In just a few short weeks, the San Diego Pride board has managed to nearly destroy the 30-plus years of goodwill and overwhelming support beholden to our largest, most popular event – and truly the symbol that represents our entire community and its history. Almost choosing to sit Pride out this year were some of our most faithful supporters: elected officials, the chief of police and entire police department, youth groups – even our community’s own District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and The Center seemed ready to boycott – and for what?

It all started when ex- and anti-gay activist James Hartline, along with the Traditional Values Coalition, a right wing Christian extremist group, discovered that two volunteers listed in the San Diego Pride program also appear on the Meagan’s Law Web site, a registry that lists the names, addresses and criminal acts of convicted sex offenders.

Surprisingly, Hartline and his cronies weren’t very thorough, because after closer analysis, we uncovered at least two more men convicted of child molestation, one being Pride’s full-time paid logistical coordinator, Jerry Garrett.

We cannot slight Pride for not performing these sorts of safety measures themselves. It’s typical for organizations such as the Del Mar Fair or the St. Patrick’s Parade to accept volunteers without background checks. However, as early as July 2, Pride has known that at least two volunteers had been convicted of sex crimes committed against minors and decided not to divulge this information, nor expel those in question.

These are not cases of 20-somethings getting caught with 17-year-olds. Though the Megan’s Law Web site does not give specifics, three of the four have been convicted of committing lewd and lascivious acts against minors under the age of 14. In Garrett’s case the victim was 14 or 15. Perhaps the most heinous is the violent offence committed by former Pride supervisor Ric Derichsweiler, who was found guilty of “lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years with force.”

Despite mounting pressure from community groups, politicians, law enforcement officials and entertainers scheduled to perform at the Pride festival – even after the Pride board was made aware of at least two other convicted sex offenders on staff, they did not budge, insisting these participants can, and should, stay. Since last Friday, the board met and voted at least three times to retain the staff member and volunteers, insisting that they were confident no adult or child would be put in harm’s way because of the men’s participation, and that they were “very comfortable with that decision.”

We were the first to ask whether Megan’s Law prohibits a child molester from participation in said event. However according to state law Section 290.95, unless the sex registrant is working with a minor under the age of 16 in an unaccompanied setting or has supervision or disciplinary power over minor children, they are not in violation.

But, frankly, that is simply not good enough. Our children are at stake here. When any individual harms and potentially destroys the life of a child – they must spend the rest of their life paying for such a malicious act. They have no right to be part of Pride; they lost that right the second they made the decision to violate another human being.

It wasn’t until an 11th-hour vote on Tuesday night, under intense pressure, that the Pride board backed down. But even then, they didn’t really back down: All four of the Megan’s Law registrants resigned from their positions over the course of the last week and a half. In their statement, Pride said they will continue to address their policies regarding screening for all staff and volunteers. This vague commitment needs clarification. What kind of policies will they adopt? Will sex offenders have a place in Pride, and if not, how do they plan to rectify the situation?

With days left until Pride weekend, never have we felt less proud, or less confident that our Pride organizers are adequately able to represent our community’s values. Pride’s statement that they’ve reacted “swiftly” and taken this issue “seriously” when they’ve sat on it for 25 days is insulting and condescending. Nothing less than the resignation of the entire Pride board will earn back our confidence in the organization. It’s time for new leadership to take the reigns; leadership that can communicate our community’s values.