It has often been said that politics makes strange bedfellows, and when San Diego Pride rolls around that becomes particularly evident in the growing number of politicians riding in the parade and putting in appearances at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally. The question on people’s minds when they see these politicians is: Are they here for a photo op, or do they have a genuine interest in the GLBT community?

“I come from a time in the 1970s when politicians ran away from us,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, this year’s Pride parade grand marshal. “The mayor said he would never meet with homosexuals and that there was no homosexual constituency.”

Things have changed in the last 30 years though, and in this year’s parade there are 12 politicians currently in office or seeking office, participating in the Pride parade. The numbers include everyone from members of Congress down to city school board candidates and one mayoral candidate, County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who has participated in the parade since his days as a city councilmember.

“I think it’s very important for elected officials to be in our parade because these same elected officials practically put a red mark in their calendar when there’s the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Columbus Day parade, rightfully the Veterans Day parade …” Murray-Ramirez said. “Now, why do they do this? Because they understand in their mind they are a constituency and that makes them part of this city’s diversity. … Now, it seems a lot of elected officials, finally, as time has progressed, see no difference in our GLBT pride parade and attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade and Columbus Day parade.”

Early on, fringe candidates who did not appear to be major political forces participated in the Pride parade, but Mayor Maureen O’Connor became the first San Diego mayor to ride in the annual parade in the late 1980s. She has continued to participate in the Pride parade every year since leaving office, something no other San Diego mayor has done. Following in her footsteps, Mayor Susan Golding participated in the parade, but her successor, Mayor Dick Murphy, has only taken part in the Spirit of Stonewall Rally.

“I think the GLBT community is an integral part of San Diego, and so it’s part of support for the community that I have grown very fond of and [that] I think contributes so much to San Diego,” said U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), who has been publicly against the Federal Marriage Amendment. “I’ve always been taken, over the years, by the expansion of the public that believes in and comes out to support the GLBT community. It’s fabulous, I think, and I love being a part of it. For me, it’s always fun; people are always responsive and that’s nice. Now and then we need that as individuals involved in the community, to be able to say ‘Hi’, and ‘Thank you’, as people are applauding.”

Davis added that the parade is a place for “someone who really listens to the community and cares about the community. Somebody who, maybe, at times won’t necessarily have to always be in support of any particular issue, but cares genuinely about the community feeling and feeling valued by San Diego.”

Along with Davis, Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins and State Assemblymember Christine Kehoe have become fixtures in the parade. Atkins and Kehoe also have the unique perspective of being two of the first out elected officials in San Diego.

“Of course, it’s noteworthy for an elected official to participate in Pride events as a first step toward introducing themselves to the community or as part of an ongoing history of support for our issues,” Atkins said. “But it’s not enough just to be visible once a year at this event and expect members of the LGBT community to see you as a friend or supporter. As constituents, the LGBT community should and does expect support throughout the year on issues that affect our everyday lives. Elected officials are always open to criticism if their voting records don’t match up with their professed support of our community. In the end, it’s up to the public to decide how much weight they put on someone’s participation in our events.”

Among the candidates running for office who would appear to be participating in this year’s Pride parade in hopes of courting the GLBT vote are Phil Thalheimer, who is running for Scott Peters’ District 1 city council seat; Mike Aguirre, who is running for city attorney; and Lori Saldaña and Tricia Hunter, who are looking to replace Kehoe in the State Assembly.

“This isn’t my first time,” said Saldaña, a Democrat who supports marriage equality. “I walked in the parade in years past with the Front Runners group, and I had also one year walked with the Sierra Club. We had just established one of the first gay and lesbian sections for the Sierra Club. … This year, of course, I don’t have to walk; I get to ride. … [The] Hillcrest area – Uptown and all of this area – is very important. It really is the heart of the district. I am doing it to participate in a community event and also to continue to show my support for members of the LGBT community in San Diego.”

Saldaña continued: “Obviously it’s important that we don’t just show up when we want the support and are not there when the decisions are made. When I was the chair of the Sierra Club, I made sure we were the first chapter in the country to vote unanimously in support of establishing a gay and lesbian section, and likewise in Sacramento I will be an advocate for what to me is a simple matter of equal rights.”

Saldaña and Hunter are currently involved in one of the most highly contested local races, and with issues including a proposal that would allow the state to issue same-sex marriage licenses set to be voted on next year, it could be a very important election for the GLBT community. In the past, all of the GLBT civil rights votes in the State Assembly have been split down party lines.

“You vote your conscience,” said Hunter, a Republican making her first appearance in a Pride parade this year, who opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment and describes her marriage-equality position as in line with that of John Kerry’s. “My opponent commented at one point that even though I am pro-choice, I couldn’t vote pro-choice. I have a 100 percent voting record. You don’t represent a caucus; you represent the people from your district. I’m running to represent the 76th Assembly District. I hope that I have a history of reaching out to the community that I have represented in the past and look forward not only to getting to know all of the communities in the district better, but to making sure that I have advisors and supporters that give me advice on issues that I am not an expert on.”

Other candidates for office who are participating in the parade include Miyo Reff for San Diego School Board and Dave Hendren for Superior Court Judge. Also notable is Patty Davis, a Democrat who is running against incumbent Shirley Horton for the 78th Assembly District. Horton became the first Republican to hold that seat when she defeated Vince Hall in 2002.

“I hope every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in California knows how important this election is in November,” said Kehoe, who is a candidate this year for State Senate. “I hope we are registered to vote and we vote in numbers that are large and influential. I don’t think we should hesitate and [I] repeat it, that this election is very important. It’s something that we should all be thinking about.”

Speaking directly to the highly contested races for both the 76th Assembly District, which she represents, and the 78th District, Kehoe said, “All I can tell you is that there has never been a Republican vote for a single gay rights bill in the state’s Legislature, so I think that it means that we have to look very carefully at how we can support Democrats.”

No matter what the political stance or motivation a politician has for taking part in this year’s Pride parade, it is undeniable that the impact of over 150,000 attendees will send a clear message that the GLBT community and its supporters are a viable political force in San Diego.

“There is nothing like a politician who is kind of not sure how he is going to vote, or had a mixed record on our community,” Murray-Ramirez said, “to be in our parade and see 150,000 people; to realize the breadth of our community; the power of our community; the strength of our community; and most important of all, that magic word of this year, the numbers of our community … it may change a politician’s mind.”