Former judge Larry Stirling, the Republican candidate for the 39th Senate District seat, spoke at a May 3 meeting of the San Diego chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans. Stirling, who has turned down requests by the club to speak in the past, requested to speak at the meeting, held at the Abbey Café in Hillcrest. He presented briefly on the major issues of his campaign, and defended his conviction that the Log Cabin Republicans should vote for him over Democratic candidate Christine Kehoe despite his opposition to civil unions and same-sex marriage.

“The reason I am running is because the state is in financial trouble, as is the city and as is the county,” said Stirling, who has a background in public finance and served four terms in the State Assembly before being elected to the Senate in 1988. He was appointed to the Municipal Court after that and worked as a Superior Court judge until retiring in 2003.

Campaign priorities include enacting governmental spending limits, encouraging independent audits and competitive bidding requirements, and reforming worker’s compensation, education and California’s energy policies.

“Nobody has an interest in a bankrupt state,” Stirling said.

According to his campaign website, Stirling seeks affordable healthcare for seniors and better funding for police and fire departments, and is opposed to tax increases, particularly any future efforts to raise the car tax.

“As you probably know, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Oregon are being slammed with ex-Californians who are avoiding the high tax rates,” he said at the meeting. “If we continue to raise taxes, we are going to end up with less and less jobs and opportunities for Californians.” He also noted that he created a fish hatchery to ease tensions between San Diego’s commercial and sport fisherman.

During the question and answer session, Stirling’s voting history on bills that affected the GLBT community during his time as a State Assembly member were called into question, as was his stance on domestic partner and retirement benefits, property and inheritance rights and HIV/AIDS issues.

“While gay issues are not the primary issues for most Log Cabin members, nevertheless they are an issue and an important issue for many of us,” one member said. “… What can you tell us in terms of what you would do to not just keep those protections alive but… to expand them to the point where they are, in fact, equal rights for gays and lesbians, at least civil, domestic marriages?”

Stirling responded by offering alternate legal solutions for GLBT couples to receive the tax and health insurance benefits that heterosexual couples obtain through marriage, without them being granted domestic partnerships, civil unions or marriage, saying that he would “address whatever inequalities there are on a case by case basis.”

“[Y]ou signed the California Marriage Protection Pledge,” said another member, bringing up the issues of partner inheritance and hospital visitation rights. “The second and third paragraphs of that pledge specifically stated that you would work towards a rollback of the limited gains that we have made in those areas. … It did specifically state that you supported a rollback of all domestic partner benefits, and as you as an attorney know, the benefits that we have now are tenuous at best.”

“Once again, my campaign is based on what is wrong with the state of California,” Stirling responded, stating he did not recall that particular clause in the Marriage Protection Pledge when he signed it. “Nobody has an interest in a bankrupt state; nobody has an interest in a bankrupt city; and nobody has an interest in a bankrupt county. That’s what I’m here for.”

Stirling again provided alternate strategies for securing inheritance and hospital visitation rights without the aid of domestic partnership, civil union or marriage benefits, suggesting as solutions writing partners into wills for inheritance rights and joint tenancy for home ownership. He added that he was not aware of any laws prohibiting individuals from designating who can and cannot visit them in the hospital.

“Everybody should be treated equally, simple as that,” Stirling said when asked whether he would rescind recent state laws that grant partial marriage rights to GLBT couples. “We’ll take it case by case, issue by issue.” He also said he would vote in favor of the federal marriage amendment banning same-sex marriages, “But that is not the issue I’m running on.”

Regarding matters of privacy, such as GLBT couples being denied spousal privilege, Stirling said he would “look at each issue on an individual basis.”

“The Log Cabin Republicans, for better or worse, are often assailed on credibility grounds by others in the gay community as apologists for Republican candidates,” one member said. “What can you do to make us advocates for you, instead of apologists?”

“You don’t need to apologize for me,” Stirling said, “… we’re not going to agree on everything, but you’ll have the best possible elected official to represent San Diego.”

Gasoline prices, energy policy, state and county welfare and lawsuit abuse were also discussed during the question and answer period, and Stirling said he would support a charter recognizing the Log Cabin Republicans as members of the Republican Party.

The San Diego Log Cabin Republicans endorsed member Ralph Denney for the 39th Senate District seat in the March primary election, and have not endorsed Stirling for the November election.

“It is difficult for members of the gay community, including Log Cabin Republicans, to support a candidate who doesn’t seem to want to support us,” said Garrick Wilhelm, president of the club. “Though we disagree with him on LGBT issues, we appreciated his candor and his commitment to review any individual laws applying a fairness standard. We greatly appreciate the financial experience he brings to the race and we look forward to debates relevant to the future of this state on all issues.”