← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Gabrielle
Thread ID: 19712 | Posts: 8 | Started: 2005-08-18
2005-08-18 12:15 | User Profile
Pride Festival Clown Revealed As Sex Offender Pride Executive Director Steps Down
POSTED: 8:04 am PDT August 16, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- The Pride board continues to face criticism over the handling of the initial discovery that several registered sex offenders were working and volunteering during this year's Pride festival.
In the past few years, San Diego's Gay Pride festival has made efforts to become a more family-friendly event.
However, revelations that "Marty the Clown," who has entertained kids in the children's garden for years, is a registered sex offender, is causing community uproar.
The news was delivered at a meeting at the gay and lesbian community center Monday.
"I was shocked. We've got to do more to protect our children," said meeting organizer Ray Drew.
Weeks before the July 30 festivities, it was discovered that at least three other registered sex offenders were volunteers for the event. Two quit amidst pressure, and one ended up working the event for several hours.
In light of these revelations, late Monday, San Diego Pride executive director Suanne Pauley resigned at the request of the board.
"My concern is the way the board of directors handled this whole situation," said Pride co-founder, Nicole Murry Ramirez.
In a statement, Pride board co-chair Philip Princetta said, "The board of directors appologizes to this community for creating this situation. It was never the intent of any board member to deceive or lie to our community. ...Did we make a mistake? We most certainly did. Did we mean for this to happen? Definitely not," Princetta said.
Princetta said he was shocked and dismayed to learn "Marty the Clown," Martin Ramirez, is registered on the Megan's Law Web site, and that the board is still trying to determine all the facts surrounding his participation.
Many at Monday's meeting were concerned this situation will tarnish the festival's future.
[url]http://www.10news.com/news/4857263/detail.html[/url]
2005-08-18 16:29 | User Profile
Well, you know, things like this tend to happen at events promoting "pride" in men being humped in the ass, and women pulling hair out from between their teeth.
2005-08-18 17:45 | User Profile
[QUOTE=il ragno]Well, you know, things like this tend to happen at events promoting "pride" in men being humped in the ass, and women pulling hair out from between their teeth.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for sharing that with us. :rolleyes:
2005-08-18 17:57 | User Profile
Hey, it's our sqeamishness about confronting exactly what sort of physical acts make one "gay" that's led us to Gay Pride Parades.
2005-08-18 18:00 | User Profile
About ten years ago I went to a gay pride parade in San Francisco. After the shock value wore off, it was boring, but definitely not "family friendly." I was hoping to see the NAMBLA contingent, but they had been booed at the previous parade and were not invited back.
Patience, boys. You're just a little too far ahead of your time.
2005-08-18 22:16 | User Profile
[QUOTE] "The board of directors appologizes to this community for creating this situation. It was never the intent of any board member to deceive or lie to our community. ...[/QUOTE] It is our intention however to teach your children that two men, two women, or a 40 year old man with a 12 year old boy is a normal and healthy lifestyle, and is equivelent to the nuclear family, that abortion on demand for 11 year old girls without parental consent is a good thing, and that abstinence is silly when all you have to do is wear a condom.
Nope nothing wrong with that set of values.
:mad:
2005-08-19 00:41 | User Profile
[SIZE=3][B]Lev. 20 13[/B][/SIZE]
2005-08-19 01:41 | User Profile
I bet he has an ass like a clown's pocket too