Human Relations Panel Asks City to Reconfirm Each of Its Members : Discrimination: The action is an effort to quell criticism of a commis- sioner accused of holding anti-gay views.

The San Diego Human Relations Commission on Wednesday called on the City Council to reconfirm the appointment of each member of the panel--part of an effort to quell controversy surrounding a commissioner accused of holding anti-homosexual views.

The commission’s motion, approved on a 10-4 vote, asks the council to review each commissioner’s qualifications “at the earliest possible time.”

“We need to move forward to let the San Diego City Council do what they should have done before. I think it’s important that we establish the credibility of this commission for everyone in this community,” said Commissioner Brian Bennett, who sponsored the motion.

However, Gary Kreep, the 41-year-old Escondido attorney whose commission membership prompted the move, assailed the motion as an effort to “sugarcoat” the issue.

“This is an easy way for the commission to do a resolution to avoid criticism from everybody. It’s an easy way to get around a tough vote or a vote that could have repercussions,” he said.

Kreep has come under fire by leaders of the gay and lesbian communities because of his involvement with the U.S. Justice Foundation, a nonprofit conservative organization he founded in 1979, and for a letter he signed 10 years ago that critics say expressed the foundation’s objections to the appointment of gay judges.

In an interview before the meeting, Kreep, who continues to serve as the foundation’s executive director, said the intent of the letter was to object to a quota hiring system for gays, and said he opposes discrimination against gays.

“I don’t think someone should be appointed because they’re gay, but if they’re appointed because of their qualifications and they are gay, then to me it’s irrelevant,” Kreep said.

Twenty of the more than 80 people who attended Wednesday’s meeting--which at one point deteriorated into a shouting match among Kreep’s foes and supporters--testified, many in support of Kreep and the diversity they believe he could bring to the commission.

“I ask the members not to take action to remove Mr. Kreep from the Human Relations Commission. I feel the commission needs members that are willing to provide balance that prevents discrimination in reverse,” said John Cavanagh, 71, of Cardiff.

Former City Councilman Bruce Henderson also spoke in support of Kreep, whom he nominated to the commission.

“I view him as the sort of political right’s ACLU attorney. He’s an outspoken advocate of unpopular causes,” said Henderson, who voted against the council ordinance to create the commission earlier this year.

Members of the gay community said they will continue to protest Kreep’s membership on the commission.

“I believe ACT UP will not support a commission with this gentleman on board, and that we will take action to bring it to people’s attention. It’s the same action the black community would take if a Ku Klux Klan member was appointed to something called a human rights commission,” said Ben Schultz, a member of ACT UP, a grass-roots organization dedicated to improving public response to the AIDS epidemic.

In the interview, Kreep said he will not resign, despite allegations by the gay and lesbian communities and the Anti-Defamation League that he holds anti-homosexual views.

Only a majority vote by the City Council can remove a commission member.

Wednesday’s meeting was only the third gathering for the newly formed 15-member commission, which was created in March to reduce and eliminate bigotry based on ethnicity or sexual orientation, by investigating and mediating discrimination complaints.

Kreep’s critics are calling on the City Council to review his qualifications because information relating to his conservative activism was not included in his resume when he was nominated to serve on the commission.