Letters to the Editor, March 31

Democratic Club’s response

In (a recent) issue of San DiegoLGBT Weekly (March 17, 2011, Issue 18), columnist Nicole Murray Ramirez accused the San Diego Democratic Club of attacking announced mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis unfairly. Further, while calling my comments sexist and intimating that I had simply accused her of endorsing a Republican, Nicole failed to even mention the true nature of the “attack,” which to me, appears to be somewhat unfair in, and of, itself.

I recognize that Democrats tend to endorse Democrats and Republicans tend to endorse Republicans. Another tendency of politicians however, is that they don’t endorse other candidates that hold beliefs or promise actions that are opposed to their own core values. What I pointed out was that when given a choice of a candidate that pledged not to defend Proposition 8, which ended LGBT couples right to marry and the choice of a candidate who had pledged to defend it, Dumanis chose to actively endorse the candidate who would defend her party, not the candidate who would defend the LGBT community.

The charge that comments about Dumanis were sexist because we did not also comment on Carl DeMaio is, at its kindest, also questionable. I talked about Dumanis’ endorsements because she had just announced her candidacy for mayor. DeMaio has so far only taken out the required papers and announced he is “exploring a bid for mayor.” Rest assured that when he formally announces his candidacy, we will remind the community that while Democratic and Republican candidates up and down the State were denouncing Proposition 8 for the formalization of second-class citizenship for LGBT people in the California Constitution that it is, DeMaio was relatively silent.

I am disappointed that my full statement, none of which was actually published in the San DiegoLGBT Weekly, was characterized as an attack on Bonnie Dumanis. In fact I was careful to state that I personally respect the job she has done as D.A. and as judge – although I disagree with some of her policy decisions. I hope that we can expect a fair and full airing of all the mayoral candidates’ positions and records throughout the upcoming campaign.

DOUG CASE
President
San Diego Democratic Club

San Diego LGBT Weekly welcomes letters from our readers. All submissions for publication must be accompanied by full name and daytime phone number (phone number is used to verify the letter’s authenticity and will not be published). Please limit letters to no more than 500 words. Send letters to editor@lgbtweekly.jeffjungblut.com.