Huh?
I am completely and totally perplexed by this story from the DC Wire. The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, DC's LGBT Democratic organization, voted to endorse a candidate in the Mayoral primary. Two of the Democrats (Fenty and Johns) seeking the nomination have endorsed civil marriage equality for LGBT citizens in the District. Logically one would expect Gertrude Stein would have endorsed one of those two candidates, right? Wrong.
City Council Chair Linda Cropp, who does NOT support marriage equality, won the group's endorsement. What?!? I don't get it. Seriously, I don't. I was confused enough at all of the rainbow Cropp stickers at pride, the Stein endorsement only further confuses me.
Why would an organization dedicated to equality for LGBT folks endorse a candidate who did NOT support full equality over 2 legitimate candidates who do? I would love for someone to tell me why this makes any damn sense.
City Council Chair Linda Cropp, who does NOT support marriage equality, won the group's endorsement. What?!? I don't get it. Seriously, I don't. I was confused enough at all of the rainbow Cropp stickers at pride, the Stein endorsement only further confuses me.
Why would an organization dedicated to equality for LGBT folks endorse a candidate who did NOT support full equality over 2 legitimate candidates who do? I would love for someone to tell me why this makes any damn sense.
posted by ChrisBarronDC at 3:14 PM
7 Comments:
Obviously, The gentleman needs a basic history lesson on who and what Gertrude Stein represented. She was a radical innovator in 20th-century literature. She was an author above all else-- abstract and down to earth, playful and subversive, philosophical and erotic when using words carefully. Her powerful syntax and reinvention of language influenced writers such as Thornton Wilder, Ernest Hemingway, William Carlos Williams to name but a few. She had many friends and many collaborators in Paris- her Salon was the envy of all—Matisse, Picasso, Apollinaire enjoyed intellectual repartee with her.
Though she happily and openly celebrated her lifelong relationship with Alice B. Toklas, she was above all a respected writer. Perhaps the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club saw in Linda Cropp what Gertrude Stein represents to the entire world today, a talented individual. Thus, they endorsed Linda Cropp because of her talents to run the Government of the City of Washington, DC. Mrs. Cropp is imaginative, innovative and has the ability to work with collaborators creating a governmental structure that represents the bridge needed for our beautiful city in the 21st Century. I hope that the gentlemen is no longer completely and totally perplexed. The issues here go beyond specific targeted interests.
Mrs. Cropp does not wish to be seen as a single issue candidate, rather she wishes to be elected on the basis of her many and varied qualities, so I acknowledge the gentlemen’s comments, but suggest that they miss the mark.
Check out the latest issue of the Blade to see how wrong you are. The truth is that Cropp DOES support gay marriage, and the evidence is in black and white in this week's Washington Blade: http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=7475.
Linda Cropp told the press after the meeting tht she "personnally support"s same-sex marriage. She further said that "People know that I support gay marriage personnally, that I always have, that I have not had any problem agt all."
With all due respect, it is one thing to not support a specific policy or reasoning THAT EXISTS. But, in this case there is none. Read the quote: "People know that I support gay marriage personally, that I always have, that I have not had any problem at all." It doesn't take a lot to recognize, she is OK with it.
Perhaps it would be more productive when/as/if a vote were to come to the Council floor, we could fight against all the riders that could cause its defeat before even getting to the mayor's desk.
Our Congressional wardens would like nothing better than for DC politicians to send up a gay marriage bill that they can use to attack and demonize the GLBT community. Given this political climate, I appreciate the fact that Linda Cropp has respected the consensus of most DC gay right activists and has refrained from pasting a big "Kick Me" sign on the backs of me and my partner of 23 years. Would that other mayoral candidates showed as much common sense, and committed themselves to our cause for the long haul, as Linda has done, rather than for the expedient moment!
I checked out the Blade article on Linda Cropp and her many positions on marriage equality. Fascinating. Seems Cropp has lots of positions on marriage equality - just depends on who you ask, where you ask and what you ask. A real profile in courage.
I have to say this is one of the problems I have with people's confusion about LGBT Republicans. Dem candidates are squishy on marriage - at best- but expect and receive the majority of the community's support regardless. Now THAT is confusing.
Post a Comment
<< Home