Colorado Anti-Gay Law Is Targeted

LAGUNA BEACH —  The City Council will consider Tuesday a resolution urging Colorado officials to repeal a new state law that prohibits anti-discrimination ordinances that protect homosexuals.

While stopping short of calling for a formal city boycott, the proposed resolution will encourage Laguna residents to individually “participate in the repeal effort.”

“The resolution will call upon each Laguna resident to decide for himself or herself how they might participate in the horrible bigotry that has occurred by the electorate in Colorado,” said Councilman Robert F. Gentry, who is urging that this and stronger action be taken by the city.

Laguna Beach is the only city in Orange County that has a law on the books that prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation.

The Colorado law, called Amendment 2, was approved by a 53% majority in the November election. It precludes Colorado and local governments from passing laws that prohibit discrimination against homosexuals in housing and employment.

The law has prompted outrage in the homosexual community and widespread criticism across the country. The state’s tourism industry has been threatened with a national boycott.

Gentry, who is gay, said he has asked the city manager to investigate whether Laguna Beach does business with any Colorado-based businesses. If it does, Gentry said, he will push for a formal city boycott.

“I am personally going to advocate a boycott every chance I get,” Gentry said Tuesday. “I will continue to personally advocate that Laguna residents not visit Colorado ski resorts this season, not travel to Colorado for business or pleasure and ask them to have their own companies not do business with Colorado-based companies.”

Gentry, who is the city’s representative to the National League of Cities, said he will also argue that that organization refuse to schedule meetings in Colorado.

So far, Colorado’s convention industry has lost millions of dollars because of large organizations taking their annual meetings elsewhere.

However, resort officials say the protest is having little effect on the state’s ski industry, which makes most of its money over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

A spokeswoman for Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade organization, has said some people are being attracted to the state because they associate the new law with “family values.”

While admitting that Laguna Beach’s actions may be largely symbolic, having little no direct economic significance, Gentry said he believes it is important that the city take a stand.

“The issue here is exactly the same issue we have faced in South Africa with apartheid and in Arizona with the Martin Luther King holiday,” Gentry said. “We found that economic pressure does bring about social change.”

The Colorado law also repeals existing anti-bias ordinances in Denver, Boulder and Aspen. Gentry said he will look into whether there is any action Laguna Beach can take that would keep voters from overturning its anti-discrimination ordinance in the future.