Meeting of Gays, Police Scuttled Over Media Ban

A meeting between about 150 gay rights activists and representatives of the Los Angeles Police Department was scuttled at the last minute Thursday night after police refused to allow members of the news media to attend the session in Hollywood, the activists said.

However, a smaller group met with Deputy Chief Ron Frankle and Cmdr. Bob Taylor about half an hour after the scheduled meeting broke up, Frankle said. “It appeared there would be no meeting, but 15 or more drifted back at about 8 p.m., and we had a two-hour meeting,” he said.

The meeting was requested Monday by Assistant Police Chief Robert Vernon after protesters staged a series of noisy street demonstrations against Gov. Pete Wilson’s veto of a bill banning job discrimination against gays, said David Smith, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center.