Congressional candidate and former City Councilman Carl DeMaio continues to be the target of radical right-wing Republicans and Christian fundamentalist extremists who are trying everything they can to defeat DeMaio, who is considered the frontrunner in the upcoming June primary. They have made it clear in their right wing newsletters, blogs etc. that they do not want “this homosexual” elected to Congress and that his equality pro-choice progressive stands on social issues in their minds are a threat to America.
These attacks include his five year committed relationship with Carl’s life partner Johnathan Hale, president of the Hillcrest Business Association.
These extreme right wing national organizations are raising money and supporting one of DeMaio’s opponents who is for the return of “family values.”
What I find interesting and very concerning is that the vast majority of the GLBT media have ignored and not covered these attacks, while even many national mainstream media have.
What is also very disturbing is that some GLBT leaders, organizations and media have gone out of their way to also attack and misrepresent Carl DeMaio. While on the City Council DeMaio’s pro-equality voting record was 100 percent.
It is expected that DeMaio will make the run-off along with fellow former Councilman Scott Peters and sadly a very negative and ugly general election campaign is expected.
Yes, I believe Carl DeMaio, being one of the two winners of the June primary, is very important to our community especially after the vicious ongoing attacks by the radical right-wing extremists … and yes I have endorsed DeMaio of the three Republican candidates. And no, I do not agree with Carl on some issues as well as all of Scott Peters’ votes but I do believe that Carl DeMaio’s historic election as the first out and pro-equality Republican congressman in the nation will give the GLBT community a leader and a strong articulate voice in ongoing efforts to change the Republican Party.
No, Carl has never been a gay activist, nor will he be one in Congress, but he would be a leader and a voice among a “new generation” of Republicans and progressives who are trying to lead the Republican Party to the “middle” instead of being at times a captive of the right.
My message to our GLBT community is to learn about Carl and his pro-equality record yourself and not believe everything many partisan left wing Democrats are trying to peddle and sell.
Police Chief Zimmerman at the LGBT Center
San Diego’s new police chief, Shelley Zimmerman spent her 55th birthday at a town house meeting for the residents of the 3rd City Council District this past Monday.
I had the honor of being the moderator of the two hour meeting in which Chief Zimmerman answered dozens of questions. City Council President Todd Gloria hosted the event along with The LGBT Center.
I found our city’s first female police chief to be very down to earth, straight forward and continuing her well-earned reputation of engaging with the citizens of San Diego and especially its diverse communities.
San Diego Opera should close down
Personally, I love the arts, especially the theater and opera but the facts are the facts – opera houses in many major American cities have and are closing down. As in San Diego attendance has slowed down these past two decades as the younger generation of Americans have never warmed up to the opera.
While I understand those who have, for now, successfully kept our opera open it is sadly a matter of time that ours will also closedown.
We are not just whipping a dead horse and the fat lady will sing – it’s just a matter of time.
Nicole Murray Ramirez has been an award-winning columnist since 1973, and a Latino and gay activist for more than 45 years. He is currently a city commissioner and has served the last seven mayors of San Diego. He is also a national board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation and chairman of the International Court Council of the USA, Canada and Mexico. In 2013 Murray Ramirez was named “Mayor of Hillcrest” by a City proclamation. Nicolemrsandiego@aol.com
Nicole, your memory appears to be failing you.
It was not so long ago that you were launching vicious attacks on Carl DeMaio and his partner Jonathan Hale when Carl was running against the Bob Filner, the disgraced mayor that you endorsed and whose ass you kissed until he was no longer in a position to enrich you
Time to retire, you are embarrassing the gay community that you do not represent.
Nichole Ramirez Murray,
Your commentary seems to have been lifted in part directly from a Fox News story supporting DeMaio against Gays in the community that reject him.
In particular the exact wording lifted is “While on the City Council DeMaio’s pro-equality voting record was 100 percent.” Really, you came up with this independently?
Since you mention DeMaio’s 5 year relationship with his “life partner” Hale, why have you not confirmed or denied that Carl reportedly told you, according to Hale’s minion Jim Winsor, that Hale and DeMaio would tie the knot once Prop. 8 was overturned. It has been almost 2 years now since CA has Marriage Equality, and no wedding bells yet, and Hale denies any such claim ever having been made. So who is lying here? Hale, Winsor, you, or everybody? Something is not right with this story.
Is this relationship not quite so committed as implied in DeMaio’s ads, or is it a bond of mutual exploitation for each other’s political and civic agendas.
Is the Picket fence in Rancho Bernardo not quite as Pink as you, and they would lead us to believe?
Why would you have us believe that all Politicians if they wave the Gay flag are good, honorable and out for our communities best interests, as opposed to their own self serving agendas?
To expect some sort of evolutionary change in the Republican Party with one “Changing Hearts and Minds, one at time” Gay Congressman who doesn’t even advocate Gay issues, is a fool hardy as having expected the Republican Party Conservatives to have fully embraced the Civil Rights and Voting Acts 50 years after their passing.
You are being pandered to, and pandering to our community with your “All Gay is Good” line of reasoning.
Mr. de Maio is Gay, but that has nothing to do with either his positions on critical issues in Congress or his qualifications to represent the 52nd Congressional District.
While running for Mayor as a Republican and courting the financial support of the extreme right -wing Catholic population of San Diego, de Maio stated in writing he would not campaign favoring “gay social issues.” He effectively went back into the Political Closet in exchange for campaign contributions from conservative Republicans. People who have consistently opposed advances in Human Rights generally, and for the LGBT Community specifically.
De Maio is a person without either a moral or philosophical rudder or compass on social issues. Ask him about poverty, health care, homelessness, income distribution or civil rights and he yawns, ignores you, and starts texting the Koch Brothers asking for money.
He lost for Mayor after having been soundly booed by the LGBT Community in the PRIDE parade preceding the mayoral election . Fortunately the voters in the 52nd wiIl not send him to Washington.
Perhaps Carl DeMaio is getting attacked from all sides because he deserves it? When he was on the City Council he hardly bothered to look up from his phone of laptop while sitting in meetings, or out on official business. He even spent his time texting while the city buried one of its police officers. He says he supports marriage equality, yet gladly takes enormous amounts of money from Doug Manchester and Charles LiMandri, both of whom were HUGE supporters of Prop 8. His voting record often shows him to be the only dissenting vote, yet he claims to have reached across the aisle to get things done. Carl DeMaio is an embarrassment to the people of San Diego.
I agree with all the above comments. Nicole is a hypocrite. Bashes DeMaio during the mayor race and supporting Filner. Now supporting DeMaio in Congress and best buds again? Give us a break. Please retire and shut your trap. No one cares anymore about your opinion. You do not rule Hillcrest, Thank God. Despite your many titles that are bestowed upon you. Joke, Mayor of Hillcrest. Please……..more people laugh than take you serious.
Besides, the always faithful Donna Frye, United States Congressional candidate Carl DeMaio accomplished the most for the local Homeless population by requiring hundred of millions from the CCDC Redevelopment Agency to pay for both the Petco Park bonds, and Phase 2 of the Convention Center Bonds, and to show that RDA Tax Increment could be used for homeless services as a matter of state law.
http://www.tinyurl.com/20140228a
Meanwhile, former City Council President Scott Peters was especially rude and obnoxious to Homeless advocates during City Council meetings. Scott Peters literally hated us begging for crumbs from the deserving City Union’s pension plan.
Carl DeMaio and Donna Frye created the legal case to allow $224 Million Repayment for the Convention Center Phase 2 loans, and the $226 million in Petco Park Baseball park bonds.
http://www.tinyurl.com/20140210c
Correct First Link. Fiscal Year FY-2015_FY-2019_Consolidated Plan for HUD CDBG funds.
http://www.tinyurl.com/20140428a
Speaking of whipping dead horses and fat ladies singing….kind of sounds like Carl DeMaio and you
Nicole, I think your girdle may be cinched too tightly and is cutting off invaluable blood to the brain. You can’t be serious that we should be concerned that Carls’s beloved Republican party has turned on him. There’s a reason the LGBT community booed Carl at the last Pride parade. They know the score. I can’t imagine that Carl will have the nerve to be in the parade again this year, but I’m hoping he does. I would really like the opportunity to boo him even louder this year.