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| Gay leaders push mayor to increase visibility |
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: RYAN LEE
COMMENTS |
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Preparing to face what some call the biggest test of her loyalty to gay Atlantans,
Mayor Shirley Franklin met with 18 representatives of gay organizations last
week where she repeated her commitment to gay civil rights.
But Franklin stopped short of saying whether she would levy penalties against
the Druid Hills Golf Club, which is in the middle of a pitched battle over
the city’s non-discrimination ordinance.
In January, the Human Relations Commission ruled the club violated the ordinance
when it refused to grant spousal benefits to the domestic partners of two gay
members.
“We want to protect the ordinance as well as respond fairly,” Franklin told
those attending the nearly one-hour meeting on June 3. “We want to take actions
that are winning options.”
The non-discrimination ordinance gives Franklin wide discretion in how to
sanction the golf club, from sending a written reprimand to revoking its business
or liquor licenses. Druid Hills officials have warned that they will challenge
the ordinance in court if the mayor penalizes the club.
Lee Kyser, one of the gay members seeking spousal benefits for her city-recognized
domestic partner, said Franklin’s comments are not encouraging.
“It sounds like she may be leaving room not to take the harshest punishment,” Kyser
said. “I don’t know how issuing penalties against the club will do anything
but protect the ordinance. I think [Franklin’s comment] says you can’t count
on the city to defend the ordinance.”
The early-morning session with the leaders of gay and AIDS organizations last
week was organized by Luz Borrero, Franklin’s deputy chief operating officer.
Besides the Druid Hills case, Franklin reiterated her support of efforts to
fight HIV, provided updates on projects her administration is working on and
listened as some criticized her lack of visibility at high-profile gay functions.
Franklin’s chief of staff, the city attorney and Borrero joined Franklin at
the meeting.
Critics faulted the mayor for not attending the Human Rights Campaign Dinner
last month, accepting — then rejecting — an invitation to speak to the Atlanta
Executive Network in June, and for being non-committal about attending Gay
Pride later this month.
In past years, Franklin has attended the HRC Dinner and Pride events.
“My schedule changes all the time,” Franklin said during an interview on Wednesday. “I
don’t attend every meeting or event of any one group.
“I will continue to be involved in gay and lesbian events because I enjoy
being with people who are fighting for their human rights,” she added.
Glen Paul Freedman, executive director of AEN and an attendee at the June
3 meeting, said he admires Franklin’s steady support of gay issues. But he
fears her absences at key events may send the wrong message to gay supporters,
he said.
“My personal belief is that this mayor is really good on our issues, and I
don’t want the mayor to be in a position of being perceived of ignoring our
community except during campaign time,” Freedman said. “I was very pleased
the mayor took the time to meet with us and hear the concerns of the LGBT community
so we can help bridge the gap that I think is there.”
In the 2001 mayoral campaign, Franklin was among a trio of candidates who aggressively
courted gay voters. She tapped Gary Cox, a veteran gay political operative,
as her deputy campaign manager.
In June 2001, she rode through the Gay Pride parade wearing a red lei and
a T-shirt with a rainbow logo on it. A few months later, Franklin secured the
endorsements of Georgia Equality, the Georgia Stonewall Democrats and Southern
Voice.
Sharon Semmens, board chair of Georgia Equality, said the Franklin campaign
pledged to include gay members in her administration, promote gay tourism,
partner with community-based organizations to address AIDS, enforce the city’s
non-discrimination policy and use her office as a bully pulpit on gay issues.
“Mayor Franklin has diligently pursued the commitments she made to our community
during her campaign,” Semmens said in an e-mail interview.
Semmens also attended the June 3 session with Franklin.
Franklin made good on two of her campaign promises in May 2002 when she appointed
Cox to serve as deputy chief operating officer and announced the creation of
a gay tourism initiative with a $20,000 grant she helped secure from state
officials.
“She certainly gets the credit for coming to us and saying we need to [create
the initiative],” said Gregory Pierce, chief financial officer and vice president
of technology for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, which runs the
initiative. “But while she started ...
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