Posted on: Wednesday, July 16, 2003

EDITORIAL
Second Family Day lawsuit has a point

On the surface, it might seem a waste of time and money to file another lawsuit against the city over the recent Family Day activities at Kapi'olani Park earlier this month. But a deeper inspection suggests it is not.

The American Civil Liberties Union earlier filed an unsuccessful federal lawsuit against a parade that led up to the Family Day celebration because parade organizers would not let gay and lesbian groups participate. But federal Judge Helen Gillmor concluded the ACLU did not produce enough evidence to prove the parade was sponsored, at least in part, by the city.

The latest ACLU lawsuit focuses on the Family Day Festival, which followed the parade. The city, the ACLU says, spent at least $15,000 to organize and help conduct the festival, which focused on evangelical Christians. The sponsorship violates principles of separation of church and state, the group said.

What is needed is a clear and consistent city policy on when and how it will use taxpayer money to help support events of this nature.

To the degree the city's help amounted to no more than what it would offer any other organization or group, it is defensible. But if the support went much beyond that, to a level approaching co-sponsorship, then it was wrong.

If a lawsuit can sort out these distinctions, it will have been worth the effort.