Laguna Beach council opposes ban on gay marriage

The majority Republican City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose Proposition 8, intended to define marriage in California as between a man and a woman.

"Laguna has a live-and-let-live attitude," said Councilwoman Toni Iseman, who recommended the action with Mayor Jane Egly. "We don't tolerate diversity, we embrace diversity."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa approved a similar measure earlier this month.

The California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage in May, triggering a deluge of newly legal gay and lesbian unions statewide last month. Since then, a coalition of conservative and religious leaders and organizations has worked to put Prop. 8, which would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, on the November ballot.

A call seeking comment from ProtectMarriage.com, which organized the Prop. 8 effort, was not immediately returned.

Laguna Beach's longtime former mayor and councilman Bob Gentry was one of the first openly gay mayors in the nation.

"We've just come a tremendous, long way in the process" of gay equality, said Frank Ricchiazzi, a co-founder of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay and lesbian advocacy group, and longtime Laguna Beach resident who attended Tuesday's meeting.

susannah.rosenblatt@latimes.com