Quiet pride in paradise

Cindy Frazier and Suzie Harrison

While gay pride is celebrated in some Southern California cities with

colorful parades and festivals, most of Laguna’s gays and lesbians

are quietly enjoying life in the place they consider to be paradise.

There’s a lot to be proud of, some say, but few want to shout

about it.

“It’s a nonissue,” said Frank Ricchiazzi, co-founder of Log Cabin

Republicans, a group launched by gay Republicans in the 1970s to

combat social conservatism.

“There’s no thought process that ‘I’m gay’ here in Laguna.

Everybody lives their life. There’s a normal, friendly atmosphere

among neighbors. Gay people are part of homeowners’ groups,

taxpayers’ groups and the political process as citizens of Laguna

Beach,” Ricchiazzi said.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware that something special is

happening here.

“Laguna epitomizes what we hope the U.S. will be in another decade

-- the exemplary idea of the ideal way of living as an American. We

are average citizens, and we live in a paradise,” he said.

K Turner, currently in her third term as an elected member of the

Laguna Beach School Board, agrees that being gay or lesbian in Laguna

Beach is no big deal -- but that is the big deal.

“It’s never been an issue in Laguna Beach,” said the 31-year

Lagunan. “I am gay, and I’ve been on the school board for 11 years,

and there hasn’t been any difficulty with that.”

Turner, who came out only when a close friend was dying of AIDS,

in 1990-91, says she suffered for many years in the closet, afraid to

reveal herself.

“In the older generation, most of us were closeted most of our

lives, but you don’t have to do that in Laguna Beach,” Turner says.

“People here accept us on our own merits.”

A longtime Dean of the School of Health and Science at Long Beach

City College, Turner says she was finally persuaded to “out” herself

after she saw that her friend had posted her picture on the wall of

the hospital room, where he lay dying. The photo wasn’t just for

emotional comfort.

“He said that picture made people [at the hospital] treat him

better,” she said. “You see, most of the health workers at the

hospital had gone to Long Beach [City College], and they knew me. It

made me very sad to think he had to do that to get good treatment.”

The day after she saw the photo, she called the administration and

said she wanted to sponsor a gay and lesbian student union on campus.

Her honesty was rewarded when she met her life partner shortly

afterward.

“It was very freeing,” she said of the experience. “I was who I

was. And I’ve had no bad experiences here [in Laguna].”

But it wasn’t always that way, and former City Councilman Bob

Gentry is credited as the one who paved the way for gays in the

region to be open in public life.

Gentry-- who no longer lives in the city -- was known for years as

“Orange County’s only openly homosexual elected official.”

Wayne Peterson, a 32-year resident who served on the Council with

Gentry, and has held the title of mayor, is the last openly gay or

lesbian person to serve on the City Council. He decided not to run

for reelection in 2000 after two four-year terms.

He doesn’t see a lack in the fact that no one from the gay

community is represented on the body that was one of the first in the

state to offer a same-sex Domestic Partnership registration, in 1992.

“It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. All on the council are

open and friendly, supportive of gay issues, and many go to Log Cabin

and the gay Democratic groups,” Peterson said.

Peterson -- also a Log Cabin Republican -- says the comfort level

for gays and lesbians in Laguna Beach is extraordinary. He spent 16

years in various elected and appointed positions in the city,

including serving on the Design Review Board, Planning Commission and

City Council.

“I would say the state of gays in Laguna Beach is very healthy,”

Peterson says. “Gays are very active here in the churches, which I

think is a very healthy aspect of involvement, and all the churches I

know are open [to gays].”

The only down side to all this acceptance is a sense of

complacency that Peterson says has kept many gay and lesbian families

from getting involved in or mixing in the community.

Peterson attributes this not to alienation but, ironically, to the

high level of contentment in a city that is extremely pleasant to

live in.

“You hear from people when they’re not happy,” Peterson said.

Ricchiazzi concurs that, while Laguna Beach used to be a leader in

the fight for gay civil rights, success has mellowed the city.

“Laguna used to be looked at as a center of gay activity, but

there isn’t the fire in the belly we had in the ‘70s and ‘80s when we

were fighting for equality,” Ricchiazzi said.

On the other side of the equation, those who frequent the city’s

lively gay bar scene say that gay pride is important to them.

“I think it’s important, especially in the political climate of

today, to show our pride in numbers,” resident Jeff Mourer, 31, said.

“It offers encouragement to others, to stand up and be noticed.”

Mourer said he went to Long Beach Pride last month and is going to

try to go to San Diego Pride in July.

“From what I understand, if the statistics are right, Laguna Beach

is about 33% gay,” Mourer said. “If that’s true, it’s such a

welcoming, friendly and beautiful place and an ideal location for

pride.”

Mourer thinks pride celebrations offer a safe haven to “come out.”

“I told my parents when I was 25; it’s a gradual, incremental

process for most people,” Mourer said. “I started coming out in high

school. Pride [events] helps people feel not so alone; it provides

role models.”

Some complain that Laguna doesn’t offer women the same social life

that men enjoy.

“I ‘came out’ here, so from that point of view, it’s gay-friendly,

but the lines are very drawn,” Monica Jackson said. “There’s not

enough going on, just the bar scene.”

She said she feels more comfortable in the area of town known as

the “pink triangle,” where the city’s gay restaurants and bars are

clustered. Comparatively, Laguna Beach is on track and quite

accepting, Jackson said.

Spending time with some friends at Bounce on Tuesday, Brian

Miller, 47, talked about pride. Formerly known as Main Street, one of

Laguna’s oldest bars, it’s under new ownership and is being

revamped.”I celebrate pride everyday; I am gay and incredibly proud

of being gay,” Miller said. “My pride and spirit is about being proud

of my accomplishments in life, and the friendships I’ve developed.”

Miller said gay pride is vital in order for gays to keep a

presence and be in the forefront.

“We need to keep it in the public mind, otherwise we’ll

disappear,” Miller said. “I’m tired of hatred felt in the world.”

Over the years, he’s attended L.A. and Long Beach Pride events.

“Pride is showing the world who you really are, putting yourself

out there and living it up,” Bounce bartender Gabby Huerta said.

“It’s about enjoying being gay -- we fought so hard for our rights;

we should show we’re enjoying them.”

Many local businesses are geared up for gay pride, even though

Laguna isn’t sponsoring a special celebration.

Huerta said Bounce has lightened up the decor, redone and updated

sections of the interior, and recently opened a new dance club

upstairs, with DJ’s, slide shows and lasers.

John Ponce, co-owner of Jewelry by Ponce, said Gay Pride is his

busiest time of year. He brings his pride jewelry collection to

numerous festivals around the country.

“I have a huge line for Pride; I try to do as many as I can,”

Ponce said. “It’s one show after another; it starts with 16-hour days

at Long Beach Pride, then L.A. Pride.”

His next two stops are Portland and San Francisco.

“Pride is very important -- it shows the world diversity,

different people who are normally hidden,” Ponce said. “It also helps

[gay] youth realize they are not alone.”

He said it’s a time to be yourself.

“We’re with our peers, not looking over our shoulder,” Ponce said.

“We can hold hands and kiss and not worry about anyone wanting to

harm you.”

Ponce said Laguna Beach once had a pride celebration, but it only

lasted two years.

“It was at least 10 years ago and wasn’t handled well,” Ponce

said. “The problem was that the vendors were situated at the Festival

of Arts grounds, and the entertainment was held across the street at

the disco. Everyone left and nobody came back.”

For Darrin Reed, Pride is more about equality.

“Ray and I are returning to San Francisco Pride, the city where we

were wed on March 2, 2002, to participate in the parade with the

marriage equality contingent,” said Reed. “Hopefully one day,

marriage equality and equal rights for everyone will be a hurdle that

we see in our rearview mirror.”

Ryan Lenhardt, 26, likes to hang out locally at Woody’s at the

Beach, the Boom Boom Room and Bounce on occasion. “I’ve been out

since, well, like forever; I don’t know if I was ever in,” Lenhardt

said.

He tries to go to as many pride festivals as possible.

“It’s definitely important -- I think it promotes that we’re

different, but we can still come together, stand together, have a

good time and share the love.”

Woody’s co-owner Alford Harrison said they’re offering a new

summer menu and are looking forward to celebrating their eight-year

anniversary at the end of August.

“We’ve repainted the inside, have new carpet and furnishings,”

Harrison said. “We try to do it at least once a year, to always keep

it fresh; it’s really important.”

The Boom’s co-owner Patrick Oloughlin said he’s heard buzz about

L.A. Pride but nothing much beyond that.

He said that Laguna Beach is a huge gay travel destination and

business sizzles in the summer.

Another popular gay hangout, sans alcohol, is the Koffee Klatch.

Owner Sam Omar said it would be hard to estimate the percentage of

gay customers, but there’s a lot.

“I’ve overheard people saying they were going to Long Beach and

L.A. Pride,” Omar said.

Omar said he keeps a large selection of free magazines with

information on the gay scene.

“There’s a comfort zone, a lot of regulars hang out,” Omar said.Al

Roberts, AIDS Services Foundation co-founder and board president,

said while some people like to go to pride festivals, it’s not for

him.

“I would rather talk to senators and congressmen,” Roberts said.

“I prefer AIDS Walk and talking to all the politicians. They’re very

supportive.”

Doug Reilly organized the ill-fated Gay Pride festival in Laguna

in the mid-1990s.

“We had the idea to create a ‘golden triangle’ of gay events in

West Hollywood, Palm Springs and Laguna, but it didn’t get enough

support,” he said.

Reilly, who is chairman of Village Laguna, a resident activist

group, echoes the comments of those who see “no problem” for gays in

the city.

“The state of gays in the city is fine. It’s no big deal, like it

was 10 to 15 years ago. Those who own homes are prospering like

everyone else, and gays live in all parts of the city. There’s no

enclave,” Reilly said.

“We’re missing some nightlife, but things have changed.”