Diane Linn v. Ted Wheeler
In the most recent issue of Just Out, the cover is dedicated to Diane Linn. It reads, "For better, or for worse".
In a recent letter to the editor to Just Out, Judy Shepard, mother of the slain Matthew Shepard, speaks out on behalf of Multnomah County Chair Diane Linn.
I strongly urge you to commit one of the most important civil rights acts of your lives. By May 16, fill out your ballot and vote for Diane Linn. Vote to re-elect a government official who unquestioningly upheld the humanity, dignity and equality of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people by granting you the right to marry.
For almost a decade I have dedicated my life to the memory of my son Matthew by helping create a society free of hate-where everyone is treated as equal and diversity is not just tolerated but cherished. As long as our legal systems discriminate against the GLBT community, the rest of society will, too. Legal discrimination reinforces fear, bigotry, hate and violence.
Linn made national news by taking a courageous risk to grant GLBT people basic legal rights. As a result, she endured vicious criticism, political and media backlash and even death threats. Those who are threatened by our work for justice and equality have promoted a strong, negative campaign aimed at unseating Linn for her dedication to human rights.
Now more than ever, it is imperative that we stand together against the forces that seek to perpetuate hate and undermine equality. Linn has proven that she is a champion for GLBT rights. The GLBT community must now prove that we stand behind our champions and heroes and that their sacrifices are not made in vain.
Another letter:
Reading Just Out recently, I noticed frustration with the decision by Basic Rights Oregon to not give Ted Wheeler a "green light" in his campaign for Multnomah County chair ["BRO Changed the Rules," April7].
An endorsement was given to Diane Linn, and some Ted Wheeler supporters expected at least a "green light" recommendation for their candidate.
BRO also didn't give a "red light" to Wheeler, which would have been a recommendation to not vote for him. I'm not familiar with the inner workings of how BRO determines its "light" system, but in this instance it seems to make perfectly good sense. The non-light for Wheeler is simply a statement that his documented record, or lack of it in regards to GLBT issues, is still relatively unknown.
The facts show that Wheeler did not begin supporting BRO until October 2005 when he attended its annual dinner. He joined the Human Rights Campaign in January 2006. I'm sure both organizations now welcome his support. The facts also show that he has not donated money or time to any campaign to defeat any anti-gay ballot measures, including the recent Measure 36 campaign.
Wheeler does have a record of offering domestic partner benefits at his company. This is respected but does not in itself demonstrate a clear record of support for GLBT issues. If he would have been able to show a history of broader support on these issues, I'm sure BRO might have had a tougher time justifying its decision.
Weighing the records of the two candidates on GLBT issues shows a clear and significant difference between Linn and Wheeler. Using the word "supportive" for Linn's record doesn't begin to give it justice. Whether or not you agree with everything she has done as county chair, you can certainly say her support for equal rights for all citizens of Multnomah County has been groundbreaking.
She is the only candidate in this race who deserves an endorsement and a green light from BRO. Its decision to not give her opponent a green light is not a slam against him. It only reflects what his current record shows.
So you see... I have a problem with those gay and lesbians in Multnomah County who are acting as if the gay marriage issue should be a non-issue, yet at the same time that is the only issue they are talking about. The fact of the matter is that for an elected official to go above an beyond the call of duty for civil rights, our loyalty should be firm with Diane Linn--she's got the record to back it up, whereas Wheeler starts courting the GLBT community only when it is time to run for office and has absolutely no record on GLBT issues.
The Breakdown:
Amount of money Ted gave during the No on 9 (in 2000) campaign: $0
Amount of money Ted gave during the No on 36 campaign:$0
Number of hours Ted volunteered during any of those ballot measures: 0
Watching him make a fool of himself by claiming he supports the gay community simply by giving to Cascade AIDS Project: Priceless
Does anyone else see a problem with his campaign saying that, "He was not active in those campaigns" BUT "he did give money to the Cascade AIDS Project"? Of course I think that the Cascade AIDS Project is a very important organization-though I guess Ted and his campaign think gay equals HIV/AIDS.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, April 23, 2006 at 3:08 PM.
Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.
ByAlthough I appreciate Diane Linn's support of the gay and lesbian community, I'm offended that BRO and Just Out would reduce me and other GLBT people as single-issue voters. My consideration is which candidate for County chair is the best qualified to lead the County in meeting its many responsibilities such as public healthcare, mental health treatment, housing, juvenile treatment, education, and criminal detention. Although I support gay civil rights and gay marriage, these are relatively minor issues when compared to the major challenges that face the County.
By
I see your point, yet I don't. You have to understand that BRO is the statewide GLBT group, therefore when they endorse candidates, much thought is put into what have these candidates done for us, it is simply their job. BRO look at these candidates for the values that they have displayed and how they will impact our community. Just Out, being the local gay paper would be the same way.
The unfortunate part in my mind is that it seems to me that the Wheeler campaign is trying so hard to court the gays--yet at the same time using us as political pawns and constantly bringing up the issue of gay marriage as a weapon against Linn. It's very sad.
By
Judy Shepard also told our community we should support Senator Gordon Smith (R) in his re-election bid, and he's becoming one of the U.S. Senate's leading supporters for a Federal Marriage Amendment. I listened to her then and voted for Smith, now I feel I need to be a little cautious, she's lost a little credibility with me.
By
The Human Rights Campaign, the nations largest GLBT advocacy group, also told us to vote for Smith. I believe the reason Judy said that about Smith was because of his stance on hate crimes legislation.
I am personally unaware of Smith's invlvement in the FMA. From what I know he isn't, as you say, a leading supporter of the FMA, though he does support it. What do you expect? He's a Mormon.
If you have links to articles on this I'd love to see it, otherwise to try and simply discredit Judy out of support for Wheeler is sad. She has done so many fantastic things for our community, whereas Wheeler says he has - though he in fact has not done a damn thing. Facts are facts. Look at C&E's.
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