GLBT Outrage Over Sean Mill?

On Monday night, the so-called Democratic controlled Santa Ana City Council appointed a homophobe with violent tendencies to the Santa Ana Planning Commission. Sean Mill is a known homophobe as demonstrated with these statements over the years, two as letters to the editor and one as a taunt to a person who is HIV positive:

I see you put another piece-of-shit article in the Weekly about Ted Moreno (No Sex! Alleged Lies? Videotape? Sept. 18). I know you and your little queer art friends have it in for Ted, but this is yellow journalism at its worst. This is just ridiculous. If you and the rest of your little queer buddies are going to make attacks on Ted, well, go ahead.

talk shit about that you infected little shit? Go fuck yourself loser. 

As a citizen of Santa Ana who is actively involved in city government, I am particularly interested in the homosexual festival proposed by Orange County Cultural Pride.

Homosexuals have the right to do as they wish in their bathhouses and bedrooms. Now, they want to desensitize the moral standards of our community. This will be damaging to our children, families and country.

SEAN H. MILL

Chairman

Board of Parks and Recreation

Santa Ana

This is by a supposedly progressive Democrat who was appointed by self-professed Democrats. The only two to oppose his nomination was the real progressive on the City Council, David Benavides, who was only one of two Democrats to support gay civil rights champion Gavin Newsom when he was briefly in the Governor’s race. The other Councilman was Carlos Bustamante, the ONE Republican on the Council, yet made a vote friendly to gay rights.

Now it is my understanding that one or possibly more of the Democrats sitting on the Council dais have aspirations for the State Assembly to succeed Jose Solorio, who has been an outstanding voting record for GLBT equality in the Assembly. Before that, while Lou Correa may have abstained from some GLBT votes, he never had an anti-GLBT rights vote and would never have supported a homophobe of Sean’s caliber to be appointed to anything.

Some names being thrown around for the Assembly who voted for this violent homophobe are Vincent Sarmiento, Claudia Alvarez, Michele Martinez and the appointing Councilman himself Sal Tinajero. Vincent Sarmiento is being touted as the most likely candidate, even though word is that some Sacramento interests with deep pockets are looking for another candidate who is a true progressive. The GLBT community has deep pockets and their biggest advocate, Gavin Newsom, is now the Lieutenant Governor of California. They could make or break a candidate when it comes to fundraising. Let’s also not forget that the current Speaker of the Assembly, John Perez,  is openly gay. He is not going to be too happy to learn that Sarmiento, or the other potential candidates support a man who thinks Mr. Perez is immoral for the way he was born.

Not to mention there is a growing LGBT community in the Artists Village and Floral Park not to mention many new residents there who may be straight, but are supportive of GLBT equality. They are not going to be too happy to hear that the Democratic candidate to represent them in Sacramento supported a violent homophobe for a major Commission appointment. With redistricting, there is some talk that Chapman University may actually be moved into the 69^th AD. Imagine all those pro gay rights college students finding out the candidates for Assembly support a violent homophobe. And all these folks are LIKELY primary voters. This paves the way for a truly progressive candidate. So Vince Sarmiento, you may come to rue the day you voted for Sean Mill, as may Martinez, Alvarez and Tinajero. With the progressives in OC looking for a champion to succeed Solorio, Sarmiento and the rest of the potential prospects are not making a good case.