San Diego Pride’s staff and year-round program volunteer leaders will team up with our community partners, sponsors, and small businesses to produce or promote unique Pride celebrations in COVID-19 compliant venues. Instead, San Diego Pride will host a virtual streaming Pride Live event that can be viewed safely from home and will also produce a number of smaller, COVID-19 compliant, and scalable in-person satellite events across San Diego County to allow us the ability to adapt to the changing state of public health guidance while allowing our community to participate in the ways they feel most supported and safe. Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.After months of planning and consideration, San Diego Pride recognizes that in 2021 there is still no certain path to safely produce Pride events at the same immense scale we did prior to the pandemic.
#GAY PRIDE SAN DIEGO PARADE ROUTE FREE#
Subscribe to the free daily E-Brief.Į-mail a comment or news tip to Nathan Burchfiel Make media inquiries or request an interview about this article. On its website, the group calls the parade "a powerful display of diversity, acceptance and celebration." It says the parade's mission is "to foster pride in and respect for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in San Diego." San Diego Pride, the group that organized the event, was not immediately available for comment Monday. ?I haven't heard that they've filed,? Maria Velasquez told Cybercast News Service. According to a receptionist, the department is processing numerous requests for reaction.Ī spokeswoman for San Diego City attorney Michael Aguirre said she hadn't seen the letter requesting right-to-sue notices. "These four firefighters had no choice in the matter and that is wrong no matter what one's sexual orientation."Ī spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Participation should be a voluntary act," Brian Rooney, a spokesman for the law center, said. "Not only was I being subjected to these comments but I had to be told by protestors that homosexuality is sin, I'm going to hell, and I will be judged by God," Engineer Jason Hewitt said. In addition to sexual harassment from parade watchers, the firemen say they were subjected to criticism from religious demonstrators protesting the parade. "These unsolicited and unwanted behaviors from a few individuals of the public toward us, reduced our morale as well as the integrity of the workplace, and destroyed our professionalism." "The experience left me feeling humiliated, embarrassed, and offended by this event," Capt. The firefighters, described by the law center as "devoted husbands and fathers," claim to have been subjected to sexually suggestive comments from parade observers, including "show me your hose," "you can put out my fire," and "give me mouth-to-mouth."
Jarman says the "gay pride" parade "is a fun event and all employees are encouraged to participate." San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman is an open lesbian who lives with her domestic partner. "They did not sign on to become unwilling props to a controversial political and social agenda."Īccording to the complaint filed with the city, the firemen of Engine 5 told their chief they did not want to appear in the parade but were told the morning of the parade that they were under orders to participate.
"These firefighters dedicated their lives to save the lives of others," Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the law center, said in a statement. () - A religious legal organization on Monday announced plans to sue the City of San Diego after firefighters there were allegedly forced to participate in the city's "Gay Pride" parade and subjected to "vile sexual taunts."Īccording to the Thomas More Law Center, four firefighters were forced to participate in the parade against their will and were "subjected to vile sexual taunts from homosexuals lining the parade route." The center has filed a request to sue the city - an administrative procedure - and expects to file a sexual harassment lawsuit in coming weeks.