Last week, San Diego Pride executive director Ron deHarte gave an official response to Set Free Ministries’ breach of contract with Petco Park and its protest of San Diego Prides’ “Out at the Park.”

“San Diego LGBT Pride believes the upcoming ballgame this Sunday is the wrong venue for an anti-gay protest, which blatantly attacks a friendly association that Pride has made with the San Diego Padres to present a game that commemorates LGBT baseball fans and the many supporters of our annual Pride celebration,” deHarte said.

“Out at the Park” at Petco Park is one of several pre-Pride events leading up to 2007 San Diego Pride, scheduled for the July 21-22 weekend. San Diego Pride purchased 1,000 tickets to the game and advertised the event as “Out at the Park.” The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego sang the national anthem.

Set Free Ministries, an El Cajon-based organization that ministers to the homeless, ex-convicts and drug addicts, had hoped to turn the July 8 San Diego Padres game against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park into a “disruptive and hateful protest aimed directly at gay and lesbian fans who will be in attendance,” deHarte said.

Although Set Free Ministries did not return phone calls from the Gay & Lesbian Times, it told the San Diego Union-Tribune that it was upset because the 1,000 GLBT fans were attending the game on the same night that children 14 and under were to be given a free floppy hat as part of a Padres’ promotion for kids. Set Free said it felt that San Diego Pride shouldn’t be allowed to have a group at a game while the Padres try to recruit underage fans.

Set Free’s approximately 75 anti-gay protestors wore red T-shirts with “Save Our Kids” and “Protesting Gay Group Buying Tickets On Kids Day” emblazoned on them. They carried signs that read “Homo Sex Is Sin,” cited Bible verses and handed flyers to fans at the gate, where “ex-gay” City Council candidate James Hartline encouraged people to turn around and go home.

Various GLBT people and supporters rallied around the anti-gay protestors holding signs with symbols of love and phrases such as “End Homophobia.” At one point, one anti-gay and one pro-gay protestor met face-to-face and exchanged heated words.

The official crowd count of 41,086 fans who attended the game suggests that Set Free Ministries’ rally did not deter fans from attending. Ticket sales were less than a thousand seats short of the 42,685-seat maximum, the Padres’ Web site said.

Further, after the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego performed the national anthem, the crowd cheered heartily.

The protest was not the only reaction Set Free Ministries had to “Out at the Park.” The group walked out on its contract to fill 42 concession jobs for the Padres’ July 8 game.

The ministry lost $1,680 (5 percent of its monthly budget) by walking out. The Padres could also fine Set Free Ministries up to $4,200.

Speaking about Set Free’s decision to breach its contract, Loveland told the San Diego Union-Tribune: “This was a very difficult decision when it comes to finances. We do not get government funding. We finance our ministry ourselves.”

But according to deHarte, Set Free Ministries has received a Federal HUD funds grant of $50,000 to support its recovery programs.

Gay & Lesbian Times staff contributed to this story.