SDCSN & NSDC ASK: WHY DON’T THESE LOCAL
CANDIDATES VALUE OUR LOCAL LGBTQ FAMILIES?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2011
Contact:
Chris Miller: President, Nevada Stonewall Democratic Caucus
(702) 569-6744/ chrisisademocrat@gmail.com
Derek Washington: Chair, Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada
(702) 576-4978/ derekisademocrat@gmail.com
Andrew Davey: Political Director, Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada
Secretary & Political Director, Nevada Stonewall Democratic Caucus
As we at Stonewall read through Nevada Concerned Citizens’ (NCC) candidate questionnaire, we were saddened to discover that even more Southern Nevada municipal candidates agree with radical, anti-equality, serial campaigner Richard Ziser that Nevada’s LGBTQ families deserve no civil rights. Just to be clear, the candidates supporting Item #6 are saying LGBTQ families deserve no legal recognition and no human dignity. The candidates opposing Items #7 and #12 want our schools to do nothing as LGBTQ kids to be bullied to death, often literally. Basically, the candidates who are standing with Richard Ziser agree to carry out his agenda to attack many thousands of Southern Nevada families just for who they are.
In Henderson, Republican City Council candidates John Simmons (Ward 2), Ron Hubel (Ward 4), and Mike Mayberry (Ward 4) all support Item #6 and oppose Items #7 and #12. In addition, candidate Ed Hamilton (Ward 1) opposes Items #7 and #12, and would not commit to an answer on Item #6. Do not be fooled by what these candidates say about “valuing Henderson families”. These candidates’ answers to Richard Ziser indicate that they do not value many thousands of Henderson families, as they seek to take away our domestic partner rights and encourage bullying against innocent children in school. Mike Mayberry is especially of concern, as he is the one Henderson candidate to actually earn Nevada Concerned Citizens’ endorsement. This means that Mayberry essentially endorses the same brand of extreme anti-LGBTQ bigotry that defines NCC, and that he does not share the same true family values as most Henderson voters.
And if that were not troubling enough, North Las Vegas Republican City Council candidates Carl Gatson (Ward 2) and Wade Wagner (Ward 4) also support Item #6 and oppose Items #7 and #12. Again, this means Gatson and Wagner stand with the NCC extremists in taking away LGBTQ families’ domestic partner rights and encouraging bullying against innocent children. Apparently, this was also sufficient for Gatson and Wager to earn NCC’s endorsement. North Las Vegas families certainly deserve better than this.
Families throughout Nevada truly deserve better than this. Our families have suffered alongside everyone else in this state during this recent recession, and local governments are better served focusing on economic recovery than legislating hatred and bigotry. For Henderson City Council candidate Mike Mayberry and North Las Vegas City Council candidates Carl Gatson and Wade Wagner to seek, and then earn, NCC’s endorsement, they had to demonstrate that they care more about promoting hate than encouraging sound economic development. All of the other municipal candidates in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and elsewhere who wasted time answering NCC’s questionnaire and supporting their extreme positions also demonstrated a troubling lack of judgment.
We at Stonewall believe equality under the law is not a Democratic, Republican, or Independent issue. Rather, it is an American and Nevadan issue of justice. We are disgusted to see Nevada Concerned Citizens again push local candidates to pledge to waste local government resources on bigotry, and we are equally disgusted and disappointed by all the local candidates who took NCC’s bait.
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