Stonewall Democrats Rescind Gardner Endorsement

Stonewall Democrats Rescind Endorsement of Gary Gardner

PALM SPRINGS — The Desert Stonewall Democrats have taken the extraordinary step of officially rescinding its endorsement of Desert Hot Springs City Councilman Gary Gardner, District 1.

This decision was not made lightly, and it is with extreme difficulty and deep disappointment that we must revoke our support for a community leader whom we once trusted and held in high regard, the organization stated in a news release Wednesday.

In recent months, however, that community trust has been broken.

Councilman Gardner has demonstrated that he prioritizes political relationships of convenience over his commitment as a leader in the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, Gardner has chosen to maintain and defend a political alliance with former Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Roger Nuñez, who has used the derogatory term “puto” in conversations to describe gay men.

When confronted about this alliance, Councilman Gardner continued to minimize the severity of Nuñez’ pejorative language. In his most recent communication to the Stonewall leadership team on October 20, Gardner stated:

“What I would not — and still will not do — is jump to the conclusion that one colloquial comment that I know was not intended to be anti-gay and was meant more in the vein of “a**hole, or m-f**ker by the author, and then jump to the conclusion that Mr. Nuñez is anti-gay. Having known him for many years I can attest to the fact that he is far from being anti-gay.”

Gardner’s statement is unacceptable. It actively minimizes language used to demean and marginalize gay men and it was not one “colloquial” comment. In early September 2026, the Desert Stonewall Democrats PAC sent a committee member to speak directly with Councilman Gardner, explicitly asking him not to endorse Nuñez again. Despite this conversation and subsequent others, Gardner made the conscious decision to proceed, fully aware that his actions could lead to the revocation of our endorsement.

“It’s unfortunate that they have yet to formally notify me of their action and I only have seen social media posts or press releases or gotten secondhand reports from the meeting,” Gardner told Uken Report, “Nor was I given a chance to address the additional allegations other than the so-called “endorsement” of Mr. Nunez in his race this year.”

You may read Gardner’s entire response here.

Shortly after this issue became public, additional deeply concerning information—previously unknown to our PAC and leadership—came to light:

Misaligned Campaign Funding: Councilman Gardner applied for and received $5,000 in campaign funds from The New Majority PAC. Our review of this organization’s political positions and policies revealed that they share virtually no common ground with the Democratic or inclusive values championed by our organization.

Troubling Corporate Lobbying History: We were recently made aware of Gardner’s career prior to relocating to the Coachella Valley, which included working as a lobbyist for Moneytree. This organization has a storied history with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and has been sanctioned with numerous violations relating to predatory lending practices.

Given this influx of new information that was not disclosed at the time of our initial endorsement, the Desert Stonewall Democrats moved to vote on rescinding our support across our three governing bodies. The results reflect the severity of these revelations: the PAC and the Steering Committee both voted unanimously to rescind, and the General Membership voted 85% to rescind, with only 15% voting to retain the endorsement, according to the release.

Following this process, Councilman Gardner advised the organization that he will not renew his membership with the Desert Stonewall Democrats next year. Consequently, Stonewall leadership has directed our Treasurer to immediately return his membership dues in full for the current term.

Stephen Nelson, Chair of the Desert Stonewall Democrats, issued the following statement regarding the vote which, was 85% in favor of rescinding the endorsement to 15% opposing.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ We cannot and will not remain silent when our community and our values are compromised. Endorsements are a privilege, not a right. In that spirit, we take our endorsements incredibly seriously and we will not waver when we see actions in direct conflict with our mission, the LGBTQ+ community, and our Democratic values. We expected better from Councilman Gardner, and our members have spoken clearly that we demand integrity and steadfast advocacy from those we choose to support.”

 

About Desert Stonewall Democrats

 

Desert Stonewall Democrats is the original, premier LGBTQ+ Democratic organization in the Coachella Valley and surrounding regions. Founded in 1998, for nearly 30 years Desert Stonewall Democrats has championed candidates and policies demonstrating dedication to civil rights, progressive values, and equitable community representation. For more information about Desert Stonewall Democrats, its political action committee, and upcoming initiatives, visit www.desert-stonewall.org.

 

DISCLAIMER: Endorsements made by Desert Stonewall Democrats represent the independent action of our club and membership. Unless noted, our endorsements and related actions do not reflect or constitute an official endorsement or similar action by the California Democratic Party or the Riverside County Democratic Party.