sdwny city of buffalo mayor endorsement questionnaire 2013

7/28/2019 SDWNY City of Buffalo Mayor Endorsement Questionnaire 2013

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STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website: www.sdwny.org

OFFICERS

Bryan BallPresident

Kitty Lambert-RuddVice President

Community Outreach

Terry PurdueVice President

Party Outreach

Ronald GrothTreasurer

Bruce KoganSecretary

May 30 2013

Dear Candidate for City of Buffalo Mayor,

Stonewall Democrats of Western New York is the lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Democratic voice in western New York. We are the

largest LGBTQ partisan political organization in WNY, working to advance the civil

rights of the LGBTQ community in our community and government and elect candidateswho are supportive of the civil rights movement and other progressive issues important to

our community. Since the 1990s, our membership has included community activists and

citizens, straight allies and representatives from city, town and village, county, state and

federal government.

Our endorsement process for the 2013 election season is currently underway. As a

candidate for City of Buffalo Mayor, we are interested in your candidacy. We would like

to provide you with the opportunity to engage in our process for endorsement byStonewall Democrats of WNY. As you may know, an endorsement from SDWNY is

important to many LGBTQ community members, as well as our family, friends and

supporters, as they decide whether to volunteer for particular campaigns, and as theyprepare to head for the polls to cast their vote. We are interested in the Mayoral election

not only as members of the LGBTQ community, but as husbands, wives, parents andtaxpayers. We look forward to working with candidates for Mayor intent on promoting

the well-being, safety, civil rights and dignity of all people.

To be considered for endorsement, please complete and return the enclosedquestionnaire to us by Friday, June 21, 2013 so that we may consider endorsement foryour City of Buffalo Mayor at our nextmeeting. You will be asked to appear in front of

the organization during the meetingon Tuesday, June 25 at 6pm. Please contact Bruce

Kogan (716-886-7283) or Tom Gleed (716-510-5507) of our Endorsement Committee to

schedule a time for yourinterview. The completed questionnaire should be either

emailed [email protected], faxed to (716) 853-2448 (Attention: BryanBall, Stonewall Democrats of WNY) or mailed to:

Attention: Endorsement Committee

Stonewall Democrats of WNYPO Box 857

Buffalo, NY 14205

You should also be aware that our revised endorsement process is attached. Should you

have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us. We thank you

and look forward to receiving your completed questionnaire for consideration forendorsement by Stonewall Democrats of WNY.

Yours in equality,

Bryan Ball

President. Stonewall Democrats of Western New York
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Stonewall Democrats WNYCity of Buffalo Mayor, 2013, page 2

Stonewall Democrats of Western New York Endorsement Process

Candidates for elected office who wish to be considered for endorsement must complete our questionnaire and

schedule an interview appointment with the membership at a general meeting.

Endorsement of a candidate requires a vote of sixty percent of the membership present at that meeting. If no

candidate receives the required sixty percent vote for endorsement, subsequent ballots shall be taken deletingthe candidate receiving the least number of votes or no votes on the previous ballot.

If, after the completion of balloting, no candidate has received the sixty percent of the vote required, candidates

may be rated as acceptable, unacceptable, or no position, depending upon the candidates record and/orposition statements. If sixty percent of those voting cannot agree on a rating, the candidate will be assigned the

rating of no consensus.

If a candidate is endorsed, the remaining candidates will not be rated.


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STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website: www.SDWNY.org

2013 ENDORSEMENT QUESTIONNAIRECITY OF BUFFALO MAYOR

Name:______________________________________________________________________

Campaign Address:___________________________________________________________

Email:______________________________________________________________________

Phone:____________________________ Fax:_______________________________

Office Sought:______________________________________________________________

Party Affiliation:________________________________________________________________

Other Party Lines Sought:_______________________________________________________________

Before you continue, please understand that:

Stonewall Democrats of WNY may publicize your responses in press releases and voters guides, on our web site,and via other channels of communication. Stonewall Democrats of WNY will also identify candidates who fail torespond to this questionnaire.

Stonewall Democrats of WNY will hold you publicly accountable for actions inconsistent with your responsesduring your campaign and if elected during your term in office.

Stonewall Democrats of WNY will not consider endorsement of any candidate if they support any state ornational version of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) legislation.

Part 1:

Please submit your typewritten responses to the following questions on a separate sheet.

1) Why are you seeking this office?

2) Why are you seeking the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of WNY?

3) What three issues do you consider to be most important to the people served by the office you seek? For each issue:

a) Provide an example of specific action you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to

bring about positive change relative to this issue; andb) Specify what additional action in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

4) What three civil rights issues do you perceive to be the most important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and

queer (LGBTQ) community, our children and our families? For each issue:a) Provide an example of specific action(s) you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to

bring about positive change relative to this issue; andb) Specify what additional action(s) in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.


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5) Stonewall Democrats of WNY strongly believes that candidates have a responsibility to provide voters with truthful,

fair and clean campaigns for public office and to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a civil, issue-orienteddebate with their fellow candidates. Would you sign a written pledge to conduct your campaign accordingly?

6) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you list the endorsement on all applicable campaign literature(i.e., all literature listing any other endorsements)?

7) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you attend a LGBTQ community forum to introduce endorsedcandidates?

8) What are you doing, will you do and what can you do to advocate for greater LGBT representation and empowerment

at the ballot box and in elected office locally?

9) Do you support equal marriage laws, permitting same-gender couples to marry under state law just as opposite-gendercouples are able to do? Explain.

10) Do you support the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which segregates civil marriage as a right provided to onlyheterosexual couples and families?

11) Do you support the inclusion of LGBT people and families in federal immigration reform efforts?

12) Would you knowingly seek endorsement of or advertise on any homophobic or transphobic media?

Yes No

Part 2:

Although the office you seek may have no direct authority over local, state or federal legislative matters, if elected you

will have the ability to indirectly influence Western New Yorks local, state and federal policy and elected officials.Please indicate your support or opposition for the following county legislation and or policy:

Legislation Support Oppose

NYS A04226-A | S00195Gender

Expression Non-Discrimination Act

(GENDA): Prohibits discriminationbased on gender identity or expression;

defines "gender identity or expression"

as having or being perceived as having

a gender identity, self image,appearance, behavior or expression

whether or not that gender identity, self

image, appearance, behavior orexpression is different from that

traditionally associated with the sex

assigned to that person at birth; further

includes offenses regarding genderidentity or expression within the list of

offenses subject to treatment as hate

crimes.


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United States Congress: H.R. 1755,

Rep. Polis; S. 815, Sen. Merkley

Employment Non-Discrimination

Act (ENDA): Would prohibitdiscrimination in hiring and

employment on the basis of sexual

orientation, gender identity andexpression.

United States Congress: H.R. 519,

Rep. Nadler; S. 296, Sen. Leahy

Uniting American Families Act

(UAFA): Would amend existing

immigration law to include LGBTQfamilies by permitting permanent

partners of U.S. citizens and of lawful

permanent residents to obtainpermanent resident status in the same

manner as a heterosexual spouse.

I attest that this questionnaire represents my opinion of the issues on this questionnaire:

Candidates Signature:_________________________________________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

Please complete the attached issues surveys, sign below and return questionnaire, surveys and your resume by Friday,

June 21, 2013 by either by email [email protected], faxed to (716) 853-2448 (Attention: Bryan

Ball, Stonewall Democrats of WNY) or mailed to:Attention: Endorsement Committee

Stonewall Democrats of WNY

PO Box 857

Buffalo, NY 14205
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

sdwny city of buffalo mayor endorsement questionnaire 2013

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