In many races, the glbt comunity had win win choices.
I also believe that the glbtiq communities concerns
came out of Minneapolis city elections on fairly good
footing though I also believe the redistricting forced
candidates who have been allies for the most part to
run against one another. I also believe the St. Paul
mayoral race results will hopefully lead to more
progress on glbtiq issues in St. Paul including a
domestic partnership registry like that in Minneapolis
granting the right to visit your partner in the
hospital and the few other rights the city can extend.
I am upset that Stonewall DFL chose to endorse
candidates for office who have voted against the
interests of the community on more than one occassion
and it points up the need, despite the proper role and
hardwork of Stonwall DFL, Lavender Greens and Log
Cabin Republicans, to have a non-partisan endorsing
organization that can look at record and issues
without needs to conform to party loyalty, party
endorsement adherence, or other partisan constraints.
For example, Stonewall DFL endorsed Barb Johnson in
Ward 4 despite her opposition to the equal benefits
ordinance and her opposition and incredibly insulting
behavior and comments regarding the repeal of the
restroom ordinance that was creating real problems for
transgender residents and visitors to the city.
I'll never forget Barb waltzing into committee after
skipping the hours of testimony concerning the need to
repeal the restroom ordinance and announcing that she
was voting against it because she didn't want the city
to be seen as odd or weird and out of step with the
rest of the state. IF she had been there for the
testimony, she would have known that it was the
ordinance that put Minneapolis out of step with the
rest of the state as in the majority of the state
there were no similiar problematic local ordinances
and no state laws exist which create the same problem.
But she was all too quick to disparage transgender
people and their concerns without hearing one wit of
the testimony that the majority of committee members
treated with due respect. Stonewall DFL's endorsement
of Barb Johnson does little but hurt their reputation
which is the most important asset of such endorsing
caucuses.
Stonewall DFL also endorsed park board incumbents
despite several of them being obstacles to repeal of
the park board restroom ordinance which was based on
the city's now repealed ordinance. The park board
restroom ordinance continues to create similiar
problems for transgender people with harrassment by
park staff and park police.
The Mary Merrill Anderson, Walt Dziedzic, and Bob Fine
endorsements are also very questionable. What issues
within these offices purview did the Stonewall DFL
inquire about? What about alleged malfeasance on the
part of some of the park board incumbents which has
been much discussed on this list not to mention the
real problems with park police in regards to treatment
of the glbt community?
I am happy that the Stonewall DFL has gone to a
questionaire for endorsements instead of just having
people showing up and saying "I have gay friends and
like gay people" and getting their endorsement. I
think their endorsements are more substantial than
they once were. However, to be a voting member of
Stonewall DFL you don't need to self identify as part
of the glbtiq community or be a parent or child of a
glbt person or have any other personal tie
community(as the case with Lisa Goodman, who lived
with a gay male friend for example). As a result,
many DFL activists who have their own agendas apart
from glbtiq issues pay dues and join Stonewall DFL to
push for endorsement of their candidates.
It is true that people who are not glbtiq can at times
be stronger advocates for glbtiq concerns and at times
even more informed about glbtiq public policy concerns
than someone who identifies as glbtiq but isn't
particularly interested in glbtiq movement politics.
However, I like to believe that organizations such as
Stonewall DFL , Log Cabin, and Lavender Greens should
focus on the viewpoint of the populations they are
seeking to represent within each party and a
nonpartisan organization would strengthen the
community's hand by allowing all candidates to compete
for glbtiq community support including independents
and others who don't have a partisan caucus from whom
they can seek support.
In the end though, the glbitq community is fairly
politically powerful in Minneapolis.
I would second Eva's call for Stonewall DFL to involve
it's volunteers in the Nov. 22nd special election in
State Senate District 43 in Minnetonka and Plymouth
where the DFL'er Terri Bonoff has taken a stand
against the constitutional amendment to ban same sex
marriage whiler her Republican opponent, Judy Johnson,
has stated her support for the amendment, opposition
to abortion rights and desire to see schools teach
"intelligent design" instead of or in addition to
evolution which she says she doesn't believe in. It's
a scary thing in a public official in a day and age
when the public faces the possibility of the H5N1
avian flu virus "evolving" the ability to pass from
human to human. I really don't want public officials
looking out for the public health who "don't believe
in" evolution at a time like this.
Same in Senate District 19 which includes Rockford, MN
in Hennepin County and the majority of Wright County,
where John Dieterling(sp?) is the DFL endorsed
candidate who survived the primary on Nov. 1st to go
on to the general election on Nov. 22nd. He has also
taken a stand against the constitutional amendment and
I believe would be better for the majority of
Minneapolitan's as well whether your talking about the
services for the poor and the needs of immigrants or
public health, arts funding, metro transit, respect
for religious diversity, public school funding or
Local government aid which is so important to our
city. He doesn't appear to be a "city hater".
David Strand
Loring Park
--- Paul Skrbec <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> EY said:
> What is going to be more of a challenge for
> Stonewall
> is the 6th District race. Elwyn Tinklenberg (now
> the
> only candidate in that race) said he supported the
> Federal Marriage Amendment at his announcement press
> conference. I
> contacted Paul Skrbec for comment, and he would not
> comment on
> Tinklenberg's position.
>
> The state auditor's race will also be a challenge
> for
> Stonewall DFL. Rebecca Otto - the leading candidate
> for auditor voted for the Bachmann amendment.
>
> PS says:
> Stonewall does not comment on races that it has not
> made endorsements in
> yet. We have been clear on this fact for the entire
> year. 2006 election
> cycle candidates will get there chance to begin the
> process on January
> 15, 2006 by filling out our endorsement
> questionnaire and petitioning
> for our organization's endorsement. Until such a
> time that our caucus
> makes a formal selection, we will continue to
> refrain from public
> commentary on non-endorsed races.
>
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