Did sexuality become issue?
Carrollton: Volunteer, who is gay, says he was asked to be invisible
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, May 20, 2006
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
CARROLLTON – A City Council campaign volunteer referred to as "Gay Bob" and "big sissy" in an e-mail by a losing candidate says members of the Denton County Pachyderm Club pressured Republican City Council candidates to remove him from their election campaigns.
Bob McCranie said he was told by one candidate that his services were no longer needed and by another that he needed to remain invisible after an April meeting of the club.
Pachyderm Club officials said that any references to Mr. McCranie's sexual orientation were made by individuals not representing the organization and that the club does not condone such behavior.
Carrollton municipal elections are nonpartisan, but political clubs can endorse candidates.
Three council members who won re-election said Mr. McCranie's sexual orientation did come up in private conversations with a member of the organization and in the club's April meeting, but they said they didn't bow to pressure.
"The Republican club in Denton County was getting on their case for having a gay person on their campaign," Mr. McCranie said. "I just want to volunteer and participate in my municipal election. I don't see why I should be blackballed in the city I live in."
The issue became public after Place 7 City Council candidate Charles Thrasher sent an e-mail Monday to incumbent and victor Herb Weidinger after last week's election. "You used Gay Bob to do your campaign and he hates all Conservatives and all Republicans," Mr. Thrasher wrote. "You should be ashamed to let that big sissy near your campaign."
Mr. Thrasher said Wednesday that he shouldn't have included comments about Mr. McCranie in his e-mail.
"I shouldn't have done it," he said. "Nothing hateful was meant."
Mr. McCranie said that he was offended by the remarks and that it was indicative of sentiment in the GOP organization.
Not true, said Pachyderm Club president Kathy Carrington. "I will not stand for personal attacks," she said. "I write the agenda, and I sure am not going to schedule on my agenda a personal attack."
At the April 13 meeting, vice president Bonnie Kaplan spoke on the use of RINOs, Republicans In Name Only. Her agenda listed a discussion on Mr. McCranie. She said the discussion was intended to caution Republicans about who works for their campaigns.
"My outline and my speech was all about conservative Republican politics. Did someone else make a comment that was not made by me or approved of by me? Yes," she said. "It came from out of the blue, and it was not at all what we wanted to be said at the meeting. ... The intent was to warn folks we had a liberal Democrat against us ... kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Of the four council candidates Mr. McCranie campaigned for, Mr. Weidinger and Bob Garza, a Democrat who lost to incumbent Pat Malone, continued to welcome his assistance, Mr. McCranie said. Council member Larry Don Williams said Mr. McCranie had created a Web site for his campaign, but a week later he chose to close it down and not use help in his campaign.
"The reason is I tried to separate myself from other candidates and be judged by the merits I have to offer, and not be lumped into a group," Mr. Williams said. He did not attend the Pachyderm Club meeting but said he did receive a phone call from Tom Washington, an active member of the organization and community activist. "Yes, Tom did try to make many personal issues about McCranie an issue and tried to make that, among other things, a political issue," Mr. Williams said.
Mr. Washington would not talk about what was said at the Pachyderm Club meeting. "I'm not going to go there," he said. "Whatever you heard, you can print, but I'm not going to confirm or deny on those lines."
Tim Hayden, who won re-election in Place 5, said Mr. McCranie was one of many who helped him get re-elected.
But Mr. McCranie said that after the April Pachyderm Club meeting he was asked to be "more invisible" on Mr. Hayden's campaign, to take his name off any endorsements, including the Web site he created.
Mr. Hayden said he would not talk about the issue but denied bowing to any pressure.
"They had their concerns and voiced them, and anything I did, I did on my own during the campaign," Mr. Hayden said. "No one intimidates me."
Mr. McCranie said he voted in the Democratic primary and has supported Democratic candidates. But he said he is an independent who supports those he feels are the best candidates.
Mayor Becky Miller, who e-mailed Mr. Thrasher in response to his comments on Mr. McCranie, said that city politics should be both nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory. Mr. McCranie said he was hurt that his sexual orientation became an issue and hurt his ability to campaign for Mr. Hayden and Mr. Williams.
"But I don't blame them for what happened," he said. "They've never been threatened with homophobia before, and I'm sure it caught them completely off guard." He suggested that city officials adopt a nondiscrimination policy.
E-mail ssandoval@dallasnews.com |