New Pride Board Seated

A new board was seated to oversee the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, but old arguments over the previous board's treatment of Army Private Chelsea Manning made their way into this week's meeting.

Gary Virginia, who received the most votes at last month's annual meeting, was elected board president at the October 1 meeting. Other officers include Marsha Levine, vice president; Justin Taylor, secretary; and returning treasurer David Currie.

The other new board members, all from the accountability slate, are Jesse Oliver Sanford, Joey Cain, Jose Cital, and John Caldera. Returning board members included Lou Fisher, Taylor, and Currie.

Former board member Shaun Haines was present in the audience. Interim CEO Lisa Williams and counsel Julius Turman also attended.

In a four-hour meeting that ended with the board going into executive session, members addressed the lingering business of complying with a 2010 city controller's report critical of SF Pride's financial practices and governance issues over the organization's bylaws, policies, and procedures.

Outgoing board president Davace Chin, popular with members for his crisis management in the aftermath of former CEO Earl Plante's resignation over a threatening email he sent to Sanford, received a standing ovation from the board and members once Virginia and the new officers were seated. Chin said he would remain working on hospitality issues.

Cain, a founding member of the SF Pride members for Democracy, Accountability, and Transparency formed due to the previous board's secretive nature on a host of issues from naming grand marshals to membership, and the other new members had orientation meetings before Tuesday and were well prepared to begin work.

Currie chaired the meeting until Virginia was elected and, during public comment, said in response to a question from the Bay Area Reporter that details on Plante's severance package were "proprietary information" and would not be released.

When the B.A.R. asked Sanford for an update on his case against Plante for sending him a threatening email to drop out of the board election, an angry Currie declared no questions during public comment.

"This is not the place" for questions about Plante, he said.

Turman, noticeably uncomfortable, clearly did not like the question though many in the room wanted an answer. Sanford had no comment except to say he had not heard from Plante lately.

During discussion over standing items, controversy arose on Currie's treasurer report, as members learned he projected a negative cash balance for October and November of over $40,000. Turman said it was illegal in California to have such a budget. Currie, who is not a lawyer, disagreed and advised the board to ignore Turman.

The disagreement between Currie and Turman continued until a staff member announced that Pride's bookkeeper, James Gong, said, "SF Pride could write checks without a budget." Turman said he had "never heard of that." Currie again dismissed Turman in favor of the bookkeeper.

It appeared for a moment that Turman would walk out. Cain advised the board to listen to Turman but the board did not resolve the matter by press time and it is unclear if the board can issue checks and operate without a budget.

Once seated, new members verbally jousted, sometimes heatedly, with each other and with Currie.

The board had protracted discussions over whether to allow Levine to have contract business with SF Pride. She has been contracted as the parade manager for many years. Currie urged caution on the subject. At end, the board agreed to consult Turman before making a decision.

Cain and others proposed to increase the number of board seats to, possibly, 13. He also unsuccessfully attempted to seat Kevin Bard, the only member of the accountability slate not elected at last month's marathon annual meeting. Bard would have been elected if an additional seat had been open.

Currie said former board members Pam Grey, Javarre Wilson, and Haines should be considered for the board when seats are expanded. The new board members did not appear enthusiastic about this idea.

More on Manning

The most heated discussion of the evening arose when Caldera asked the board to support and endorse an October 27 Courage to Resist fundraiser for Manning, the transgender Army private who is serving a 35-year sentence for espionage after leaking classified materials to WikiLeaks. Currie, who said he supported Manning, cautioned SF Pride's involvement in the event could alienate some members.

"We've [SF Pride] alienated everybody [over Manning]," Cital said. He said it was time for SF Pride to apologize to the community and support the fundraiser.

Caldera strongly pushed for SF Pride's involvement in the event with Cain's support. As he began to blast SF Pride's incendiary April 26 statement rescinding Manning's grand marshal honor - the event that led to activists running for the board - Williams, who as board president at the time wrote the letter, left the room.

"This community has been slapped in the face" by SF Pride over Manning, Caldera said.

Audience member Sue Englander said the political aspects of Manning's situation were over with her conviction. "Her treatment is now a human rights issue," Englander, an instructor at San Francisco State University, told the board.

Marilyn Murrillo, the sole transgender community member present, said the board was treating Manning and the transgender community "as second-class citizens" with some board members continuing to refer to Manning by his former name.

All board members supported Manning - as does Williams - but were careful on endorsing the fundraiser. Virginia and Sanford want members to endorse the event in a transparent way. Cain said this was "cowardly" as there "is broad community support already for Manning."

Virginia said he did not want the first communication from the new board to be rushed on Manning. Time was needed, he said, to manage and message SF Pride's support for Manning.

The board's decision on participating in the Manning event is expected in days.