(NN&V Staff) – Today, Right Pride, Nevada’s only organization representing gay conservatives and their allies, condemned former Assemblyman John Bonaventura, a Democrat, who is now running for Las Vegas Township Constable.
The move comes as a result of a letter, written by Bonaventura, claiming he would “diligently work to not legalize perverted homosexual acts.” The letter was written in 1993 in response to SB 466, which repealed anti-sodomy laws in Nevada. In the letter Bonaventura went further, calling for all representatives who voted for the bill to be “thrown out of office.”
Right Pride President Mark Ciavola said, “Mr. Bonaventura has demonstrated an intense personal bias against gays and lesbians as individuals, and his belief that government belongs in our private lives makes him unqualified to hold elective office.”
When asked about the letter, Bonaventura said it was “digitally altered,” calling it “election time trickery by a Republican opponent,” despite the fact that it has been published on OutHistory.org’s SB 466 page since last year.
The website also describes a sign that Bonaventura kept at his legislative desk which read, “No Special Rights for Sodomites.” During the legislative hearing on SB 466, which is public record, Bonaventura said the motion to pass the bill “sickened” him. Bonaventura denies all allegations.
“Mr. Bonaventura must think very little of Las Vegas voters to deny public comments he made during the legislative hearing on SB 466.” Ciavola concluded, “Mr. Bonaventura is clearly willing to misrepresent readily available facts, which should raise questions in the minds of all Las Vegas voters concerning his integrity.”
(Right Pride represents gay Conservatives, Republicans, Independents, and their allies. For more information visit our website: www.rightpride.org)
