On March 4, the Ed Rendell for PA Governor campaign held a luncheon in the Rivers Club at One Oxford Center for the lgbt community. Nine members of the community and four campaign staff attended the lunch. Richard Meritzer, who represented GSPC, said that the other lgbt organizations represented included the Marriage Coalition, League of Gay and Lesbian Voters, and Persad. While the organizations were predominantly political ones, Meritzer also noted that the community was represented predominantly by white men.
In his introductory speech, Rendell talked about his support for the right of hospital visitation for lgbt people and his support for reversing the law that forbids Pitt to offer domestic partnership rights. He said that, as governor, he would support domestic partnership for state employees.
The luncheon was then opened for discussion, in which Rendell expressed the following: He supports hate crime legislation and employment non-discrimination legislation. He supports adoption reform. He said he would enforce the executive order protecting state employees from discrimination. He was unfamiliar with the recent issue Pittsburgh had over people with AIDS confidentiality. He said that protecting anonymity of people was very important and no amount of research should compromise this protection. He said that his campaign would provide assistance to lgbt groups but only if they provided a good business plan. He promised that during his administration there would be regular relations with the Governor’s office.
GSPCGP Endorses Rendell for PA Governor, Kukovich for Lt. Governor
The Gertrude Stein Political Club of Greater Pittsburgh (GSPC) has endorsed Ed Rendell (Dem) for Pennsylvania governor in the Primary Election scheduled for May 21. Rendell supports covering the lgbt community in the state’s Hate Crime legislation. Allen G. Kukovich (Dem), who has been endorsed for Lt. Governor of PA, was instrumental in passing the hate crime legislation in the PA Senate. This legislation will soon be up for a vote by the representatives in the General Assembly. In choosing candidates to support in the General Assembly, the Stein Club especially looked for incumbents dedicated to passing the bill.
Of the incumbents, GSPCGP endorsed Dan B. Frankel (Dem) in district 23 and Joseph Preston, Jr. (Dem) in district 24. Jake Wheatley (Dem) in district 19 and Mike Crossey (Dem) in district 42 have also been endorsed for representatives in the General Assembly. GSPCGP recognizes Patrick Dowd of the Democratic party with Honorable Mention. Dowd is running against Preston to represent district 24.
Two viable candidates in the Democratic party are running to fill the PA Senate seat in district 38: Jim Ferlo, who received the Stein Club endorsement, and Bonnie DiCarlo, who received Honorable Mention by the Club. The Club also endorsed the following candidates for Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee: Brenda Frazier and Sandra Roberts in district 38; Robert V. Frank in district 42; Barbara Danko, Richard Fitzgerald, Marvin Leibowitz, Michael McGeever, and Scott Safier in district 43; and Carmella Mullen in district 45.
