IRVINE : Gay Rights Backers Pledge to Continue

Organizers of Irvine Citizens United, the group that lost its bid to keep the city’s human rights ordinance intact in November’s election, said that they will not disband and instead will continue to push for gay rights in future elections.

After intense discussions over the future of the group, members voted overwhelmingly last week not to disband. The group said that its post-election agenda will include education packages, community symposiums and possibly seeking additional legislation.

In November, Irvine voters narrowly passed Measure N, deleting the words “sexual orientation” from the ordinance. Rights advocates said that passage of Measure N stripped gays and lesbians of the same rights against discrimination afforded others in the city.

The Rev. Fred Plummer, an Irvine Citizens United organizer, said that contributions had continued coming in after the November election.

“It is amazing the support we have continued to get,” he said. “We feel some obligation to continue as a focal point for the citizens’ concerns.” Plummer declined to reveal exactly how much money the organization has received since losing the election but said it was under $1,000.

Plummer said Irvine Citizens United would be “persistent yet cautious” about putting the issue back before voters.

“It was a hard campaign, but if we are getting such community support, then our reaction would be to possibly try to overturn Measure N,” he said. “We will not officially announce that, though, but it is something many feel we must do.”

Mayor Larry Agran said he supports a new push to amend the ordinance.

“I believe that the Irvine human rights ordinance ultimately needs to be whole and repaired to its original state,” Agran said. “It will have to be a broad-based citizen action--the kind of effort that did damage to the (original) ordinance.”

The head of the Irvine Values Coalition, the group that pushed Measure N, said Plummer’s comments were proof that opponents would push what he called “the hidden homosexual agenda.”

“If part of their homosexual agenda includes additional laws, or educating students, then we would be vigorously opposed to it,” said Scott Peotter, chairman of the coalition.