Megan Thomas, Chair of Stonewall DFL (MN) writes:
At 08:23 AM 3/1/01 -0500, Megan Thomas wrote:
>The [http://www.stonewalldfl.org] Website has been updated to reflect the
actions of the Board on Tuesday
>night. The only candidates listed now are those that were found acceptable
>and endorsed. It is the policy of the Stonewall DFL that after these
>actions have taken place that we only list the candidates endorsed or found
>acceptable. In other words, we do not give free publicity to those
>candidates running against the candidates we have rated as acceptable and/or
>endorsed.
>
Interesting.... Walt Gutzmer (who is openly gay) screened, filled out the
endorsement questionaire, and appeared before Stonewall. He is arguably
better on GLBT issues than is Brian Herron. (I think Herron opposes needle
exchange programs for AIDS prevention, and Gutzmer supports this, if I
recall my phone conversation with Gutzmer correctly). Anyway, I would
really like to see Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton's screening form and Lisa
McDonald's screening form. I would also like to see all 8th ward
candidates answers to these questions.... Anyway, why is Walt Gutzmer NOT
acceptable?
Interesting that you ask about DOMA, which is a state, not a local issue,
and don't ask about the sodomy law.... Or any kind of question that asks
whether the government belongs in people's bedrooms. But then that's the
difference between Dems and Republicans--Dems are big government,
Republicans are small government ;-) -- (though there are idiots who are
active in the Republican Party like Tom Prichard and Alan Quist who favor
sodomy laws.) Does anyone know whether Minneapolis prosecutors use the
sodomy law as a way to add on charges for stuff like public indecency when
that is hard to prove? That's one argument Prichard made in favor of
keeping the sodomy law. Former state AG Skip Humphrey made the same
argument years back.... he was quoted in the Pioneer Press stating that
repealing the sodomy law would increase the incidence of public sex acts
and prostitution. Personally I adding a sodomy charge onto a prostitution
charge or a public indecency charge is poor prosecution practice. Anyway,
do Minneapolis prosecutors use this? Is there any data on this? Is this
ever threatened as a way to get people to "cop a plea"?
Anyway I've appended the Stonewall DFL questionaire (courtesy of RT's
website.), along with LCR/MN's 1999 questionaire for Henn County
Candidates. I think folks running for City Council and Mayor could answer
both questionaires on this list--just substitute "City of Minneapolis" for
where the questionaire refers to Hennepin County.
In the interest of transparency in the process, I challenge Stonewall DFL,
the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, the DFL Feminists and other
organizations screening candidates for city races to release the candidate
questionaires with the permission of the candidates. I would also like to
encourage Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and Lisa McDonald to follow the
example of RT and post the answers to the screening questionaires they
answer on their websites. I checked out Mayor Sayles Belton's website, and
did not find the Stonewall DFL questionaire there.
Eva Young
Central Neighborhood
Minneapolis
(On that 3400 block, where Council Member Brian Herron kowtowed to the
anti-gay Park Av Methodist Church and turned our alley for their
convenience over vehiment neighborhood objections.)
Here is the Stonewall DFL questionaire:
1. If endorsed would you list the Caucus' endorsement along with your other
endorsements.
2. Are you willing to make a commitment NOT to run against a DFL-endorsed
candidate?
3. Are you in favor of a woman's right to control her own reproductive
system, including the right to have an abortion.
4. Do you support extending health insurance, pension benefits, sick and
bereavement pay to unmarried partners of city employees as currently
afforded married heterosexuals?
5. Do you support city funding for the Minnesota AIDS project and the
Aliveness Project?
6. Are you opposed to measures like the Minnesota Defense of Marriage Act?
7. What is your definition of family.
8. How do you define homophobia?
9. How would you promote better relations between the Police Department and
the GLBT community?
10. What experience have you had with Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Trangender
(GLBT) issues and why are they important to you?
And here is the Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota Questionaire that we
used for the County Board race two years ago:
1. Why are you running for Hennepin County Commissioner?
2. Do you want the endorsement of Log Cabin/Minnesota? Will you add the
Log Cabin/Minnesota endorsement to your campaign website, and to your
campaign literature?
3. Do you support a "Big Tent" philosophy regarding the Republican Party?
What does "Big Tent" mean to you?
4. Do you support Domestic Partner benefits for county employees? If
you do, would you support having Hennepin County lobby the legislature on
this issue so that the County can legally offer domestic partner benefits?
5. Will you initiate a policy in your office prohibiting discrimination in
the hiring, firing, or promotion of employees on the basis of their sexual
orientation?
6. Would you be willing to use LCR/Minnesota as a resource on public
policy issues that involve lesbians and gay men?
7. Would your campaign be willing to work with LCR/Minnesota in order to
contact lesbians and gay men in your district to solicit their support?
8. Do you believe that sexual conduct between consenting adults in the
privacy of the home is beyond the bounds of the appropriate concerns of
government?
9. The question below refers to sections of the MN republican platform.
Please comment on the following sections of this section of the Minnesota
Republican Platform. Do these platform planks accurately reflect your
positions? Will these planks guide you as you consider policy in Hennepin
County as it relates to gay and lesbian citizens?
I have only included the sections in this plank that directly impact issues
of concern to the gay and lesbian community. The rest of the plank
addresses abortion, which is not an issue that Log Cabin Minnesota is using
to evaluate candidates.
Please comment on item 9 as it relates to your position on using filtering
systems in the Hennepin County Public Library System. How would you define
"obscene material." Would you oppose the use of filters that screen out
material on the basis of the words "gay" and "lesbian."
The platform plank mentions "Traditional Minnesota Values". How would you
define this term?
Item 6 uses the word "heterosexual" to describe parents. Do you agree that
this word is necessary here?
Quoted from Republican Party of MN platform. Items in brackets are LCR
questions related to those planks.
FREEDOM that Strengthens Family Security, Defends Life and Supports
Traditional Minnesota Values ... Republicans support adoption and oppose
special rights for homosexuals.
<Please comment about your views on adoption and whether you believe sexual
orientation of potential parents ought to be included in the criteria for
placing children>
We support the following reforms:
....
6. Making it easier and less costly for heterosexual parents to adopt
children of any race.
<please comment on the use of the word "heterosexual>
7. Opposing recognition of same sex marriages or the establishment of
homosexuals as a protected class.
<please comment about how you feel about restricting civil marriage to
heterosexuals only. Please also comment on this plank in relationship to
what you feel about Domestic Partner Benefits for County
Employees--question 4 above)
...
9. Strengthening laws and regulations that restrict the sale, production
and promotion of obscene material, including on the internet and the
telephone.
This information was taken from the Republican Party of Minnesota Website.
http://www.gop-mn.org/platform1998.html
Eva
Eva Young
Minneapolis, MN
>
>> From: "Fredric Markus" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 06:22:27 -0600
>> To: "Mpls-Issues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Subject: [Mpls] Stonewall DFL news
>>
>> Municipal candidate ratings are now posted on the Stonewall DFL website
>> www.stonewalldfl.org.
>>
>> How interesting that in the Sixth Ward, Barb Lickness is not even listed as
>> having participated in the process, when in fact she gave a sturdy and
>> thoughtful in-person presentation that compared well to the
presentations of
>> Jonathan Palmer and Dean Kallenbach. Shada Buyobe-Hammond, whose name is at
>> least listed, made no appearance at the Stonewall DFL screening event.
>>
>> Whoever updated this website has given the impression that Ms Lickness did
>> not participate and was not considered in the screening process and that is
>> wrong and - if deliberate - fraudulent and evidence of bad-faith
>> participation by Stonewall DFL in this year's municipal election cycle. If
>> true, for shame!
>>
>> Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, and an obviously irritated member of
>> Stonewall DFL!
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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