That determination came after the city’s internal review of police procedure during the 2009 Warm Sands neighborhood public gay sex sting. Dominguez was among those accused of making offensive comments against the gay men arrested in the sting.

Though state law prevents city officials from releasing any details on their review, Ready said, “I don’t believe one comment in his 30-year history should result in his termination.“I’m convinced that his statement, although inappropriate … was not made in any discriminatory regard.”

Then this past week, Dominguez resigned/retired .

Palm Springs may be considered a gay Mecca, but its reputation has been tarnished and tarred by a 2009 undercover sex sting that went terribly wrong.

SDGLN reports The scandal has sent Police Chief David Dominguez into an early retirement and created a public relations nightmare for the city and for tourism officials. (SDGLN and Ken Williams first  broke the Palm Springs sex sting scandal and had access to  key documents from the case and direct insight from the Public Defender’s Office, where they have important sources).

Many have questioned why the Police Department would conduct such an “old school” sting, a relic of years gone by when gay men were regularly targeted for harassment and humiliation by local authorities. Think of the Stonewall riots of 1969, when the gay community fought back against blatant discrimination and persecution by police and city officials – launching the gay civil rights movement.

Many have wondered why the sting operation employed attractive and muscular young police officers who dressed provocatively in tight jeans and wife beaters, and who lured men through sexually charged invitations and by rubbing their crotches. Did nobody on the police force consider that entrapment would be a credible defense?

SDGLN has followed the case since the beginning and you can read all the details about what happened – and what could happen at the upcoming Jan. 20 hearing on the motion to dismiss. Writer Ken Williams points out, “Palm Springs has hit a crossroads. The old guard that is resisting the rapidly changing demographics – the LGBT community is growing and thriving, now making up about 40 percent of the population – must give up antiquated ideas that it is OK to discriminate against gays and lesbians. The Police Department must start hiring gays and lesbians to represent the many faces of Palm Springs, and the city must start the healing process by paving the way. After all, the mayor is openly gay and he must lead by example and make Palm Springs a shining beacon of tolerance and diversity.”

Read the full article at  SDGLN !



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