San Diego Mayor Supports Gay Marriage...

[FSTargetDrone]

...after supporting civil unions but not marriage 2 years ago. Nice to see a conservative Republican change stance on such an issue.

Story:

News | San Diego
In reversal, Sanders supports gay-marriage resolution

By Matthew T. Hall

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

6:19 p.m. September 19, 2007

Mayor Jerry Sanders reversed his position on gay marriage Wednesday, supporting it in emotional remarks punctuated by pauses, shaking sips of water and his wife's hand resting one time reassuringly on his back.

Sanders' wife, Rana Sampson, stood next to him as he acknowledged publicly for the first time that his daughter, Lisa, is a lesbian.

“I've decided to lead with my heart, which is probably obvious right now, to do what I think is right and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice,” Sanders said.

A day after staff members said Sanders would veto it, the mayor announced that he would sign a City Council resolution passed Tuesday that directed the City Attorney's Office to file a brief in support of gay marriage.

The council voted 5-3 to send the brief to the state Supreme Court backing an end to the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Similar briefs have been sent by other cities, which like San Diego, are not directly involved in the case.

Almost 200 people attended the council hearing on the issue, with gay marriage supporters arguing for equal treatment under the law, and opponents contending marriage should be between a man and a woman.

“As I reflected on the choices that I had before me last night I could just not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community they were less important, less worthy or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else simply because of their sexual orientation,” Sanders said.

In a reference to his daughter and two staff members who are gay, he said, “I want for them the same thing that we all want for our loved ones, for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and loves them back, someone with whom they can grow old together and share life's experiences, and I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law.”

In his 2005 mayoral campaign, Sanders said he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships but not gay marriage.

“I have personally wrestled with that opinion ever since,” he said Wednesday his voice wavering. “My opinions on this issue have evolved significantly as I think the opinions of millions of Americans from all walks of life have.”

In a nod to those who don't support gay marriage, he said, “I acknowledge that not all members of our community will agree or even understand.”

Matthew Hall: (619) 542-4599; matthew.hall@uniontrib.com

[Coriolis]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

[Crossroads Inc.]

A republican? Supporting not just Civil unions, but Gay Marriage? Someone check the temprature in Hell please?


In All seriousness though, how Liberal is San Diego? As I want to know if what hes doing will be political Suicide to the larger GOP.

[Battlehymn Republic]

It's a conservative stronghold, much like Orange County. However, I would think it's in the libertarian economic sense.

[FSTargetDrone]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Whatever it takes, I suppose.

[Knife]

It's a conservative stronghold, much like Orange County. However, I would think it's in the libertarian economic sense.

SD a conservative stronghold? Granted, I left ten years ago but yeesh. I mean it was never SF or anything but I wouldn't have said it was a conservative stronghold.

[Sidewinder]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Now I'm wondering what will happen if one or both of George W. Bush's daughters says, "Daddy, I'm a lesbian."

[mr friendly guy]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Now I'm wondering what will happen if one or both of George W. Bush's daughters says, "Daddy, I'm a lesbian."

You will burn in hell honey.

[Medic]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Do you say that with a twinge of regret? This is perfect, it isn't a blackmail but such a situation has many of the same characteristics as blackmail, inasmuch that he's forced to acknowledge or do something he never would otherwise. Reality bites.

All the better that he is a public official and in a position of power to effect positive change on the situation. Also, this is San Diego so the story is awesome++ from the get-go.

Sure, maybe the older generation and persons of varying-degrees of Abrahamic-faith will see this as a 'life isn't fair' situation, that they didn't get their way and gays get set aside in the separate-class-citizen-box that they deserve, but reality-based-reality continues to kick ideology-based-reality's ass. Their displeasure, public or private, doesn't effect the moral zeitgeist anymore.

Oh and Knife, I can see San Diego as a "conservative stronghold" since the county continues to re-elect Duncan Hunter and is a military town. Together it's enough at the least to be considered a "conservative stronghold" when compared to Californian standards. The fact that I'm guessing too is kinda sobering since I lived there for... 19 years. I'm taking a month off for the holidays methinks...

[Nephtys]

It's a conservative stronghold, much like Orange County. However, I would think it's in the libertarian economic sense.

SD a conservative stronghold? Granted, I left ten years ago but yeesh. I mean it was never SF or anything but I wouldn't have said it was a conservative stronghold.

Every other building in town has 'Lockheed Martin' written on it.

It's pretty damn conservative for California. Seemingly far more so than any other city in the state. Hannity even brought his propaganda conc---freedom concert over, right before going to Dallas a few weeks ago.

[Flagg]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Now I'm wondering what will happen if one or both of George W. Bush's daughters says, "Daddy, I'm a lesbian."

He parades her around bragging about how even though he disagrees with the choice she has made, he still accepts her as his daughter. Because that's the compassionate thing to do.

[Coriolis]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Do you say that with a twinge of regret?

If I did, I didn't mean to

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Now I'm wondering what will happen if one or both of George W. Bush's daughters says, "Daddy, I'm a lesbian."

Speaking of Shrubya, what did good ol' Dick do about his daughter? I never followed up on that.

[Flagg]

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Do you say that with a twinge of regret?

If I did, I didn't mean to

It's a step in the right direction. Although I can't help but think it happened mainly because of his daughter.

Now I'm wondering what will happen if one or both of George W. Bush's daughters says, "Daddy, I'm a lesbian."

Speaking of Shrubya, what did good ol' Dick do about his daughter? I never followed up on that.

He shot her in the face.






He supposedly accepts her for who she is. But she's also a supporter of the current regime, so she's obviousely fucked in head, considering.

[Darth Wong]

It's a conservative stronghold, much like Orange County. However, I would think it's in the libertarian economic sense.

SD a conservative stronghold? Granted, I left ten years ago but yeesh. I mean it was never SF or anything but I wouldn't have said it was a conservative stronghold.

Every other building in town has 'Lockheed Martin' written on it.

It's pretty damn conservative for California. Seemingly far more so than any other city in the state. Hannity even brought his propaganda conc---freedom concert over, right before going to Dallas a few weeks ago.

It's also really Mexican. I've only been there once, but I was shocked at just how Mexican it was. The music, the many Spanish-language advertisements and businesses and radio programs, etc all made us feel like we already had one foot in Mexico.

And Mexico is not exactly a bastion of social liberalism or contempt for organized religion. The fundie vote must be stronger in San Diego because of the Mexican influence.

[FSTargetDrone]

And Mexico is not exactly a bastion of social liberalism or contempt for organized religion. The fundie vote must be stronger in San Diego because of the Mexican influence.

Mexico is 76% Catholic and 6% Protestant, so it's not even close.

Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pentecostal 1.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1% (2000 census)

However, Mexico is seeing at least some moves towards social liberalism:

By Chris Hawley, USA TODAY

MEXICO CITY — What ever happened to macho, conservative, religious Mexico?

On issues like gay marriage and abortion, Mexicans have taken some tentative steps to the left of the political spectrum lately, infuriating the Roman Catholic Church and challenging old stereotypes about their country.

Academics say Mexico's democracy has blossomed since 71 years of one-party rule ended in 2000, allowing a broader spectrum of Mexicans to assert their political power. The rapid growth of Mexican cities and fading of rural traditions have also contributed to the changes, they say.

"We are seeing a new readiness to challenge old customs in this country," said Carlos Lugo Galera, a social sciences professor at Iberoamericana University in Mexico City. "The simple fact we're examining these issues is important."

'We've always been very macho'

Sociologists are divided over how widespread the changes are, since much of the change has been focused in Mexico City, the most cosmopolitan area in the country. But nationwide, left-leaning political parties have made gains, and once-controversial practices such as birth control are now widely accepted.

"Here in Mexico, we've always been very macho and very oriented toward customs … but it seems like we're changing," said Alejandro Hernandez Ramos, 23, a grocery store worker in Puebla.

The changes include:
•On March 16, Mexico City began performing civil union ceremonies for same-sex couples, giving them most of the rights of marriage. City officials attended the first ceremonies, ran newspaper ads publicizing the unions, and even hired mariachi bands to serenade the couples. There were few protests.

•The northern state of Coahuila began performing same-sex unions on Jan. 31. In February, a lesbian couple from Texas became the first foreigners to be united there.

•Mexico City recently began allowing conjugal visits for homosexual prisoners.

•In February, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled that soldiers cannot be expelled from the military for being HIV-positive.

Now, liberal political parties in Mexico are challenging another conservative pillar: Mexico's near-total ban on abortion. The nationwide Congress and the local legislature in Mexico City are debating bills that would relax the ban.

It is unclear how the bills will fare. A recent poll by the newspaper Reforma showed that 59% of Mexico City residents favor a law allowing abortion up to 14 weeks into a pregnancy. However, a nationwide poll by the Mitofsky polling agency in January showed only 32.1% of Mexicans nationwide approve of abortion.

New President Felipe Calderón, a conservative, has said he opposes abortion. The Catholic Church has reacted strongly, calling support of abortion "a gravely cruel act."

Such public debate of a contentious issue would have been unthinkable in Mexico just a few years ago, said Yolanda Meyenberg, a researcher at the Institute of Social Investigation at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Politicians are encouraged by a new openness in government after seven decades of control by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, ended in 2000. The PRI rarely allowed opposition candidates to win elections, and Congress almost never voted against the president.

"This is a society that is becoming more accustomed to the uses of democracy, and one of the uses is the right to free expression and debate," said Meyenberg.

Catholic influence strong

Mexico is still a country where shrines to the Virgin of Guadalupe pepper street corners and where 96% of people say they consider themselves Catholic. But widespread use of birth control, which is condemned by the Catholic Church, has lowered the Mexican fertility rate to 2.1 children per woman, nearly the same as the United States.

Women now make up 22% of Mexico's Congress, compared with 17% in the United States. Mexican pop culture has been taking on social mores as well, with soap operas like The Prettiest Ugly Girl challenging workplace sexism and ideas of beauty.

Some of Mexico's political traditions are also under siege, Lugo Galera said. Calderón and other conservatives want to dismantle government-run monopolies, while leftist parties want changes on social issues. "What we are seeing now is a true battle between the interests and the powers of these parties," Lugo Galera said. That, he says, has "provoked a vision of activism, and perhaps of getting rid of certain taboos within the Mexican population."

Hawley is a Latin American correspondent for USA TODAY and The Arizona Republic.

This article is, I believe, from April 2007.

Can you imagine conjugal visits for gay prisoners in the US? I know Californai allows it, but not sure about the other 49 states.

[Nephtys]

SD a conservative stronghold? Granted, I left ten years ago but yeesh. I mean it was never SF or anything but I wouldn't have said it was a conservative stronghold.

Every other building in town has 'Lockheed Martin' written on it.

It's pretty damn conservative for California. Seemingly far more so than any other city in the state. Hannity even brought his propaganda conc---freedom concert over, right before going to Dallas a few weeks ago.

It's also really Mexican. I've only been there once, but I was shocked at just how Mexican it was. The music, the many Spanish-language advertisements and businesses and radio programs, etc all made us feel like we already had one foot in Mexico.

And Mexico is not exactly a bastion of social liberalism or contempt for organized religion. The fundie vote must be stronger in San Diego because of the Mexican influence.

We've had a /long/ fight over this big mountaintop cross laying on a public funded war memorial too. They weaseled out of it by making the four inches where the cross itself touches the ground into private land, but keeping everything else as public. The Conservative elements are quite strong here when pressed.