on business the town council passed an ordinance making it a MISDEMEANOR crime to KILL A Gay or Lesbian punishable by a $50.00 fine, no jail time. It was symbolic at best as the state sets the laws for murder not towns.
Scary place indeed Col. Springs.
Woops!, make that the mid 90’s
CO Sprs might actually be moving into the Twentieth Century. The mayor still disapproves of gays. Fine. They can read and write, unlike the god squad who are (thankfully) too illiterate and too fearful to make their way up 25 to Denver. At least the vice mayor has a brain, and has some understanding that it’s a stupid politician who thinks s/he can pick and choose who among his constituents is allowed to matter.
But what is the Pope of Colorado Springs going to say? His Holiness, James Dobson I will no doubt have some input about this incredible disdain for God’s Law! Pray tell, what is to be done about these outrageous sinners who seem to be EVERYWHERE?
Remember: Dobson virtually OWNS Colorado Springs!
Some corrections:
Colorado repealed the sodomy law in 1971 – NOT 1973. Illinios was the first in 1961, then Connecticut in 1970, then Colorado in 1971, then Hawaii was next in 1973.
Interesting note about Idaho: Idaho did repeal all sodomy law with a new Criminal Code in 1972, then outrage by you guessed it – Mormans, lobbying the legislator in Idaho repealed the new Criminal Code and then the sodomy law stayed on the book – even today in 2009.
Since 2006 marriage and common-law marriage can only be between a man and a woman under the consitution and statutes
Colorado – a 23 year old heterosexual male will organise a petition to repeal all anti-gay marriage laws.
Since 1 January 2008 has hate crime protection and anti-discrimination statutes – it includes both gender idenity and sexual orientation.
Since 1 July 2009, Colorado has “receprical benefits” (not domestic partnerships) – the same as Hawaii.
Found this interesting too:
All the states that have legally allowed gay marriage have repealed their sodomy laws all in the 1970s.
See these 6:
* Iowa allowed gay marriage in 2009, sodomy law repealed in 1978.
* Vermont allowed gay marriage in 2009, sodomy law on oral sex repealed in 1977. Vermont never had a law on anal sex on the books (yes I know interesting).
* Massacussetts legally allowed gay marriage in 2004, sodomy law still in the books (of some stupid reason), in 2009, but was not enforced since 1971.
* Maine if allowed this year (ballot remember). Sodomy law repealed in 1976. Mutual Masturbation was never illegal under the sodomy law since 1955 under a ruling from the Maine Supreme Court.
* New Hampshire will legally allow from midnight new year day in 2010. Sodomy law was repealed in 1975, even when a Govonor was deeply homophobic and on top of that he did not know what he was signing into law.
NOT FORGETTING;
* Connecticut legally allowed gay marriage in 2008 and fixed the law in 2009. Sodomy law was repealed in 1970, the second state to do so. After Prop 8 passed by a 52 percent vote in California – it too became the second state to allow gay marriage, 8 days later.
Californias sodomy law was repealed in wait for it, 1978 – no so liberal after all.
Colorado, Illinios, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dekota, Nebraska, West Verginia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Vermont, Oregon, Indiana all repealed there sodomy laws – way before California repealed theirs.
Even “extreamly conservative” states of West Virginia, Nebraska, Ohio, North and South Dekota all repealed their sodomy law – way before California ever did.
I will say it again and again California is NOT LIBERAL AT ALL – END OF STORY!!!!!
The proof is in the pudding!!!!!
They are conservative, rednecked, facist bastards who drive like insain assholes.
At least in New England, we know what real liberalism is – and we are truly liberal people!!!!
People in California are behind-the-times cuddling up to Texas assholes with their little consitutional amendments and legally killing people (death penalty) because they were deeply afraid of gays and because they “pretend” to be liberal – but they are far from liberal.
California is as conservative as a hot stove in a church christmas party room when funding and organising prop 8 petitions.
Ellen Degenerous is a fantastic woman – you Californian people are assholes for voiding her marriage!!!!!!
Californian people are facist fuck-tards for voting against on peoples marriages between members of the same-sex.
The mayor Rivera should resign and let the more progressive vice mayor Small take over.
Small would do a better and more inclusive job of running the town. I am glad Small is showing a streak of independence despite of how the mayor himself is on the GLBT community of that area. Small should talk Rivera into not running for mayor again and Small should run for Mayor and select a vice mayor should shares his belief that GLBTs are also business owners etc. worthy of recognition of the contributions they make to the life of the community.
Travis, thanks for the facts…but when you have a situation where the state controls the acitivities of its people, purporting to know better what behaviour is acceptable, that is not conservative.
We have allowed the religious right to hijack the word conservative. We need to take it back. A conservative governing body would be uninterested in controlling the private behaviour of its citizens.
Maybe this is why so many “red” states repealed their laws in the 70’s….coincidentally on the cusp of the RR takeover of the GOP. Remember Southern Baptists were originally aligned with the Democrats.
I say this because it is important to separate out our political parties vs. ideologies.
The religious right and the RECENT republican party are not conservative at all…big government, spying, behavioural control, limiting states rights, limiting personal freedom.
Many of the things we expect from the “liberal” party (Democrats) are quite conservative in nature. We want the states to govern marriage (the GLAD case, the Mass AG case are states rights cases..conservative!), we want church out of politics (at least I do!)…limiting the government to secular activities. Abortion rights are also important to me and they represent personal liberty that is a conservative principal (liberalism purports to have a large state in which its operators study societal norms and determine what is best for us).
Let’s get our language clear: We are fighhting the religious right which has hijacked the GOP. I don’t see anything in what we want as being at odds with conservatism.
Just look at what Cheney is saying, now that he can be a conservative vs. a republican!