According to Webster’s Online Dictionary homophobia is defined as “prejudice against (fear or dislike of) homosexual people and homosexuality”. Yesterday here on the Liberal OC we were all exposed to homophobia in its purest form. In a post written by Andrew Davey entitled “Help Equality for All Stop Legalized Discrimination This Weekend!” someone using the pseudonym “Centaurs For Equality” posted remarks that equated same-sex marriage to beastiality and pedophilia.
The first post which came at 2:52 PM yesterday read, “Would this event include those who want to legalize marriage between a human and an animal? Centaurs For Equality”. They followed up that nugget of wisdom with another post at 3:51 PM which read, “Would I qualify as a member of NAMBLA? A Centaur needs his lovin’ as well.”
These comments were extremely distasteful and led to many folks contacting me about them. We at the LiberalOC believe that we should have a free and open forum to discuss and debate issues. For the most part, unlike other local blogs, we do not censor peoples comments. That is why we allowed these insensitive remarks to remain posted on our site.  However we have chosen to investigate who was behind these posts using our system that has the ability to track the IP addresses of those posting comments on our site. We were all shocked by what we discovered.
The posts written by “Centaurs For Equality” came from the IP address 63.206.255.212. According to the American Registry for Internet Numbers or ARIN that IP address is from AT&T Internet Services and is registered to Tardif Sheet Metal. In fact IP addresses 63.206.255.208 thru 63.206.255.216 are all registered to Tardif according to ARIN’s database.
So just who is Tardif Sheet Metal?
Tardif Sheet Sheet Metal is a local Santa Ana company located on East Fourth Street and it is owned by Mike Tardif. Tardif I am told is quite friendly with State Senator Lou Correa. I am reasonaby certain that Senator Correa would not care to associate himself with these homophobic remarks. He would most likely, in my opinion, condem them.ÂÂ
Tardif has been in the spotlight recently as one of the main opponents to Santa Ana’s controversial Renaissance Specific Plan. Tardif has led the fight against the plan on behalf of the industrial property owners within the plan area. Tardif and his allies have become fixtures at almost every meeting at which the plan is being discussed.
As a result of his involvement in fighting the Renaissance Plan Tardif hooked up with the folks opposing Measure D. Tardif became a major opponent of D. Tardif even created “No on D” buttons and handed them out at Santa Ana City Council Meetings. I know many of the people who opposed Measure D, and I figure tey don’t care to be associated with such comments.
This is not the first time that someone from Tardif’s IP addresses has posted on this site, it is however the first time that they have posted something so despicable. On occasion they have posted using other pseudonym’s and gone after our fellow blogger Sean Mill and they have also posted defending the Logan Barrio. The pseudonyms used by this IP address include: “Centaurs for Equality”, “Dick Cabeza”, “Dick Cabesa”, “PeaceLove&Grenade’s”, “Mike Tardif”, “Jack Bauer”, “Santa Ana Lover”, “Mose”, “Anonymous” and anon.
We are not saying that Mike Tardif is the person that wrote these homophobic remarks, we are however saying that it was someone using a computer at his place of business. We at the LiberalOC ask that Mr. Tardif come clean about who at Tardif Sheet Metal was behind posting these insensitive remarks. If it was him, he should fess up and apologize. If it was one of his employees, he should discipline them .
Homophobia, racism and bigotry will not be tolerated here at the LiberalOC. If you choose to engage in such behavior on this site, we will either call you out, delete your comments, or both. We encourage the other OC blogs to do the same if this occurs on their sites. Mr. Tardif the balls in your court. We hope you will do the right thing?
On February 8th Mr. Tardif posted his phone number on this site and let folks know that he and others look forward to working with the residents of Santa Ana to defeat the Renaissance Plan. Well we at the LiberalOC would like for Tardif and company to help us defeat homophobia and bigotry. Maybe our readers would like to give him a call at (714) 547-7135 and encourage him to join us in that fight.
PS: Is there any echo in here? I made the same comment about Rebecca that you just made about me. I’m not trying to prove that *I* am right, I’m trying to prove what *is* right.
Aw hunny…..just because someone does not see the world thru your eyes does not make them wrong. They just see things differently. That is what makes America so great….there are diverse opinions on all sides of issues, and all are important view points.
You are not looking to prove anyone or anything is right or wrong, you are just looking for someone to listen….that is what a therapist is for. And actually no I am not a commie lol, I am a republican. I do not always agree with Rebecca however I do like to hear what she says. Same with Dan, Gila, Chris, Sean and Andrew (although he drives me crazy with all his “what do YOU think”s) but I still like to read what he/they say(s).
Not all republicans are evil, and neither are Dems. At the end of the day, they/we are all just people with thought and ideas…nothing more. That is the truth, and because you do not see that, that is why I think you have alot of growing up to do.
Back at cha Flowerzzz; we don’t always see eye to eye but I have never once felt that you were the sort of person I couldn’t share a laugh and a beer with.
SMS,
But Flowerszzz said it in 3 sentences!
SMS — “If you were in Boston on my turf you would never, EVER get a writing gig and in fact people there would find you so vile as to be the far-left version of Anne Coulter…”
First off, Commie Girl is hardly as extreme as you position her to be; I won’t speak for her, but believe her politics and general view of life at somewhat at odds with the right wing “culture” of OC. There are people in OC who believe there are two parties, the Republican Party and the Communist Party, but your comments about Rebecca are off-base, especially to those of us who read her columns in the OC Weekly for years.
Per the quote above, I lived in Boston from 1988 to 1997 and have been in OC since. I can assure you not only would Gila’s politics and writing skills get her work in Beantown, but she’d be sought after and very well paid. A “far left wing version of Ann Coulter,” Gila is not. Gila is simply one of the most principled Democrats I’ve met here or in Boston. Your rant against Gila, the name-calling and bad langauge are out of line and inappropriate. So please stop. Keep your comments on the subject at hand; you have your own blog to do what you will.
Hey Chris: I agree with you calling out hate speech (the IP thing is another issue), but can you also call out windbags? This Sarah Michelle Spinosa character is amongst the worst I’ve ever read in the OC blogosphere–and I’m including the Flush Report.
Gustavo,
I am in complete agreement with you in regards to SMS. I am real tired of her lengthy diatribes against sensibility.
SMS,
I don’t know you except for your writings…
That said I’d have a hard time supporting any candidate that you are affiliated with. Don’t know if your a volunteer or political campaign staffer, but if I heard your name I’d run screaming…
Please don’t tell me who your Presidental Candidate is…