At this past Monday’s Redistricting Commission public hearing, the LGBT Redistricting Task Force presented its first draft of a new City Council District 3.
The new proposal would shift the District 3 boundaries to the west, eliminating some communities like City Heights and Azalea Park from the east, and adding areas such as Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Old Town and parts of downtown. The LGBT-friendly district was met with applause from many of those at the meeting, but several residents of City Heights and Azalea Park shared concerns of being removed from their existing district.
Using federal census data, the Redistricting Commission has to modify city council districts every ten years to adjust for population changes. This year, the city is also adding a 9th district, in accordance of the new strong mayor format approved by the voters last year. In addition to other requirements that include geographical and natural boundaries, the new districts must preserve “identifiable communities of interest.”
Since the census does not ask about sexual orientation, the LGBT Redistricting Task Force used several other factors to show the commission where the LGBT community of interest currently exists. The task force started with data showing residents that voted against Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriages in California.
“Prop. 8, passed in San Diego County with a 52-48 percentage vote,” said Linda Perine, the task force chairwoman. “However, in some neighborhoods, that unprecedented assault on the civil rights of a group of citizens was resoundingly rejected. In percentages ranging from 61 percent to 83 percent, these neighborhoods stood strong for the civil rights of the LGBT community. It is our premise that these neighborhoods should form the core of the LGBT community of interest.”
The task force also used sources to show the location of registered domestic partners and same-sex married couples, members of the Human Rights Campaign, companies in the Greater San Diego Business Association, as well as LGBT social and cultural venues.
“Looking at the facts, unclouded by expectations or agendas, the placement of the district lines for the LGBT community of interest is pretty clear-cut,” said Craig Roberts, who presented the statistics at Monday’s commission meeting. “The boundaries of this council district would have Interstate 8 as its northern boundary, with Interstate 5 providing the northwestern boundary, then San Diego Bay serving as its southwestern boundary. The south side of Balboa Park/A Street provides the southeastern boundary and Interstate 805 sets most of the eastern boundary. The neighborhoods of a portion of Normal Heights, Kensington and Talmadge round out this list of heavily LGBT and LGBT-friendly neighborhoods.”
“Again and again and again, all the proxies that we have available to us draw the same district,” Perine said. “This map brings together a clearly identifiable community of interest in order to retain common activities, social and lifestyle patterns typical and desired by members of the area.”
Some speakers supported the LGBT Task Force’s map, while others protested. The majority of the objections came from LGBT residents in City Heights and Azalea Park who did not want to be removed from District 3.
The Redistricting Commission is hosting two more public hearings in May. The commissioners will then create a preliminary district map. Another series of public hearings will be held before a final plan is adopted. For more information about the Commission, log on to sandiego.gov/redistricting or call 619-533-3060. For more information about the LGBT Redistricting Task Force, contact Perine at 858-775-2950.
