Session: 123456789101112131415161718         Page 414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452 of 617

the afternoon.” I said, “Let me see that ordinance.” He shows me the ordinance. So I said, “Do you know what this means? It means that next week when they have the Salute to Israel parade, if you enforce this ordinance against the gays, then you're going to enforce it against the Jews. Are you? Are you going to stop that parade next week? Because if you don't, we will take you to court, because this law is going to be enforced against everybody, and public officeholders have an obligation to see that the law is enforced against everybody equally.”

Well, he gets a little flustered. (laughs) He says, “Why don't you have somebody sue me and then we'll give you the permit.” And I said, “They don't have to sue you to get a permit. That's not going to be the way this is going to be handled. Make that minister sue you not to give the permit.” That's the thrust of it.

So the police guy collapses. He says, “Okay, you can have the permit.” I said, “In any event, why can't” -- turning now to the gays, who are very difficult to deal with -- “you form...? The minister doesn't want you there, so what? Why do you have to be on the west side of 7th Avenue? Why can't you be on the east side of 7th Avenue? Why can't you form in front of the Stonewall?” Because there's a big street there.

Says the head of the parade: “Oh, we can't do that. No, no, no, don't you understand? We have to form elsewhere, and then