“Democracy … is government by discussion.”

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

Regardless of whether you agree with ex-gay religious crusader turned candidate for District 3 City Council James Hartline, there’s no disputing the fact he has a voice. Some local political and community organizations, however, are working their hardest to make sure you don’t hear it.

The Kensington-Talmadge Community Association, for example, did not invite Hartline to attend its candidates forum.

Likewise, The San Diego County Republican Party and the San Diego Democratic Club went out of their way to prevent Hartline from participating in candidates forums.

Why? The Kensington-Talmadge Community Association hasn’t offered Hartline an explanation. But, The San Diego County Republican Party said it does not allow convicted felons to participate, and the San Diego Democratic Club excluded Hartline for his “‘anti-LGBT views’ and his ‘tendency’ to cause disruption in public forums.”

The San Diego Democratic Club went so far as to vote to change its bylaws to specifically exclude Hartline from the forum.

Most would agree Hartline is an incredibly polarizing figure and out of his league among the field of qualified candidates.

But – you may want to sit for this – he is in the race, and he deserves as much a forum as any candidate to express his ideas and concerns regarding our city.

We can see next week’s letters to the editor now. After all, why would any member of our community defend the hatemonger? Well, because sometimes freedom is ugly.

To be clear, we don’t like Hartline’s vicious, often ludicrous, attacks on our community. We don’t even subscribe to the notion that he is a viable candidate for City Council.

But due democratic process should allow all candidates in these races a forum to voice their vision.

It wasn’t too long ago that the voices of GLBT leaders were deemed so distasteful that those in power tried to silence us. Have we forgotten our history?

Hartline’s vision, while certainly not ours and assumedly not yours, is unique. At a candidates’ forum hosted by the League of Women’s Voters in October, Hartline addressed issues, did not cause a disruption and didn’t use time to promote an anti-GLBT agenda.

If he had, however, the democratic process would have allowed for such. The organizations that have excluded Hartline may not like what he has to say, but they should allow him the time to say it.

Compromising the democratic process to exclude someone’s voice undermines progress, the very progress so many of us have fought for.

One of the key components of the democratic process is equal participation and access for all individuals and groups – emphasis on all. Excluding a candidate – any candidate – is undemocratic. Stifling dialogue stifles democracy.

If a political or community organization in an über-conservative area excluded a gay candidate from a community forum, we’d be outraged. As a matter of fact, it has happened, and we were outraged. Many of you reading this can, and should, remember the battles we fought for inclusion. Fighting oppressors only to adopt their principles makes us no better than they are. Shame on anyone who tries to silence dissenting opinion.

Yes freedom can be ugly, but it sure beats the alternative.