Following evidence of Lorie Zapf’s open bigotry against the GLBT community, pressure is growing on The San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR) to rescind its endorsement of the Republican candidate for San Diego City Council in District 6.

SDAR’s leadership has convened an emergency meeting of its Executive Committee which is a first step in rescinding Zapf’s endorsement.

According to SDAR’s immediate past-President, Erik Weichelt of Weichert Elite, Realtors, Inc., SDAR’s selection committee doesn’t routinely look beyond a candidate’s real estate-related positions.

Jim Abbott, President/Managing Broker of ARG Abbott Realty Group, San Diego stated,“SDAR’s leadership must rescind Zapf’s endorsement. The REALTOR imprimatur cannot be applied to a candidate who hasn’t the faintest notion of equality, especially when a strict Code of Ethics and a commitment to Equal Housing Opportunity guide everything we do as Realtors.”

Zapf’s extreme views were revealed in excerpts from emails sent to James Hartline earlier in the year; first reported by SD CityBeat reporter Justin MacLachlan on March 9, 2010.

“This debacle exposes serious defects in the way this very large and normally gay-friendly trade association operates.” Abbott continued.

Full details of the outcome of SDAR’s emergency meeting are awaited and in the meantime SDAR’s name continues to appear on Zapf’s list of supporters.

For more information on this story go to www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=17274 to view real estate columnist Jim Abbott’s full editorial.

To contact SDAR about this matter they can be reached through CEO Mike Mercurio at mmercurio@sdar.com or SDAR President Mark Marquez at markm@weichertelite.com.