COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-
The City Council has agreed to contribute more than $10,000 toward a downtown multicultural festival this summer despite some concerns over participation by gay groups and the possibility of anti-war protests.
Two councilmen who had expressed reservations, Darryl Glenn and Tom Gallagher, joined other council members in voting in favor of the city contribution on Tuesday but said organizers should not let the event become political.
The Downtown Cultural Festival on Aug. 18 will include presentations from ethnic and racial groups. Glen Bruels, co-chairman of the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, an organizer of the event, said gay groups, anti-war protesters and others would be allowed to participate if they were not disruptive.
Glenn had said including gay groups in the festival could lead to controversy over such issues as same-sex unions. Councilwoman Margaret Radford had said gays did not belong in the same category as ethnic and racial groups.
Gallagher had said anti-war groups might use the festival to protest.
Bruels said he doubted such controversies would crop up.
“People are excited about this,” Bruels said. “They don’t want to use this as a political grandstanding thing.”
