Council debates gays’ place at diversity fest
Should gays have a place in a festival celebrating cultural diversity?
It’s a question at the heart of the latest city government controversy about sexual orientation, raising issues that have divided the community for years.
The debate that began this week concerns whether gay participation in a downtown festival would improperly politicize the event. The festival is scheduled for Aug. 18 and is sponsored by the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, a private group.
The festival is supposed to include dance, music, cooking and booths where organizations will share information about their programs. The diversity forum came to the council Monday asking the city to waive fees for using city facilities, provide police for security and cover a few other costs.
City Councilman Darryl Glenn said that anyone should be allowed to take part, but he worries gay groups might advance political views such as support of same-sex unions. City leaders have cited the performance of same-sex marriage ceremonies as a reason for refusing to honor the annual PrideFest festival put on by a gay-rights group.
“Is this going to be an event where one of the displays is going to be something like that?” Glenn said.
The council questioned festival organizers at Monday’s meeting on whether the event is designed to celebrate ethnic diversity or broader expressions of cultural diversity, including gays. Even if gay participation involved nonprofit groups putting up booths to promote their programs, that could lead to more overtly political messages, said Councilwoman Margaret Radford.
“When a large portion of this community does not support gay and lesbian viewpoints, I don’t see us putting tax dollars into supporting that direction,” Radford said.
For more than a decade, the City Council has wrestled with policies regarding gays. The council granted health benefits to same-sex partners of city employees in 2002 and took them away in 2003. Last summer, some council members took issue with city light poles being used to display banners for an ad campaign that argued that some people are born gay.
Although the council hasn’t officially sanctioned the festival, city officials have been involved in developing the event. City Manager Lorne Kramer and spokeswoman Sue Skiffington-Blumberg have been active in the diversity forum. Other members include city-owned Colorado Springs Utilities and Memorial Health System.
Councilman Jerry Heimlicher said it would be a “travesty” if the city didn’t sponsor the festival intended to celebrate everyone who lives here.
“It’s time we got out of the Dark Ages and move forward, recognizing that having them participate does not mean that we’re condoning their lifestyle,” Heimlicher said.
One group on the diversity forum’s membership list, the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado, is an advocate for gays. The fund gives money to nonprofit agencies but doesn’t pay for specifically gay-related causes. Fund Director Mary Lou Makepeace, a former Colorado Springs mayor, said gays should be included in any celebration of diversity.
“Sometimes we don’t think about all the different marginalized communities,” Makepeace said. “Gay people exist in the community, and they are doing all sorts of positive things, just like any other population.”
Details on activities at the festival and the city’s costs will be presented to the council April 24.
By then, Jan Martin, who was elected to the council last week, will have taken her seat. Martin said that she hasn’t decided how she’ll vote but that she wants the city to be more inclusive.
“I’m excited about the Multi-Cultural Festival. I think it’s a good way to celebrate the diversity in our community, and that includes all members of our community,” she said.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0187 or perry.swanson@gazette.com
