My hill isn't zoned for stores but I can hike down to Hillhurst in Los Feliz Village to do some shopping at the local healthfood store if I want to. I've been shopping at Nature Mart since I moved to L.A. two decades ago. Last month the owner sold it but there was a big hush-hush mystery about who bought it. I went over there yesterday, the first day of the new operation, to check it out. The Nature Mart signs are all still up and the store looks pretty much the same. But then I saw the bags-- Lassen's Natural Foods. Oh, God, no!

I recognized the name immediately. Lassen's is owned by a vicious hate-monger and Mormon militant, Peter Lassen, who helped finance the Mormon attack on Prop 8 here in California. Rural, backward Lassen County, the reddest county in California, is named for his great grandfather, also Peter Lassen. The county voted 71.3 % for Proposition 8, amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Lassen's store in Ventura alone contributed $27,500 to the anti-gay jihad. His store in Camarillo ponied up another $3,000 and his store in Simi Valley gave more. In the end, Lassen gave tens of thousands of dollars towards institutionalizing bigotry and hatred in our communities. The Los Feliz/Silverlake area is one of the most gay-friendly parts of Los Angeles. What a stupid decision for him to buy a store in an area where everyone is going to hear about what he did and look for alternative places to shop!

These shameless homophobes have big cojones stones, I'll say that for them, but if they think they'll get away with this...they are sadly mistaken. And God forbid if you criticize the Lassen's for their anti-Gay positions and actions. Lassen's niece uses the "it's not me it's you defense.

Lassen's niece, who personally donated anti-gay money herself and manages the store in Camarillo (owned by her father, John Lassen), defended the idea that the stores gave money to defeat Prop 8. "We have a lot a gay and lesbian customers. We have nothing against them. To us, it is a moral issue, not a civil issue... Sadly, people feel like they have to blame somebody. It's not just Mormons who voted for this. It was passed by a majority of Californians. We love our gay and lesbian customers. If they don't want to shop at our store, then that's their choice. I can respect that, but they should respect my family's beliefs, too. It's pretty sad how mean people can be."

Yes, we're mean because we object to a bunch of wealthy freaks financing a hate-filled proposition targeting our families, friends and neighbors.

I don't know if Else Endecott, Lassen's niece was asking Frank Luntz for help in responding to their outrageous behavior, but calling gay and lesbian and Liberals who speak out about their actions 'mean' is unserious and pretty sick to boot. Businesses can support any political party they want, but when they get in the middle of a civil rights fight against Americans they have crossed the line. I wonder if giving Else a call at her Camarillo store (805) 482-3287 and asking her why we're the mean people would shed some light on her beliefs?

There's a day of protest being scheduled and I plan to be there if my health holds up. I'll let you know more as it comes in. #occupyLassens

(@JohnAmato)