Colorado Springs is not the most gay-friendly town. Regardless, PrideFest is coming Sunday. Mayor Lionel Rivera is withholding his support for the event because, in addition to a parade and fabulous outfits, the event features marriage ceremonies– or “same-sex commitment” ceremonies or “we’re grown ups and we’re together and we don’t care what you think about it” ceremonies. Rivera is opposed to those kind of ceremonies. So, sorry, he can not endorse the event. Also, that one time he did endorse it in 2003, he got slapped hard by the Christian Coalition.
There has been no city-leader support for the event since… until now. Vice Mayor Larry Small is giving the Fest an official thumbs up.
Conservative Republican Small simply says that gays and lesbians are members of the community and they pay taxes and own businesses. So that means they’re also presumably human and Americans and constituents and voters and eligible for some kind of acknowledgment, respect and celebration.
The Christian Coalition disagrees, vehemently:
FACT: Mayor Rivera signed a proclamation officially endorsing “Pride Fest” week in Colorado Springs. This homosexual and transsexual festival, pushed in every major city in the country, is the most public backbone of the homosexual lobby.
FACT: Lionel Rivera should never had endorsed this homosexual festival, not even once. His response is that he didn’t sign it the next three years. Great! But why did he sign it even once?
Springs car salesman and gay hater Will Perkins hasn’t reported his plans for PrideFest. Perkins is the author of a 1992 Colorado ballot initiative that attempted to bar laws that would protect gays from discrimination.
