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Community Corner

Man Calls for a Boycott of the Tournament of Roses Parade

The head of a Sacramento-based group is calling for a boycott because two men will be married aboard the AIDS Healthcare Foundation float.

By City News Service

The head of a Sacramento-based group is calling for a boycott of the Tournament of Roses Parade because two men will be married aboard the AIDS Healthcare Foundation float.

Randy Thomasson, who heads SaveCalifornia.com, said "parents and grandparents" were appalled at what he called a "political stunt forced upon children who are watching."

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Thomasson said children would get the message that "homosexual behavior is good and normal, when it's not biologically based, results in a high rate of HIV/AIDS and other STDs ..."

The group urged people not to watch TV coverage or attend the parade, and to complain to parade offciials and sponsors.

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No one with the AHF was immediately available for comment.

When the wedding was announced, AHF said the event fits the parade's theme, "Dreams Come True," and the idea behind the float's banner: "Love is the best protection."

Danny Leclair, 42, originally from Canada, and Aubrey Loots, 45 and a native of South Africa, will exchange vows aboard the float. Together, they own Studio DNA Salons

"Having my relationship recognized legally is already a dream come true," Leclair said Dec. 17. "To be able to declare my love to the world at large in hopes of inspiring others to live proudly and authentically is an enormous honor."

AHF officials said the couple will be joined on the float by Sharon Raphael and Mina Meyer, a lesbian couple who have been together for 42 years and were married in California in 2008.

On its website, SaveCalifornia.com bills itself as "your pro-family leader, standing strong for moral virtues for the common good."

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