Prop. 8 ruling: Former San Diego mayor praises decision after reversal on gay marriage

Polls indicate that a lot of Americans have changed their views on same-sex marriage in recent years.

But in few cases was the change as public or consequential as that of Jerry Sanders.

As mayor of San Diego, Sanders, a Republican and former police chief, risked his political career by supporting gay marriage.

Sanders had opposed same-sex marriage when he ran for mayor in 2005. But he reversed his position in 2007 during his reelection campaign, saying that his previous opposition stemmed from prejudice.

“I’ve decided to lead with my heart ... to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice,” he said at a tearful news conference. He said he could not accept the idea that his daughter, Lisa, a lesbian, and her beloved were less entitled to marry than a straight couple.

Opponents of gay marriage claimed that Sanders’ switch energized their movement. Supporters of gay marriage claimed it energized their side of the dispute.

Sanders’ change of position put him at odds with parts of the Republican Party and also many of his constituents. Some 62% of San Diego voters had endorsed Proposition 8, the statewide measure to restrict marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

Still, in 2008, Sanders was easily reelected.

When the opposition to Proposition 8 took the issue to court in 2010. Sanders testified that he changed his position about gay marriage after a meeting with gay friends and neighbors. Sanders said he was shocked at how wounded they feel about being denied the right to marry.

In his final months as mayor, Sanders joined a coalition of big-city mayors in a Washington news conference favoring a nationwide campaign to permit same-sex marriage.

Now, Sanders is the president and CEO of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. As word spread of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Sanders issued a statement praising Gov. Jerry Brown for calling for the immediate resumption of gay marriages in California.

“As many of you know, this issue is very personal to me and my family,” Sanders said. “I will continue to speak out on this issue until equality is provided for all couples.”

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tony.perry@latimes.com