Correa Pressured on Gay Rights

About 75 people gathered outside Assemblyman Lou Correa’s Santa Ana office Monday to urge him to vote against several gay-rights bills pending in the Assembly.

The demonstrators, carrying signs reading “Don’t Brainwash Our Children” and “Protect Family Values,” marched at midday beside Broadway, then gathered in front of the Democrat’s office for speeches and to meet members of his staff.

The legislation, up for votes in the next two weeks, includes a bill that would ban discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation; one that would require companies with health insurance plans to cover domestic partners; and one relating to sex-education materials used in public schools.

“Assemblyman Lou Correa is undoubtedly getting lots of pressure from powerful homosexual activists within his party to vote for these gay special-interest measures,” said Scott Lively of Orange County Families Against Homosexuality, an ad hoc group in Santa Ana. “We want Mr. Correa to know that thousands of Orange County families are hoping and praying that he will have the courage to vote against these destructive anti-family bills.”

Correa spokesman Chris Leo said that Correa, who was in Sacramento on Monday, is against granting special rights to any group but “strongly opposes discrimination.”

Gay-rights activists argue that the bills are important to protect the civil rights of gays and lesbians.

“Perhaps the protesters are the best examples of why we need the legislation,” Tricia Aynes, communications coordinator for the Gay and Lesbian Center in Garden Grove, said of Monday’s gathering at Correa’s office. “If the bills are approved, maybe we won’t have people growing up with so much hate.”

The rally drew several parents with children in tow and a man who sauntered through the parking lot waving a large American flag.

Among the speakers was Rosemarie Avila, a trustee for Santa Ana Unified School District.

“I challenge Lou Correa to live up to the Catholic values he ran on,” she said. “He needs to represent our community values and vote ‘no’ on these bills that legislate a new morality.”