An Open Letter to City Council, regarding Todd Gloria

Dear San Diego City Council:

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is everywhere; in every city council district and neighborhood in America’s Finest City. We also vote in significant numbers in every election representing about 5% of the electorate in our great city. As winners are being decided by smaller and smaller margins in each election cycle, I am sure the LGBT vote is important to you.

LGBT people are also active participants in, and funders of, election campaigns. 21% of LGBT people voted Republican in the last election. We like to make our voices heard in the political process, just look at the progress the LGBT community has made nationally on the issues important to us. Having a city council president that gets things done and is willing to compromise is important to our community. It is also important to communities of color who support Gloria.

As you pursue the reported “coup” of a beloved member of our community, Council President Todd Gloria, rest assured that we will let our voice be heard. Resoundingly credited with getting the city through one of its most challenging periods after the Filner debacle and derisively called a “closet Republican” by some progressives, Todd Gloria has exemplified what it means to compromise.

Some of you will read this as saying “the LGBT community just wants to keep a gay council president.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I am sure that you are aware that our community resoundingly rejected perennial gay candidate Carl DeMaio twice. The LGBT community represents educated voters who exercise their right to vote thoughtfully, and who do not support someone simply because he is gay. Just ask DeMaio.

Mayor Faulconer’s theme for city government is compromise. Faulconer has said “I’m someone who gets things done and works with my colleagues on the City Council across the aisle. It’s about results.” Sounds to me exactly what Todd Gloria does every day. Gloria has produced results for San Diego in one of the most challenging environments. Your Republican coucilmembers reputedly hope to replace Gloria with Democrat Sherri Lightner.

The current make-up of the city council is 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans. If the vote takes place on December 8^th as required by the current city council bylaws, it would take 2 Democrats to vote with the 3 Republicans to install Lightner as the new city council president. Assuming Lightner will vote for herself, and so will Gloria, that means one of the other Democrats will also have to vote to replace Gloria. Is that David Alvarez, Marti Emerald, Myrtle Cole or Ed Harris? Please step forward, the LGBT community wants to know who you are. We want to make sure to listen to your reasons for supporting the coup, and then we will let our voice be heard in the voting booth in your district and when you run for higher office. The LGBT community will let you know that the vast majority of us don’t agree.

Todd Gloria has asked the City Council to delay the vote until Chris Cate is sworn in as the new councilman from District 6. If the council agrees to delay the vote until December 10^th after Cate is sworn-in, the council make-up will be 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans. Given that the Republicans on council are voting collectively, it would be easier to defeat Gloria under the Cate vote scenario. Why does Gloria support allowing Cate to participate? It’s the right thing to do.

It allows Cate to vote on the leadership he will be working with for the next year and it ensures that the vote accurately reflects District 6 since their newly elected representative will get to vote.  In the Cate scenario, Lightner will be the deciding vote for her election to council president by voting herself in along with 4 Republican votes. Ms. Lightner, its political suicide but I believe in death with dignity, so have at it.

I don’t agree with Gloria on every issue but he is a thoughtful, ethical person who has the ability to reach across the aisle, and who wants to move San Diego forward. The vast majority of the LGBT community agrees with me. Rest assured if this supposed “coup” takes place, the LGBT community will make its displeasure known; in the council chambers and at the voting booth. That’s how democracy works. Our votes against councilmembers who vote for the “coup” will not be to show our support for Gloria because he is gay and a person of color, they will be to say Gloria has proven he is the right person for the job.

STAMPP CORBIN

PUBLISHER

San Diego LGBT Weekly

LGBTweekly.com