PARADE CONFLICT

No matter when they book the Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade to run down Broadway in Long Beach, some people won’t show up.

First Baptist Church, for instance, has made other plans for 11 a.m. Sunday.

The Rev. Mark Chappell is taking the opportunity to deliver a sermon on “traditional family values,” which he says discourage homosexuality.

“The message that we’re going to be bringing is that God loves the homosexual but he does not love homosexuality,” Chappell said.

Parade organizers, on the other hand, said they scheduled the event for 11 a.m. to accommodate churchgoers.

“Most church services are over by that time, and we don’t want to conflict with anyone,” said Vanessa Romain, president of Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride, which sponsors the annual parade and weekend festival. Nevertheless, she said a scheduling conflict is better than a physical clash.