November 20, 2009
Faith and tolerance collide in Vallejo
by Scott James
The New York Times
Drive through Vallejo and you will see a once-proud Navy town clearly down on its luck. A motel room goes for $30.99 a night, including HBO. Closed businesses proliferate; those that remain often have temporary vinyl signs held up by string, indicating a tentative investment in the future.
The problems plaguing this community are among the most daunting to face any municipality: the city has declared bankruptcy, its schools are in state receivership and a court battle threatens to strip firefighters of expensive salaries and benefits.
But there is concern that, as the city tries to find the way out of this financial abyss, it is falling into another that is perhaps more pernicious -- its political system increasingly reflects the influence of evangelical churches. This influence, many say, has been gained by condoning intolerance of the city's growing gay community.
"There's definitely a disconnect between the faith community and the gay community," said Marc Garman, editor of The Vallejo Independent Bulletin, an online town crier.
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