Firefighter Testifies In Gay Pride Parade Suit

SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego firefighter testified Tuesday he was humiliated, confused and felt abandoned by the department's leadership after being ordered to participate in last year's gay pride parade in Hillcrest.

Firefighter Alex Kane and three other firefighters -- Capt. John Ghiotto, Jason Hewitt and Chad Allison -- sued the city of San Diego, seeking unspecified damages and reimbursement for therapy and legal costs.

In their lawsuit, the firefighters said they were called names and subjected to other harassment by scantily-clad parade attendees on July 21, 2007.

They said they were given a direct order to ride in the gay pride parade after another crew backed out at the last minute.

"I felt used. I felt angry," Kane testified Tuesday.

Kane said that when he mentioned his concerns to an assistant chief, the chief told him he was blowing things out of proportion.

When Kane and his co-plaintiffs talked to a counselor on July 26, 2007, she said she felt they had a legitimate complaint and should talk to Chief Tracy Jarman.

The counselor said she had heard the complaining firefighters were "homophobic," Kane testified.

When the plaintiffs met with union officials, they were told to be team players and told not to do anything to interfere with contract negotiations with the city, Kane testified.

"I felt violated. I felt like I had a complaint," Kane testified.

Kane said he wanted the Fire Department to change its policy toward participation in parades so that what happened to him wouldn't happen to others.

When the four firefighters met with Jarman and two other assistant chiefs, they were called hypocrites and told they had a responsibility to participate in the parade, Kane testified.

Kane said he became concerned about retaliation when he heard Ghiotto and Hewitt received threatening phone calls at home.

Kane said he was soon transferred out of his home station in Hillcrest and bounced from station to station until recently getting assigned to North Park.

He told City Attorney Michael Aguirre that he knew what to expect at the gay pride parade because he used to live in Hillcrest.

Kane said he said one man in the parade was "touching himself in a sexual manner."

The firefighter said he was used to responding to emergency calls at gay bars in Hillcrest and people would make comments like, "Hey fireman, let me see your hose."

Those comments were repeated during the gay pride parade, Kane testified.

Kane said he would be satisfied if Jarman told him "No one will ever be put in a situation you were put in."

The firefighter said he has been bombarded with comments and has also been the "butt" of many jokes since he filed his complaint against the city.

"It's affected my whole life. It's affected my family life," Kane testified.

Charles LiMandri, who represents all four plaintiffs, said in his opening statement that his clients were the subject of name-calling and made to feel "extremely uncomfortable" while riding in the parade, forcing them to roll up the windows of the fire truck and put on headphones.

In his opening statement, San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre said the mayor, council members, district attorney and chief of police participated "happily and proudly" in the gay pride parade.

Aguirre said the plaintiffs decided to take a passive role during the parade, "as is their right."

The city attorney said the event represented three hours out of more than 100,000 hours worked by the four firefighters.