From Charles Irwin, Executive Director, Colorado Springs Pride:
We
are not at all pleased with the Colorado Springs Home Builders
Association and their recent endorsement of an extremely homophobic
candidate for City Council.
The HBA publically endorsed Al Loma who is the Senior Pastor of Victory Outreach of Colorado Springs.
In the church’s “Beliefs Documents” there are numerous derogatory
statements regarding the LGBT community, HIV / AIDS and more. You can
read those details at http://victoryoutreach.org/docs/documents/victory-outreach-beliefs-document.pdf?sfvrsn=2
As
a show of solidarity against homophobia and for equality, we are asking
you to stand with us, the LGBT and Allied community by sending the
below text (eMail) to HBA’s CEO Renee Zentz Renee@cshba.com.
We sent the below eMail last Friday:
Subject: Rescind Your Endorsement of Albert Loma
To the Home Builders Association of Colorado Springs,
Colorado Springs Pride respectfully requests you rescind your endorsement of Albert Loma, candidate for City Council district 5.
Al
Loma is currently a pastor at Victory Outreach church. The belief
statement regarding the LGBT community is based on debunked
pseudo-science, is homophobic and hateful to say the least, and has no
place in the political sphere of Colorado Springs.
Based
on the previous 20 years of fighting the stigma of hate and being the
birth place of Amendment 2, we feel our city cannot afford to elect
candidates that perpetuate myth and fear of the LGBT community and
thereby continues the intolerant and hateful image of our town. We also
will not stand idly by as an endorsement is given to any candidate that
cannot represent equally the LGBT citizens of Colorado Springs.
Again, we respectfully request that you rescind your endorsement.