Jul 13, 2007  |  By: JOSHUA LYNSEN  | COMMENTS     

Election Day is months away, but two national gay organizations have made their choice for Baltimore City Council.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and National Black Justice Coalition Action this month endorsed Fred Mason III, a gay Democrat, for the 11th District Council seat. A primary in that open race is slated for Sept. 11.

“Fred is the best-qualified candidate in the race for Baltimore City Council 11th District,” said H. Alexander Robinson, president of NBJC Action.

A new arm of the National Black Justice Coalition, NBJC Action plans to help Mason’s campaign by calling local voters and mailing literature.

Mason welcomed both endorsements and the national attention they bring to his campaign.

“It means that I’ll certainly have more support, with those two organizations, all around the country,” he said, “not just locally.”

Mason is one of two gay men competing for the seat. Dana Owens, also a Democrat, could not be reached for comment.

If elected, either Mason or Owens would be the first openly gay man to sit on the Baltimore City Council.

“I think the fact that you do have more openly gay candidates running for office now in Baltimore shows that people are less concerned about sexual orientation and more concerned about how you can represent them effectively,” Mason said.
“I think that’s a good development.”

Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, said Mason won the endorsement because of a strong resume and because he is a viable candidate with a plan to win.

“He’s an incredibly accomplished person,” Dison said. “It was an easy call to endorse someone of his caliber.”

Dison said Jamie Fontaine, the Victory Fund’s political director, will help Mason with his campaign. Fontaine, a political veteran, was deputy campaign manager last year for U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland.

Victory Fund also will assist Mason with his fundraising efforts and donate to the campaign.

Challenged to ‘stand out’

Mason is among nine candidates on the 11th District ballot. Also running is William Cole, a former state delegate, and Adam Meister, an Internet entrepreneur.

“It’s a large group of good candidates, which is good for the 11th District,” Mason said. “They have lots of choices. The challenge is to stand out among those nine people.”

Mason is touting his public policy degree, internships at two congressional offices and work at Maryland’s capital budgeting office.

“I think I bring a very unique set of skills and experiences to the table,” he said, “and that does set me apart from the other candidates.”

Mason said as an openly gay man, he also would bring a new perspective to the Baltimore City Council.

“A perspective of honesty, of accessibility,” he said. “A perspective of needing to deal with all different kinds of people in various kinds of situations to be effective.”

Mason, who is seeking as part of his campaign new partnerships between public and private groups to improve neighborhoods, said he’s adept at crossing boundaries.

“Sometimes people see being gay, or being black, or being whatever background you come from as a barrier to conversation and a barrier to working together,” he said. “And I’ve been able — in my professional career and work within the Episcopal Church — to cross those boundaries.”

Dison said Mason should do well by explaining how his perspective and experiences benefit voters.

“By and large, your community isn’t going to care that you’re openly gay unless that’s the reason you’re running,” he said. “They don’t care so much about that. They care about what you’re going to do for them.”

Nonetheless, he said it’s important that an openly gay man sit on the Baltimore City Council.

“We’re at a point in the history of the movement where [gay] people are starting to see the value of being elected to office themselves and having an openly gay voice on a legislative body is important,” Dison said. “For a long time, we sat back and supported our straight allies, and I don’t think we have to do that.”

Joshua Lynsen can be reached at

jlynsen@washblade.com.