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In my previous posted summary of the Progressive
Minnesota endorsement meeting, with respect to the 11th Ward, I reported
that candidate John Casserly was rumored at the meeting to be
"anti-abortion and anti-gay." I also included a parenthetical stating
that I had no firsthand knowledge of John Casserly's views on these
issues.
John Casserly has now contacted me (extremely
unhappy) and insisted that these rumors are inaccurate. John informs
me that he is in fact supportive of gay and lesbian rights. He has
been on the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission for the past 3 1/2 years
(which is responsible for enforcing ordinances that prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation). John informed me that his supporters include
Lisa Albrecht, who is also a member of and former chair of the Civil Rights
Commission and has long been active in supporting gay and lesbian rights.
I personally cannot imagine Lisa Albrecht supporting a candidate with
a similar commitment. I am convinced that the insinuations about John
Casserly's position on gay issues that I previously reported were
inaccurate and unfair.
On the abortion issue, John Casserly is a little
bit more ambiguous. He considers himself neither pro-choice nor
pro-life. John does not believe that the issue is relevant to the
position of city council member, and he prefers to stay away from
it. He states that he personally opposes abortion but respects the
law and has no intention of intefering with equal access to
abortion.
In summary, my original statements on John Casserly
were merely intended as a summary of what was discussed at the meeting, and I
explicitly indicated that I did not know whether the information was
accurate . Now that I have been challenged. I do recalll that
the insinuations about Casserly's positions were very vague.
Hopefully, this exchange will serve to provide everyone with fuller
information
Jordan Kushner
Powderhorn, Ward 8
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