Anti-Hate Rally a Coincidence
(Composite image credit: SFist.)
Over at SFist this morning, editor Brock Keeling, blogged about the complaints Tommi Avicolli Mecca and I have with Saturday's rally in the Castro protesting recetn attacks on gay people in the neighborhood, staged by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and is where mayoral wannabe Dennis Herrera was allowed to speak. He could address the crowd, but longtime queer rights and social justice advocate Tommi was not given the same privilege.
Brock approvingly quoted extensively from our complaints and expressed his own problems with Herrera's appearance, and that generated this response from his campaign to SFist:
Dennis Herrera's office contacted us today for their side of the story, saying that it was all just an amazing, shocking, eerie coincidence.
Herrera's New Media Director Melissa Blaustein told us: "The Stop the Violence Campaign's rally was not a Dennis Herrera for Mayor campaign event. Dennis was invited to the event by Supervisor Wiener earlier that morning, and when he arrived the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence asked him if he'd like to say a few words. He spoke about public safety and his work as City Attorney to keep the neighborhood safe. He was scheduled to be in the Castro that afternoon for a merchant walk with Supervisor Wiener, which was a campaign event. So there were a number of Herrera supporters and staffers in the area."
To which I say, nice to know that Wiener was looking out for his old boss who is also his endorsed candidate for mayoral. This episode reveals the political maneuvering Wiener engages in over a community event against anti-gay violence, to help his buddy win the November election.
Kudos to Brock for bring attention to the shenanigans on Saturday and delivering some accountability from Herrera's campaign. Let's see Wiener explain why he contacted only one mayoral wannabe and made no effort to have Tommi speak at the event.
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