1) There is more than one way to interpret the comments alleged by Senator
Spear. My view of it is that when you have a situation where all candidates
are equally qualified for office in your eye you then look for other ways to
differentiate them. What I do when looking at equally qualified candidates I
look at what voids the candidates can fill. In other words, affirmative
action, as in when one of the candidates is a member of an under-represented
group. Again, this is applied when all candidates are qualified.
I can say with confidence that I have not seen any effort to promote
unqualified candidates who are also members of the GLBT community within the
DFL. This past spring the Stonewall DFL chose endorse a highly qualified
straight candidate, Brian Herron, over another candidate, Robert Lillegren,
who we did not feel was prepared to be a city council member.
2) Doug Kress is certainly qualified to be on the City Council. His work
with homeless youth and in the non-profit arena are exactly the type of
management and caring we want on that body.
This applies to all the other DFL endorsed candidates who are gay. Having
been trapped in a discussion of city finances with Wally Swann I can
definitely say he is qualified for the office. I also urge you to discuss
the issue of staff development with Patrick Peterson and you will quickly
agreed that he is needed on the School Board. John Erwin, a candidate for
Park Board is a faculty member in the horticulture department at the
University. Gary Schiff's expertise on urban development and his activism
for historical preservation will be a marvelous addition to the City
Council. These and all the other candidates for public office who are
members of the GLBT community have tremendous skills to offer. Skills that
the citizens of Minneapolis would be foolish to reject.
3) Contrary to Mr. Basim's statement there is not a slew of gay people
elected to public office in Minnesota. There is no gay member of the city
council as he asserts. There are exactly 5 openly gay elected officials in
Minnesota: Scott Dibble and Karen Clark in the Minnesota House, Wally Swann
on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Rod Krueger on the Library Board and
Al Oertwig on the St. Paul School Board. This number will obviously be going
up in the fall.
There will be an attempt to paint these candidates as "Gay" candidates. To
diminish them in the eyes of the electorate and paint them as "single-issue"
candidates solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. It is
interesting that Mr. Sabri sees it fit to mention his support of Dan N. but
not say why. If you believe he is a better candidate say why but it is
disturbing that you do not see fit to say why you support him in a post
where you only discuss the sexuality of his opponent.
I am not accusing Mr. Sabri of a malevolent act of homophobia. As a society
I do think we have progressed beyond the point of open hatred, excepting
some isolated dips of course. Certainly Mr. Sabri's experience as an
immigrant and in Israel have given a perspective on life that is to be
valued. (Besides I like anyone so willing to call Lisa McDonald to the
carpet) Most acts of bias today are acts of ignorance and not deliberate.
The way we advance now is to recognize this and change the subconcious
attitudes that produces it.
Megan Thomas
Saint Paul (but Stadium Village during the day)
--
"When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak
response. I am speaking of that force which all of the world's great
religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is
somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Megan Thomas
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.iziziz.com
>
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