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Tell the City of Oakland: No Homophobic Board Appointments
  1. Signatures
    239 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Mayor of Oakland (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Mayor of Oakland (Ron Dellums)
      • City Council President (Jane Brunner)
      • Executive Assistant to the Mayor (Trina Barton)
  2. Created By
    Michael Jones
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter

The city of Oakland, California is about to determine whether Lorenzo Hoopes will be re-appointed as a board member for the Paramount Theatre of the Arts. While the theatre serves as a beacon for artists and performers and a hub for creativity, Mr. Hoopes himself has consistently taken a hard-line anti-gay stance on a number of issues. Most recently, Hoopes donated tens of thousands of dollars to defeat marriage equality in California, making him Oakland's largest individual donor to Proposition 8.

While Mr. Hoopes is entitled to his own religious and political views, the City Council and the Mayor of Oakland shouldn't reward the city's most prominent opponent of gay marriage with a position that's supposed to represent the entire community of Oakland. The move is particularly troubling, given that gay and lesbian groups in Oakland have consistently lobbied city government for more representation on boards and commissions.

Urge the Mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, and the City Council President, Jane Brunner, to find a board member that can represent all of Oakland.

Recent Signatures

Say No To Homophobia at the Paramount Theatre

Dear Mayor Dellums and Council President Brunner,

Oakland's Paramount Theatre for the Arts is currently going through the appointment process for board members. One of the names being considered for a board member slot with the Paramount is Lorenzo Hoopes, Oakland's largest contributor to efforts to take away gay marriage rights in the state of California.

Though Mr. Hoopes is entitled to his own religious and political beliefs, I urge you to reconsider his nomination for a board member position with the Paramount, and find someone who can truly represent all citizens of Oakland, regardless of their sexual orientation or who they are in a relationship with.

The Paramount is dedicated to being a hub for creativity, and a centerpiece of Oakland's art, music and theatre community. Having Mr. Hoopes -- who donated more than $25,000 to take away marriage rights for California's gay and lesbian population -- on the board sends a chilling message to Oakland's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community that officials who work hard and donate generously to anti-gay efforts are rewarded by the city of Oakland.

Please reconsider Mr. Hoopes' nomination, and find someone who can sit on the board of the Paramount who will celebrate diversity and not champion anti-gay causes.

[Your name]

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