Controversial pastor demands apology from Miami-Dade Schools chief Carvalho after eviction threat

BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com

Pastor Jack Hakimian is demanding an apology from Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who this week said he would consider keeping the pastor from renting space at North Miami High School.

Hakimian is a controversial figure who preaches that gays "can repent, they can through the spirit of God subdue their tendencies." He has posted YouTube videos titled Bible Say's Gays & Sex Addicts In General Can Change & Should Change (Matthew 5:27-30) and Pedophiles Use The Same Argument As Homosexual & Weed Smoking Community.

Hakimian pays the school district about $20,000 annually to rent space at North Miami High for Sunday school classes.

Earlier this week, Carvalho issued a statement to WPLG-Channel 10 reporter Jeff Weinsier that Hakimian's teachings "appear to be contrary to school board policy, as well as the basic principles of humanity, and I have asked for immediate legal review to seek the termination of the contract that is involved. ... I am making this decision not on the basis of policy or politics but as a rejection of prejudice and intolerance."

On Friday, Hakimian held a news conference that also featured Miami-Dade County conservative leaders Anthony Verdugo of the Christian Family Coalition, Eladio José Armesto of the Catholic Cultural Fund, and Nathaniel J. Wilcox of People United Leading the Struggle for Equality (PULSE).

"I never thought I'd be penalized for teaching on Christian marriage and sexual ethics from the Bible, the very Bible that presidents swear on, in a privately rented space at an event not sponsored by the school or district," Hakimian said. "We ask Mr. Carvalho to retract his intolerant statements, apologize and commit to never again to bully or discriminate against those he disagrees with."

Hakimian also said he would consider suing the school district if he is evicted.

After the news conference, Miami-Dade Schools spokesman John Schuster issued the following statement:

The Miami-Dade school district respects the first amendment rights of all citizens, including those who lease facilities, and has demonstrated great reverence and partnership with the faith-based community.  However, statements that seek to demean or defame representative groups within the community on the basis of any legally protected designation are not congruent with board policy and impel the administration to review relationships with those who may be contracting district facilities.  The district is not in the business of policing speech, but has a responsibility to review allegations of intolerance or prejudice when they are brought to our attention.

The District has been notified of allegations which appear to be contrary to School Board policy, and a legal review of the facilities use agreement in question has been initiated. The legal review is currently underway.

Boston mayor vows to keep Chick-fil-A out of city

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON -- The mayor of Boston is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in the city after the company's president spoke out publicly against gay marriage.

Mayor Thomas Menino told the Boston Herald ( http://bit.ly/OevB9z) on Thursday that he doesn't want a business in the city "that discriminates against a population."

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press this week that his privately owned company is "guilty as charged" in support of what he called the biblical definition of the family.

The fast-food chicken sandwich chain later said that it strives to "treat every person with honor, dignity and respect - regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A has more than 1,600 stores nationwide but just two in Massachusetts, both located in suburban malls.

Information from: Boston Herald, http://www.bostonherald.com

Steve Rothaus to be guest noon Friday on WLRN/Miami Herald 'Florida Roundup'

I'll be a guest on this week's Florida Roundup, a WLRN and WLRN/Miami Herald News panel discussion on WLRN-FM 91.3., which airs live at noon Friday.

Scheduled topics: Truvada, the newly approved drug to prevent HIV infection and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll's lesbian sex scandal (''usually black women that look like me don't engage in relationships like that'').

Please listen, call in, email or tweet. Tune in at noon for details on how to participate.

Log Cabin GOP thanks House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for urging 'tolerance and acceptance' of gays

News release from Log Cabin Republicans:

(Washington, DC) – As the Republican National Convention approaches, Log Cabin Republicans agree strongly with Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) that the GOP “need[s] to be a party of inclusion, not exclusion.” In an interview with Buzzfeed, the congressman urged tolerance and acceptance of a diversity of opinion on issues including the freedom to marry.

“The Log Cabin Republicans motto is ‘inclusion wins,’ and it is encouraging to see conservative leaders like Majority Leader Cantor promoting that message as key to victory in 2012,” said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. “From the Republican Party’s staunch support for candidates like Log Cabin member Richard Tisei to the leadership of conservative champions like Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), there is increasing support for LGBT equality within the GOP. The march to victory in 2012 and beyond will require a big tent, respecting diversity of opinion while uniting around the core issues that unite us as Republicans. We are grateful to Majority Leader Cantor for leading the way.”

Troops get OK to march in gay parade in uniform

BY JULIE WATSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- About 200 active-duty troops participated in last year's San Diego gay pride parade, but they wore T-shirts with their branch's name, not military dress.

This year for the first time ever, U.S. service members will be able to march in a gay pride event decked out in uniform.

In a memorandum sent to all its branches, the Defense Department said it was making the allowance for the San Diego parade on Saturday - even though its policy generally bars troops from marching in uniform in parades.

The Defense Department said it did so because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniform and the event was getting national attention.

Former sailor Sean Sala, who organized the military's participation in the parade, said he wanted service members to wear their official uniform this year to show there is no longer anything to hide.

"My soul is on fire," he said after hearing the news Thursday. "They don't fight in T-shirts. They fight in uniforms. This is about showing who they are."