GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October 22, 2004

Past Stonewall head gets wide support in judge race

by Dan Garcia

Columbus-With less than two weeks go to until the November election, the president of the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio is applauding the outpouring of diverse support being received for Franklin County Common Pleas candidate Bill Hedrick, who is a past president of Stonewall Democrats and the ons openly gay candidate on the county

experience and background make excellent candidate to win this open at and people from all across the LGBT community anscale the

preside

scetic such candidate

cial seat in Iranklin County Acres, made an unsuccessful bid in

These are the complete endorsements of the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio for the November 2 election.

Federal

President: John Kerry United States Senator: Eric Fingerhut

Ohio Supreme Court

Chief Justice: Ellen Connally Justice: William O'Neill Justice: Nancy Fuerst

Ohio Senate

14th District: Katherine Thomsen

Ohio House

20th District: Michae: Murdock 22nd District: Brian McCann 25th District: Dan Stewart 26th District: Mike Mitchell 27th District: Joyce Beatty

A has been an active leader in the LGBT community As well as sall Democrats past president. Ohio Court of Appeals, District 10 served on the board of the Buck-

Violence Organization and member of the Human

Judge: Tom Tootle

Judge: Deborah O'Neill

Log Cabin Columbus endorses 15 candidates

Celumbus These are the endorsements

President

Republicans of Columbus

abin Republicans national board

U.S. House

District District 15

Ohio Senate

District 16: Stever

Ohio House District 25

To withheld the

irresistible

ONE WALNUT

RESTAURANT

Scene

Ohio Supreme Court

Chief Justice: Thomas J. Mover Justice: Judith Ann Lanzinger Justice: Terrence O'Donnell

Franklin County

Commissioner: David Goodman Coroner: Bradley Jewis

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge: Julie M. Lynch

Judge:

Peter

Judge. Domestic Relations Division: Kith A BroVIS NE

Issues

Issue 1: Opposed

Michael A. Thomas

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Civil & Criminal Litigation Family Law. Partnership Agreements Discrimination Issues Probate Practice & Estate Planning Landlord/Tenant Issues Wills & Trusts

414

1154 Linda Street Suite 250 Rocky River 440-356-6900 avukatmat@ameritech.net

Franklin County

Commissioner: Mary Jo Kilroy Commissioner: Paula Brooks Clerk of Courts: John O'Grady Treasurer: Richard Cordray Court of Common Pleas: John Connor Court of Common Pleas: Bill Hedrick Court of Common Pleas: Richard Frye Court of Common Pleas: Eric Brown Court of Common Pleas: Stephen McIntosh

Court of Common Pleas: Mark Serrott Court of Common Pleas Mark Rankin

Issues

Issue 1: Vote No

Issue 97 Columbus School Board Levy: Vote Yes

Standing up for what's right

Not endorsing Bush was hard for Log Cabin, but needed for the GOP's future

Patrick Guerriero

At this historic time in the path to fairness and equality for gay and lesbian Americans, party loyalty must be matched with personal integrity. That is why the national Log Cabin Republicans decided last month to withhold its endorsement from President Bush in 2004 As loyal Republicans, it is difficult deciding not to endorse our party's nominee. However our integrity requires it and the GOP's future and the fight for fairness will be stronger because of it.

The push for an amendment has been driven by politics, not principle. The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted on the anti-family Constitutional amendment even though it had no chance of passing and had already been defeated in the Senate. Using the Constitution as a campaign tool and using gay families as a political wedge issue sets a new low for shameful campaigning.

A decision not to endorse the president was especially difficult for Log Cabin because our members support the president's leadership in cutting taxes to improve the economy and battling terrorists to make our nation safer. At the same time, it is impossible to overstate the depth of anger and disappointment caused by the president`s support for an anti-family Constitutional amendment.

This amendment would not only ban gay marriage, it would also jeopardize civil unions and domestic partnerships. The president's decision to support an unnecessary and discriminatory Constitutional amendment ignores the party's belief in state autonomy and disregards the nation's reliance on federalism. Using the Constitution as a campaign tool weakens our nation's founding document and erodes our party`s proud tradition of equality and liberty.

Some Republicans will accuse us of being disloyal. However, it was actually the White House who has been disloyal to the 1 million gay and lesbian Americans who voted for Bush in 2000, including more than 50,000 in Florida alone.

It didn't have to be this way. In 2000, Bush ran an inclusive campaign that appealed to social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, independents and gay conservatives. The administration maintained existing anti-discrimination protections for federal employees, appointed gay employees throughout the administration, continued thoughtful dialogue with Log Cabin, and extended survivor benefits to gay and lesbian partners who lost loved ones on 911

Over the last year, presidential advisor Karl Rove has been obsessed with his belief that four million evangelicals stayed home in 2000. As a result, the 2004 campaign has focused on energizing the far right. while ignoring mainstream Republicans and ndependents

ven as we saw the GOP's future highlighted with fair-minded prime time convention speakers we saw the passage of an extremist party platform that opposes any basic protections for gay and lesbian families. The incongruity between the party's platform and its list of primetime speakers symbolizes a wider battle for the GOP's heart and soul. Some on the left say we should surrender this battle and move to the Democratic Party. This argument fails the test of history and common sense. Gay conservatives should not abandon their belief in limited government, low taxes, personal responsibility and a strong national defense. History has taught us that the passage of civil rights legislation requires a coalition of fair-minded lawmakers from both political parties. We still have work to do with too many Democrats. Thirty-six Democratic members of the U.S. House voted to support the anti-family Federal Marriage Amendment and many Democratic Senate and House candidates support it. Too many Democratic-controlled state legislatures have passed anti-gay ballot questions this year.

Instead of attacking gay Republicans, who are courageously standing up to the voices of intolerance in our party, those on the left might be better off using their energies to get more Democrats allied with the forces of fairness and equality.

The radical right is desperate because they are losing, so their rhetoric and threats grow louder. A clear majority of Americans support civil unions, even though many do not yet support civil marriage equality. Even among GOP convention delegates, nearly half favor civil unions or civil marriage equality according to a recent poll by the New York Times and CBS News. The vast majority of American voters are moving our direction. That is why Log Cabin is warning our party to avoid the path of defeat paved with intolerance and exclusion.

Log Cabin Republicans offer a hopeful vision for the Republican Party's future built on a foundation of freedom and fairness. Using fear and intolerance to divide America in a culture war may provide short-term political gain, but it will put the Republican Party on the wrong side of history. The Republican Party has a choice: be the party of Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger or be the party of Alan Keyes and Rick Santorum. We eventually will succeed in building a more inclusive Republican Party. Inside Madison Garden in New York during the recent GOP convention, countless delegates and Republican allies offered me their support for our efforts. These quiet voices of inclusion are getting louder. Soon they will create a chorus for change in the GOP. Log Cabin is proud to be leading this change.

Patrick Guerriero is executive director of the national Log Cabin Republicans.