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August 07, 2008

Kansas Candidate Loses Primary After Her Sexuality Becomes Issue

Inga Taylor, a lesbian from Wichita, Kan., lost the Democratic primary for the state's 84th district house seat on Tuesday to a woman who made a campaign issue of Taylor's sexuality. Gail Finney, a marketing consultant who's also the vice chair of the local Democratic Party, wasn't as well funded or organized, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which endorsed and financially supported Taylor, a medical assistant. But in the last days of the campaign, Finney and her supporters took issue with Taylor's sexual orientation and her ties to the "East Coast" -- the Victory Fund is based in Washington, D.C. -- in a coordinated mail, e-mail, and phone campaign.

In one e-mail the Victory Fund posted to its blog on Wednesday, Finney supporter Peggy Elliott writes that "Taylor considers it an honor that if elected, she will be the 1st openly gay African American Legislator in the United States. If you will go to the www.victoryfund.com website, you will see that they are excited about the same and working strategically to ensure that this candidate wins the election...Who would she be representing? Those that fund her from the east coast or 84th District? Is this what we want to be known for in Kansas? In Wichita?"

"What's the matter with Kansas Democrats?" Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a statement. "We plan for and expect [that] openly gay candidates will face attacks from right-wing bigots, not Democratic Party officials. This is divisive, gutter politics at its worst, and Gail Finney should be ashamed of herself."

"I wasn't running on 'Hey, I'm gay,'" Taylor, who was bidding to become Kansas's first openly gay state legislator -- and the first African-American lesbian state legislator in the country -- told The Wichita Eagle, adding that her campaign "always has been about the issues."

In addition to the Victory Fund, a state group called Kansas for a Diverse Voice at the Table also contributed financially to Taylor's campaign. Altogether, she had an edge over Finney in donations of approximately $10,000, according to the Eagle.

Since there's no Republican opponent for the seat, Finney's victory means she will be the district's next representative to the statehouse. (The Advocate)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Mayra
    Date posted: 2008-08-31 7:11 PM
    Hometown: Topeka

    Comment:

    this makes me so sad, that a society is so focused on the sexuality on others that they would pick a bitter woman who has probably been in the closet for ever over a woman(Taylor) who was open all along, when there are things going on in this world such as war and hunger and poverty. why is it that people are so caught up on what people do in their bedrooms and whom they choose to sleep and be happy with, . this article truly deeply saddens me . And for the record F*ck Fred Phelps and the pack of cowards that follow him.


  • Name: Eric
    Date posted: 2008-08-11 7:12 PM
    Hometown: Independence, MO

    Comment:

    Kansas: As bigoted as you think I've seen this on a bumper stick and it's once again being proven to be accurate. A Wichita resident, I'm embarrassed by prejudices such as this. This is supporting my 4th-grade son's reluctance to be friends with kids he believes to be gay. What kind of an example is this setting for the next generation? I'm straight and I don't want my son to grow up around this kind of bigotry.


  • Name: Betsy Smith
    Date posted: 2008-08-07 9:13 PM
    Hometown: Wichita, KS

    Comment:

    So what IF Kansas for a Diverse Voice isn't a state group? Did EVERY dollar that Finney got come from ONLY Kansans? Let's pull ALL of her contributions and go over them with a fine-toothed comb, shall we? HOMOPHOBIA: "Is this what we want to be known for in Kansas? In Wichita?" Why yes - yes we do. And we do it SO well, too, sadly.


  • Name: Bob Edwards
    Date posted: 2008-08-07 3:32 PM
    Hometown: Du Bois, PA

    Comment:

    Why is the Voctory Fund suprised? "What's the matter with Kansas Democrats?" Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a statement. "We plan for and expect [that] openly gay candidates will face attacks from right-wing bigots, not Democratic Party officials." And yet no less than Nancy Pelosi has thrown us under the bus by recommending Chet Edwards for VP. Be careful when they pat you on the back that there's not a dagger in their hand.


  • Name: Roger Burr
    Date posted: 2008-08-07 3:22 PM
    Hometown: Marble Hill, MO

    Comment:

    What do you expect from those wonderful folks who gave the Rev. Fred Phelps?????


  • Name: Joseph
    Date posted: 2008-08-07 3:04 PM
    Hometown: Montgomery, AL

    Comment:

    I cannot believe that Chuck Wolfe could make such a comment with a (pardon the pun) straight face. Has the man NOT been watching the Democratic Presidential primary contests this year where a certain candidate was jeered solely on the basis of GENDER while another candidate was allowing his supporters to call whites not voting for him "racists" while he sat back and played innocent? Maybe Mr Wolfe should've spoken with Patricia Todd, the out lesbian in Alabama whose primary victory was almost overturned by a combination of her being gay AND white; the actual charge was a failure to turn in certain campaign reports by a certain date, something ignored by virtually every candidate (Ms Todd's African-American opponent's mother-in-law was the one who led the fight to remove Ms Todd, claiming that Ms Todd wasn't "right" for the district--fill in for yourself whether she meant the being white or being gay).


  • Name: Erin
    Date posted: 2008-08-07 8:50 AM
    Hometown: Wichita

    Comment:

    Victory Fund isn't telling you the truth. They messed up Taylor's campaign and are just trying to cover their backs. Gail Finney is not anti-gay hater. She's actually a liberal Democrat. She never smeared Taylor for being gay.


  • Name: J
    Date posted: 2008-08-06 6:23 PM
    Hometown: Wichita

    Comment:

    Kansas for a Diverse Voice at the Table is NOT a state group. It is a political action committee opened the week before the election by the Victory Fund. It was funded by the Victory Fund.


  • Name: Frank Erdman
    Date posted: 2008-08-06 6:05 PM
    Hometown: Austin

    Comment:

    Brian Kinney in "Queer as Folk" at one point references the "Republicans who hate us to our face, and Democrats who hate us behind our back". Sadly for this country, this story demonstrates that unfortunately Brian was spot-on with that one!


  • Name: Pedro A. Romanach
    Date posted: 2008-08-06 4:08 PM
    Hometown: Miami, Florida

    Comment:

    This is gutter politics. I totally agree with you. Democrat Gail Finney and supporter Peggy Elliott should be ashamed of themselves.


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