By Karen Ocamb

An LGBT protest July 22 at Los Angeles City Hall against waiving $1,000 in city fees for a special event honoring Dr. Fred K.C. Price may result in changing a common city council practice. Jasmyne Cannick of Los Angeles Black LGBT Pride and the National Black Justice Coalition organized about 15 gay and non-gay civil rights and religious leaders to protest the city's underwriting of the dedication of Dr. Fred K.C. Price Square at 79th Street and Vermont Avenue, the site of Price's mega Crenshaw Christian Church. In February, Price hosted anti-gay Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition and a number of black church leaders opposed to gay marriage and homosexuality.

"Homosexuality is an abomination as far as God is concerned," Price said during that event. "Marriage is a partnership, a contract if you would, between one man, one woman, and God. Any deviation from this design is unbiblical, unnatural and is not accepted by God. If my Father God doesn't approve it, neither do I."

In public testimony on the waiver resolution, introduced by Councilmember Bernard Parks, Cannick and others pointed out that honoring a man with such homophobic views at tax-payer expense violated the city's own nondiscrimination laws and a recently passed resolution supporting gay marriage and equal rights for all.

Before the protest, Cannick met with openly gay Councilmember Bill Rosendahl who said he had seconded Park's motion as a courtesy to his colleague without understanding Price's anti-gay history. Subsequently, Rosendahl withdrew his support and led the effort to defeat the motion. When no other councilmember offered to replace Rosendahl, Parks withdrew his motion, to much audience applause. If he had not done so, it would have been the first time in memory that a special events resolution would have been defeated, according to a City Hall staffer.

Councilmember Jack Weiss said the controversy should be "a flag for all of us" regarding special event resolutions and the practice of "letting things go through with no rhyme or reason" that could be costing the city millions of dollars in waived and other fees.

Later Rosendahl called IN to say that he and Parks had discussed the day's events and Parks offered to speak with Price about the councilmembers co-hosting a meeting that would include LGBT community members "in the hopes that we could find some common ground and some tolerance going forward. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to meet with him and having some movement on his positions. If we can't, then that will result in me taking further action. But I want to give the process a chance and have the opportunity for people to get together and see if we can make real growth and spiritual renew."