Here's something. Today, Bruce Kraus was sworn in along with other new City Council members Patrick Dowd and Ricky Burgress. Doug Shields was reelected as City Council President without the vote of Tonya Payne. Maria of 2 Political Junkies called Kraus' speech “very inspirational.”
Mr. Kraus, who is openly gay, cited gay rights icon Harvey Milk, a San Francisco politician who was assassinated in 1978 “so that one day, some 30 years later, one's orientation would no longer be a factor in determining their ability to serve as an elected official.”
He called for “a city where all people are invited to our great common table, to share in an equal voice and have every opportunity to participate in the stewardship of their futures, and have access to every resource that will lift them and their loved-ones up [to] the very highest quality of life.”
That's lovely. The phrasing “life them and their loved-ones up” is so inclusive and respectful, especially when you consider how many heterosexual families don't fit the mold. I wish I could have seen it, but we don't have cable. People should put this stuff on YouTube. I like how he folds his groundbreaking election into a call for inclusiveness throughout the City.
I wonder how many openly lesbian committeemembers have served Allegheny County's Democratic Party?
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I was there.
Thanks for the de-coder review lesson. In the talk it was out of context. In your blog it makes better sense.
I have some other things to say, and will get to it on my blog shortly.
The symbolism was ironic yesterday. A gay city councilman was inaugurated on the day Jeep DePasquale, the former city councilman and raging homophobe, was laid to rest. I believe it was the late 1980s when Jeep castigated the city's personnel director in front of city council on TV for hiring “queers.” (His own words). I called him to complain about his language and actually got him on the phone. He let out a few choice words about not wanting queers in the city and hung up on me. And yesterday, one of those queers joined the same council that Jeep belonged to.
Well, to be more precise, one of those “open” queers joined the same council. I think the irony is that DePasquale and his ilk blustered and bullied all the while participating in the “don't ask, don't tell” mentality that has pervaded Pgh politics.