SAN FRANCISCO — The Bay Area Reporter has formally endorsed the openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Bevan Dufty, to become the city’s next mayor.
We’re not endorsing Dufty just because he is gay. But political recommendations are part of our responsibility as the leading LGBT newspaper and it would be significant for America’s gayest city to have an out mayor. It’s important to us that one day San Francisco have a gay mayor and Dufty is as qualified as anyone else in the field.
Dufty’s campaign has reached out to embrace more than just the city’s LGBTQ residents, and in his interview with the newspaper’s editorial board, Dufty was insistent in talking about the future of the African American community in San Francisco – and he remains the only major candidate who is doing that.
Dufty, whose godmother was Billie Holiday, said that being mayor means making the diversity of San Francisco “real, meaningful, and true.” The black community is “in crisis” here, he said, noting the high unemployment rate, among other concerns.
The Bay Area Reporter’s endorsement also highlights that Dufty is a parent, another important aspect of his life: “Gay and lesbian parents are becoming increasingly visible in ways that once didn’t seem possible — on the playground, in parent groups, and at their kids’ schools.”
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LGBTQ Nation contributing columnist Alvin McEwen noted, in reference to Dufty’s first campaign television ad which features him and his daughter Sidney riding on the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI):
It shows that the loving and raising of children is not something strictly owned by the heterosexual community or a stereotypical nuclear family. And it proves that all of the money, lies, and propaganda can’t hide basic truth regarding the gay community.
The editors also opined:
The LGBT community needs someone like Dufty, who is committed to using his personal story to build bridges between the black and LGBT communities. He wants to expand opportunities for city workers, for black-owned businesses, and for LGBT-owned businesses as well.
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This year’s mayor’s race is an opportunity to usher in new leadership and bring about change. We believe Bevan Dufty is the best candidate for the job.
The election for San Francisco mayor is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
