Developer (And Marriott Hotel Franchisee) Is Foe Of Same-Sex Marriage

[DeSwiss]

Developer is foe of same-sex marriage
Manchester, others help fund initiative

UNION-TRIBUNE
By Bill Ainsworth
March 15, 2008


Douglas Manchester

Developer Doug Manchester and other prominent San Diego County businessmen have given significant financial support to an initiative that would ban same-sex marriage targeted for the November statewide ballot. Manchester's $125,000 donation has prompted a gay-rights activist to urge a boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Manchester-owned San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina.

In addition to Manchester, Mission Valley developer Terry Caster has donated $162,500; Robert Hoehn, owner of Hoehn Motors in Carlsbad, has given $25,000; and La Jolla businessman Roger Benson has given $50,000, state records show. Manchester said he was motivated by his strong Catholic faith. “I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman,” he said. Donations from San Diego residents make up a significant part of the $1 million raised for the initiative.

That has allowed the campaign to hire professional signature gatherers to help collect the 700,000 signatures needed to qualify the constitutional amendment for the ballot, said Andrew Pugno, an attorney for Protectmarriage.com, which is sponsoring the amendment. Pugno believes his group will have enough signatures to make the ballot, but it will be close. The group expects to turn signatures in next month.

Past efforts relying almost exclusively on volunteer signature gatherers have failed. Keith Gran, a gay-rights activist and global project manager for a medical device company, said he is outraged by Manchester's donation. “He's paying people to add a bigoted, discriminatory amendment to the constitution,” Gran said. “I think that's appalling. I think people ought to know that.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080315-9999-1m15samesex.html">MORE

- Whenever I read about someone whose all energized "to do good" and the source of this motivation is the Catholic Church, then I know I'm reading about a Nazi/pedophile-enabler. Now some might think that's extreme, but I won't conveniently forget the past like some do. Nor do I fall for the excuses offered that its "just a few Bad Apples."

"Boycott Marriott Hotels until this bastard is turned-out....."
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DeSwiss


http://atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox

[DU9598]

1. F--K

I just stayed in that sucmbags hotel. Thanks for sharing, I won't be staying there again.

Any pro-gay hotel chains?

[DeSwiss]

2. Oddly...

...the Marriott chain is considered to be GLBT-freindly according to HRC. But this guy has a franchise with them and apparently didn't get the memo.

You can check other HRC sposored hotels here: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/

And other corps and business partners here: http://www.hrc.org/about_us/sponsors.asp