Dear Editor:

Re: Community Town Hall Meeting On San Diego LGBT Pride Jan. 10

Subject: Community concern regarding the recent awarding of $5,000 to Dr. Princetta from Pride organization funds; the dismissal of the Executive Director, Ron DeHarte; and the subsequent resignations of two staff members, Jeffrey Redondo and Ken St. Pierre.

Dear Board members:

The Town Hall Meeting drew more than 200 community members who were deeply concerned about the Pride organization and the future of the organization. In the two hour meeting, about 40 people took the opportunity to approach the microphones and voice their concerns and requests for action.

While many sentiments were brought forth, three emerged as top themes. The assembled community voted to:

Declare no confidence in the current Pride Board.

Call for your resignations, due to the lack of confidence.

Call for the reinstatement of staff, including the Executive Director and the staff members who resigned.

The votes on the first two items were nearly unanimous. Please give the community’s views your serious consideration. In the interest of transparency, please respond publicly to this communication.

Respectfully,

Stephen Whitburn Joyce Marieb Co-moderators

Dear Editor:

After many years of both watching and walking in the PRIDE Parade, and working Festival booths, I know firsthand how much the event means to the community and its allies. So I think talk of a boycott of the event is wrong headed. On the other hand the current Board needs to do more to regain community confidence and ensure it accomplishes its mission. Our sole focus right now needs to be on making the 2010 event a great one. But it’s only 6 months away. Two things will go a long way toward addressing the confidence and urgency issues: (1) a 5 member board is too small for an organization of PRIDE’s stature. The board should immediately be doubled in size, and new members should be drawn from community leadership familiar with the event. (2) the person who is best qualified to make the event happen in a short period of time is the past executive director. He should be reinstated on a temporary basis through the conclusion of the 2010 event. These actions will restore community trust, ensure the event will come off, and give the board and the executive director time to work out their differences.

Sincerely,

Mark Thompson

Dear Editor:

I am writting in response to comment on Mark St. Johns letter to the editor in your 1.21.10 edition.

Mr St. John’s response appears to rerlegate the gay community to settle for Kristine Kehoe’s “ “ response

Half a loaf is better than none.

Domestic partnerships amount to nothing more than a second class status that doesn’t appear to be recognized by all states such as marriage.

The gay community all to often focus on the famous celebs / polticos who talk the talk, yet offer no benefit to our community. Focusing on youth and looks.

We as a gay community should be focusing on educating ourselves and the public, interviewing and learning from same sex couples that have been together for decades hidden in the shadows. Those raising families. The gay youth in small towns.

Best Regards

Joe DeAngelis