BIRMINGHAM — The 20th annual Gay Pride parade, sponsored by Central Alabama Pride Inc. went off without a hitch Saturday, much to the dismay of Mayor Larry P. Langford.
Langford, a Democrat, originally said May 23 he would not grant Central Alabama Pride Inc. a parade permit, sign a proclamation for the annual celebration or allow banners to be hung on city property.
The first-term mayor denied the requests saying it was “inappropriate for government to endorse a lifestyle,” making 2008 the first year Birmingham would not feature Gay Pride Week since 1987.
Langford, 60, said anyone familiar with his personality and religious views should not have been surprised by his denial.
The next day, May 24, after pressure from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered groups and the first openly gay member of the state Legislature, Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, Langford clarified his position.
The mayor said although he disagreed with the event, he would not restrict the parade permit. City parade permit requests go through the police department and typically are not signed by the mayor.
“As long as I don’t have to sign it, I won’t interfere with it,” Langford told The Birmingham News, May 25. “As long as they are conducting themselves orderly, it’s not an issue for me.”
Langford met with Todd and the Central Alabama Pride Inc. Board of Directors May 25 before retracting his initial statement.
“(The meeting) was a very productive session that shows positive dialogue between the LGBT community and city leaders,” said Johnathan Quinn, president of Central Alabama Pride Inc.
While not hindering the parade, Langford maintained his stance on not allowing banners on city property.
Some felt Langford’s new way of thinking, while a step in the right direction, did not go far enough.
“(Langford) is slapping the gay community in the face,” said Amanda Bishop, an event attendee and 2007 Auburn graduate. “If (Langford) thought (the gay community) was just going to sit back and let him ignore us, he’s wrong.”
Bishop, 23, went on to say she was not going to let Langford’s “naivety” ruin her weekend and many joined her in that sentiment.
The celebration, held in Five Points South, drew more than 1,000, including actor Glenn Shadix of “Beetlejuice,” to downtown and pumped an estimated $75,000 into the city’s economy over the weekend.
John McDonald, 38, and his partner of nine years, Peter Lynch, 38, drove from Huntsville to participate in “The 10 Days of Pride.”
“We come every year, and to think that this could have been undone by one man is crazy,” McDonald said.
“(Gay Pride Week) is so essential for diversity, and it brings so much to Birmingham that not having it can exile a large group of people.”
Any anger toward the mayor was only visible with one banner on the city’s Southside saying, “We Won’t Be Bullied.”
The Mardi Gras-style parade marked the end of a week filled with parties and fundraisers put on by Central Alabama Pride Inc. and Birmingham’s gay community.
The 2008 theme was “PRIDE 365 – Building a Stronger Community.”
Neither Langford nor his office returned phone calls or e-mails from The Plainsman, but the mayor’s office did release a statement to the media Monday, saying Langford would no longer comment on the situation because “since the parade is over” the situation is “effectively over.”
The ACLU of Alabama has threatened to sue Langford in regards to his refusal to allow banners on city property for Gay Pride Week, but no legal action has been brought against the mayor’s office.
Langford is also under investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission and was sued by the SEC April 30. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges Langford accepted more than $156,000 in cash and benefits from a Montgomery banker in exchange for county bond business.
The lawsuit remains pending.
Langford was one of 10 who ran for mayor last November; he will be up for reelection in 2011.
