Long Beach : Gays Press for Fee Waiver

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge was asked Wednesday to decide whether Long Beach should waive fees for the annual gay pride parade and festival.

The city discriminates against Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Inc., sponsors of the event, by requiring payment of thousands of dollars for police supervision, barricades and insurance coverage, attorney William E. Weinberger told Judge Barnet M. Cooperman. He argued that other groups, such as Hands Across America in 1986, had fees waived or paid with city funds for similar celebrations.

Deputy City Atty. Michael Mais countered, saying that the city has not discriminated. City officials, he said, have offered to work with parade sponsors to find less expensive ways of staging the parade.

A march along public sidewalks or a rally at City Hall, instead of a street parade, are constitutionally protected free speech activities that would cost the participants nothing, Mais said.

The gay pride parade, however, requires blocking off a section of Ocean Boulevard, rerouting buses, posting no-parking signs, towing cars and other preparations that incur city expense, according to Mais.

Cooperman said he wants to study the issue before ruling. The festival is scheduled May 14 and 15.