From the Minneapolis Issues List:

“Dear Editor,

It is with dismay that I read your latest issue and the cover story about Mayor Randy Kelly. As the leader of Minnesota’s oldest GLBT political organization, I found the entire article to be filled with fluff and lacking substance. If Lavender’s objective was to use this as an opportunity to educate the voting members of our community, it was an truly an opportunity lost.

Mayor Kelly is not a true friend to the GLBT community. When he was in the MN legislature, he voted in support of retaining the state’s sodomy laws. When he ran for Mayor in 2001, he snubbed both Lavender and OutFront MN by ignoring candidate questionnaires on the advice of Norm Coleman. In 2004, he supported one of the most anti-GLBT Presidents in US history by endorsing George W. Bush. In this year’s election, as a ‘Democrat’, he declined to participate in the screening and endorsement process organized by Stonewall DFL.

Only Chris Coleman has major party endorsement in the St. Paul Mayor’s race. He is the only candidate to participate in 2005 Twin Cities Pride in addition to participating in every Pride festival when he was a member of Saint Paul’s City Council. Chris has been questioned by representatives from our community on issues including GLBT homeless youth, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, same sex marriage rights, the epidemic of PNP drugs in our community and equal opportunity for GLBT small businesses. His responses to each are both progressive and visionary.

We encourage members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities to look beyond the fluff and ask the tough questions in St. Paul’s Mayoral race. There is a reason why Chris Coleman is the endorsed candidate of Stonewall DFL and the MN DFL party – substance.

Sincerely,

Paul R. Skrbec

Chair, Stonewall DFL”

Besides Kelly and Coleman, Elizabeth Dickinson is running for St. Paul Mayor. You can read about her campaign here.