Sounds like some people prefer to be paid off rather than stand up.

Onorato isn’t going to be any better for gay rights than Corbett. With Onorato’s stances on gay rights and women’s rights, he simply can’t be counted on to defend the rights of anybody but NRA members and his big-money political contributors.

Onorato has a poor stage presence. Given an equal monetary playing field, Hoeffel would wipe the floor with Onorato.

Again with the top-down, “many of our members believe” crap talk. People who take it upon themselves to be the Voice of the People are seldom as important or as informed as they’d like you to believe. I trust that LGBT voters will be quite able to think for themselves and see through these clumsy attempts to sway their support to 2nd-rate candidates.

Those that were interviewed for comments should be taken for what they are, the opinions of those individuals and in no way reflect the opinion of the LGBT community at large. There are many of us in the LGBT community that strongly disagree that Joe can’t win, and we also are committed to vote for the person with which we most agree. For me, that is without question, Joe Hoeffel. And, just like my decision is not limited to LGBT issues, many of my straight, progressive friends have said they will join me in casting a vote for Joe in the primary. Not just for his position on gay rights, but because he will do more to protect all of our rights. I believe he is committed to protecting the environment, he is committed to bringing green jobs, good jobs to our state, and he is committed to public education and rebuilding our infrastructure… bottom line, I TRUST Joe Hoeffel. The same cannot be said of Mr. Onorato.

I agree 100 percent with Jody. One look at the candidates and you can tell who stands up for people and who stands on politically correct sound bites. Onorato has a HORRIBLE record on equality, and the LGBTQ community would be better off endorsing Corbett if Onorato is the only other choice. Thankfully, he’s not, and that’s one of the many reasons why I trust and am voting for Joe Hoeffel.

Obamacare will make sure that all Democrats will be defeated this election cycle . What a waste of money they are spending when they are all going to lose .

O one B big A ass M mistake A america

G
LG
LGB
LGBT
LGBTQ

How many more letters are going to get added?

I get that G split into LG for girls and boys.
I get the B is for those that like both sexes.
I get the T for those that switch equipment (rather than just teams).
The Q seems to be a catch all for whoever is left.

If they add anymore, I’m going to feel the need to lose a turn and reach in the Scrabble bag for a new set of letters. I can’t spell anything with these.

David: Some folks like to us LGBTIQ. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning.

Well, at least it adds a vowel. I can spell GLIB.

David

I get your point, but you come off as a little offensive. Those letters are there because there are more than just gay men and lesbian women. These are people’s identities, not a game of Scrabble. Just be a little more considerate next time.

I am so sick of hearing people say a candidate “can’t win”-the bottom line is anyone can win if enough people vote for them, and the electorate needs to stop voting for the person they think can win but rather start voting for the person who is best on the issues they care about, otherwise we suffer the long term consequences of Blue Dog Democrats holding our legislation hostage and reversing all our progressive gains. Onorato is not good on women’s rights, not good on healthcare and is coopting joe’s positions on many other issues-money isn’t everything-lets get behind and work for the best candidate-unless you want more of the same

As someone from the southwest, I can tell our friends from Philadelphia that Onorato is no friend to the gay community.

He only began to have ANY sensitivity to gay issues when he started running for governor. His record is incredibly conservative.

When he was on Pittsburgh City Council, he was the MOST conservative member of that body…yes, more conservative than Jack Wagner.

If Liberty City endorses Onorato they will be ignoring history, ignoring the facts, and selling out.

Onorato is a corporate tool. What matters to him is delivering for his donors not the voters and his donors’ want government dollars. Joe Hoeffel has shown again and again that he will stand up for progressive values.

There’s another strike against Hoeffel that is not mentioned in this article. As a Montgomery County commissioner, when did he introduce a non-discrimination ordinance for the county? If he has, I’ve not heard about it.

Jimmy James: Montgomery County does not operate under a Home Rule charter, meaning it could not enforce a non-discrimination ordinance. The same cannot be said of Allegheny County, where Mr. Onorato had the option of enacting such an ordinance for years. Of course, he only did so when he decided to run for governor.

Ah, thanks for the clarification, JJ. I assume Erie County is under a Home Rule charter since it is the other county that has a non-discrimination ordinance.

I’m familiar with the Allegheny County situation. Onorato was late to the game. Commissioner Amanda Green was the real driving force behind that ordinance.

Very funny David. Thanks for the laugh. Maybe LGBTIQ is the unit of measurement of the well-known superior intelligence of LGBTs. I propose adding BTDT for Been There Done That.

Seriously though, I thought Q stood for “queer”. No offense intended, of course. So I learned something.

I understand hedging one’s political bets as a partisan. I also understand why some would be hesitant to cast their lot with Joe – due mostly to the question of electability. What I don’t understand is why is the most renown LGBTQ political organization hedging its bet on someone who’s track-record on tolerance doesn’t begin to compare to that of Joe Hoeffel?

How is any politician going to take Liberty City serious if you don’t uphold your own principles?

For those of us who have family and dear friends who constantly face discrimination and recrimination on the basis on their sexual identity (as M/o/C Frank faced just this past Sunday) the declarations by the Liberty City Co-Chair are tantamount to a smack in the mouth to those who cry for equality.

Is it self-loathing? How can political considerations trump human rights? Need I remain anyone that people are being killed just for being suspected of being gay?

It’s a dam’crying shame that at a moment where leadership was needed most thirty pieces of silver made you ridiculously irrelevant.

“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?” ~ Hillel

wolfcounsel,

I was asked by pa2010 how I would characterize the thinking of the members of Liberty City on the Governor’s race. I told them that there were many members who strongly supported Hoeffel because of his superior support of our issues. I also pointed out that many other members supported Dan Onorato, mostly because of his viability. I also mentioned that there were probably members who supported the other two candidates as well, but the Hoeffel/Onorato camps were clearly the most vocal at our meetings.

At no point did I say the organization was supporting either candidate. That decision has not yet been made, and is not up to me. It will be decide on by a vote of the general membership on April 7th. Libety City has a proud reputation for allowing any member of our community to take an equal part in helping us choose who we will support during the campaign.

I encourage everyone here to come on out to the William Way Center (1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia) at 6PM on April 7th and watch as we debate each of the candidates in an open and democratic endorsement process.

Sounds like someone has their hand out to the Onorato campaign. Thirty pieces of silver!

I have known Joe for 15 years. I was the chair of the HRC in Philadelphia when we endorsed him over Specter for US Senate. When Joe was in Congress he had a 100% rating with the HRC. Joe is a long time friend of the lgbt commmunity, not someone who finds it important to reach out to us just during a campaign.
I find it interesting the Onorato could not even get the endorsement of the Stonewall lgbt democrats in Pittsburgh. They voted to recommend BOTH Joe Hoeffel and Onorato. What does that tell you?

SEEKING PEOPLE FOR HOST COMMITTEE FOR HOEFFEL EVFENT…. we are putting together a 4-14-10 lgbt event for Joe at Tavern on Camac in Philly. Please watch for more information. If you would like to add your name to the Host Committee list, please be in touch.
Thanks.
Ken Oakes