S.F. commissioner allegedly threatens gay colleague

San Francisco police are investigating alleged threats made by one city commissioner to a gay colleague during a meeting on ethics rules, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Redevelopment Agency commissioner Mark Dunlop, who is gay and HIV-positive, alleges that fellow commissioner Leroy King, who is black, questioned his manhood and said his illness was muddling his reasoning. After Dunlop accused King of being in the pocket of developers, King allegedly said, “I know people who can take care of you, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Dunlop complained to the district attorney’s office. Commissioner Ramon Romero supported Dunlop’s account, saying the remark about having someone “take care of you” was made in a threatening way. King denies the allegations. Mayor Willie Brown and board of supervisors president Tom Ammiano said the incident deserves an investigation by the state attorney general. The incident has also outraged both the black and gay communities. At a Redevelopment Agency Commission meeting Tuesday, people packed the room to vent their anger at the allegations against King, a community leader and former labor organizer. A smaller but equally vocal group from the gay community was present to support Dunlop. King, who kept silent throughout the meeting, denied the allegations at the time the meeting was about to adjourn. “I’ve spent my life struggling for civil rights for all people. I’ve led the fight against all forms of discrimination,” he said. “These allegations are not only untrue but painfully offensive.” The entire commission Tuesday approved some of the ethics rules that may have spurred the alleged exchange between King and Dunlop.