Effort to build gay marriage support heads South | AP News

Contents:

• [UPDATED] ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE
• ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED NOW SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE
• ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED OTS ANTI-GAY FIRE CHIEF
• ATLANTA MAYORAL NDIDAT SHARON GAY, KASIM REED BUT MPAIGN ADS
• TWEETS OF THE DAY: KASIM REED, THE AJC, AND GAY MARRIAGE EDN
• EFFORT TO BUILD GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORT HEADS SOUTH
• ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED APOLOGIZ FOR EAGLE GAY BAR RAID

[UPDATED] ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE

He jt need time to dliberate and thk about this om a personal perspective, ” said longtime gay poli and former State Hoe ndidate Ken Brt, one of several LGBT activists who met wh Reed June 2012 to discs the issue. “While I am still wrtlg wh my own personal beliefs on the issue of marriage, I eply appreciate the ntributns gays and lbians make to our cy every sgle day and I rema mted to Atlanta’s vibrant and diverse LGBT muny, ” Reed said at the time. But Reed’s refal to support gay marriage was enough to drive many gay and lbian voters to support his two chief opponents the mayoral race, Cy Council Print Lisa Borrs and Cy Councilmember Mary Norwood.

Still, many proment gay lears backed Norwood, and a 2010 terview wh GA Voice, Reed acknowledged that while he won the electn by the slimmt of margs, he lost District 6 – home to Atlanta’s hight ncentratn of gay voters – by a landsli. The rolutn supports the cy’s lbian, gay, transgenr and bisexual muny by endorsg marriage equaly for same-sex upl.

ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED NOW SUPPORTS GAY MARRIAGE

” Today’s announcement follows years of Mayor Reed’s advocy for equal rights for gays and lbians. 14, Reed appoted Shahar to be his adviser on LGBT issu — a change of strategy for the mayor, who had prevly said that he preferred to clu openly gay people learship posns whout havg a signated adviser.

“When my se was gog on, numero people said to me they had no ia you uld be fired for beg gay, ” she said. ” Eagle raid aftermath Reed won the 2009 electn agast Mary Norwood by the slimmt of margs and was trounced District 6, known for s large gay and lbian populatn. Many gay voters supported Norwood bee she backed marriage equaly.

ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED OTS ANTI-GAY FIRE CHIEF

But he’s faced ntued cricism by some the cy for his handlg of the aftermath of the Atlanta police raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a popular gay leather bar Midtown.

She also said she knows her lleagu workg on those s were not anti-gay. As part of Reed’s outreach to gay nstuents, he also appoted two Atlanta police LGBT liaisons and an Atlanta police LGBT advisory group that now only meets once every few months.

ATLANTA MAYORAL NDIDAT SHARON GAY, KASIM REED BUT MPAIGN ADS

“Candidly I didn’t feel any prsure … if I wanted to play polics, I would have done when I was third place the mayoral electn [ 2009] and ont of the gay and lbian muny sayg I was not supportive of marriage equaly. “Mayor Reed should be beggg fivens om the cy and the gay muny for ever havg fend this se the first place. Grossman claims that I should be “…beggg fivens om the cy and the gay muny” and has filed yet another lawsu.

TWEETS OF THE DAY: KASIM REED, THE AJC, AND GAY MARRIAGE EDN

The book, exprsg his terpretatn of Christian teachg, scrib homosexualy as a "perversn. On May 21, 2009, Reed ed ntroversy Atlanta's LGBT muny when he stated that he supported civil unns for gays, but not gay marriage. Atlanta Fire Chief Kelv Cochran was fired by Mayor Kasim Reed today, the day Cochran was to return to work after a 30-day spensn whout pay for gog agast cy policy by wrg a book that clud parg homosexualy to btialy.

Cochran’s anti-gay views uld only make for a hostile work environment, Graham noted. Atlanta Cy Councilmember Alex Wan, the only openly gay person on the uncil, agreed wh the mayor’s cisn and said he was pleased wh the fal rult. ” clud excerpted anti-gay passag that state: • “Uncleanns — whatever is oppose of pury; cludg sodomy, homosexualy, lbianism, perasty, btialy, all other forms of sexual perversn.

” The book not only preached anti-gay language, but also clud anti-women and anti-Jewish material as well. Attorney Sharon Gay’s mpaign put $300, 000 behd an ad meant to troduce her to the cy’s voters. Entled “Heart, ” the 30-send vio creds Gay’s work wh the hog dtry for the Wt Highlands velopment that replaced Perry Hom, “a hog project full of vlent crime and dgs, ” acrdg to rint David Patton the vio.

EFFORT TO BUILD GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORT HEADS SOUTH

Durg that procs I will work wh neighborhood lears across the cy to make Atlanta safe, ” Reed said a statement June 30 fancial disclosur showed that Gay and Reed exceed a ln dollars Councilman Anton Brown, Councilman Andre Dickens, Kirsten Elise Dunn, Nolan English, Mark Hammad, Kenny Hill, Rebec Kg, Council Print Felicia Moore, Walter Reev, Roosevelt Searl III, Richard Wright and Glenn Wrightson are also nng to replace Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s recent cisn to say "y" to gay marriage took place after a long and sometim rocky relatnship wh the cy’s supporters of same-sex marriage.

One news acunt said he drew jeers durg a fom hosted by gay polil groups, and his support neighborhoods wh large gay populatns flagged. She sent a long list of his efforts to brg equal rights to lbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenred people.

ATLANTA MAYOR KASIM REED APOLOGIZ FOR EAGLE GAY BAR RAID

Gay rights supporters agree. Reed did take other posns that were supportive of gay rights. Members of the cy’s sizable LGBT votg bloc said they abandoned Reed bee of his stance, and Norwood trounced him District 6’s gay neighborhoods.

After Obama’s announcement, he issued a statement that said he was "still wrtlg" wh his "own personal beliefs on the issue of (gay) marriage. The Atlanta Journal-Constutn, "Mayoral hopefuls urt gay vote, " May 22, 2009.