LA council agrees to support Gay Pride Day LA council agrees to support Gay Pride Day (May 28, 2004)

Two members change their minds

By Julie O'Shea

Bowing to intense public pressure, the Los Altos City Council reversed its decision on Tuesday to support Gay Pride Day, voting 4-1 to hold the event June 7. Council member Ron Packard cast the lone dissenting vote.

The council also voted to recognize June 7 as "Tolerance Day" for those who aren't gay.

This "should be acceptable to everyone in town," said Mayor John Moss, who had originally voted against Gay Pride Day. "This second decision seems like a very good idea."

"We are just glad that the city council did the right thing, and we will be celebrating Gay Pride Day for the first time on June 7," said Alison Tarbell, a senior at Los Altos High School and the president of the campus' Gay-Straight Alliance club.

Two weeks ago, the council rejected a request from the Gay-Straight Alliance to proclaim June 7 Gay Pride Day. Saying such a day would be too divisive for its residents, the council instead voted to hold "Tolerance Day," which it considered more encompassing, on June 7.

The decision was met with sharp criticism from residents, many who attended the meeting. People from as far away as Monterey spoke during the meeting. "Tolerance is a pretty demeaning notion. You kind of tolerate your new puppy peeing on your carpet, but you don't accept it," said Wiggsy Sivertsen, a local gay advocate.

At the start of the meeting, Council member King Lear asked the council to reconsider the matter, suggesting the governing body could proclaim June 7 both Gay Pride and Tolerance Day.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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