Book reading prompts homophobia accusation

Northwest Chula Vista District 2 candidate Patrick MacFarland recently accused one of his opponents, Steve Castaneda, of homophobia because he read passages of McFarland’s novel “Plum Crazy” to supporters.

In a March 24 opinion piece published on the website timesofsandiego.com MacFarland, an openly gay man, wrote in part:

“Recently, one of my opponents has taken pages of the book and shown it to supporters, implying that it is some kind of problem. Unsurprisingly, this sways none of my supporters. The attempt to discredit me has been met with shrugs and questions about tactics and motivation.

“It is imperative that this kind of campaign tactic be called what it is: homophobic.”
Though McFarland did not refer to Castaneda by name in the column he did clarify to The Star-News it was the former city councilman to whom he was referring.

MacFarland said he referenced Castaneda by identifying him as “one of my Democratic opponents,” and a Democrat “who has served in leadership positions in the Democratic Party.”

Castaneda, 58, sits on the Democratic Central Committee and until recently was on the executive board. Castaneda is in the last year of his first-term on Sweetwater Authority.
Castaneda said he read MacFarland’s op-ed and does not understand why he would be labeled homophobic, especially since he said he has been a supporter of the LGBTQ community.

Castaneda referenced a 2005 Star-News article in which he was quoted in support of then

Chula Vista mayor and current councilman Steve Padilla.

“I would hope that the people of Chula Vista would judge not only the mayor, but all of us on the work that we do for them. I believe that he has done a good job for the city of Chula Vista, and that he deserves to be re-elected in 2006.,” he said in 2005.

Castaneda said he also insisted the Sweetwater Authority have a presence at the annual Pride Festival.

Castaneda said he has issues with the way women are portrayed and treated in

McFarland’s novel, not the sexual orientation of the characters.

“Women are abused, they are raped, they are being called extremely derogatory names such as names that start with ‘S, and ‘B’ and’ W’,” Castaneda said. “And the elements of the book talks about women being forced to do things to each other and use foreign objects on each other for the benefit and the pleasure of some individual (in the book).”

MacFarland said the book is intended for mature audiences.

“Since the book is mainly about a gay couple and many of the explicit scenes are of physical intimacy between two men, let’s call it what it is — like I said in the editorial— it is homophobic, basically gay-baiting,” he said.

Castaneda said he is absolutely not homophobic and that McFarland’s name calling is simply a campaign tactic.

“This is nothing more than an attempt to sway public opinion,” he said. “There’s no substantiation, there’s no proof (of homophobia). That’s why the larger community hasn’t come out in support of these allegations.

2 COMMENTS

  1. SPOILER ALERT:
    I have read the book, which was presented as an autobiography to many to try and discredit Mr. MacFarland, yet let’s make it clear that it’s a fictional book. The female characters get justice and the male character who mistreats and harms women dies at the end.

    Also, what fails to be mentioned in the article is that Mr. Castaneda, even though he supported Mr. Padilla for reelection in 2005, he failed to support him during public comment in which anti-gay people spoke for hours against the Former Mayor and the CVPD and he eventually ran against him in 2006. He also voted against appointing him to the Port Commission in 2009 and ultimately voted to fire him in 2011. Talk about support…

    And regardless of Mr. Castaneda’s excuse, it was in poor taste to discredit an opponent for writing a book that was purely fictional. That’s old school style politics and that just doesn’t work in Chula Vista anymore (sorry, but I had to steal this line from Mr. MacFarland).

    Chula Vista never forgets.