Aug 15, 2008  |  By: CHRIS JOHNSON  | COMMENTS     

A lesbian Democrat’s loss in a Kansas primary election that followed alleged gay-baiting tactics has triggered a flurry of finger-pointing among those involved.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has said Inga Taylor lost the Aug. 5 primary for a state House seat because her opponent, Gail Finney, launched “a last minute, anti-gay smear campaign” against the lesbian candidate.

But Thomas Witt, chair of the Kansas Equality Coalition, a statewide gay activist group, said the Victory Fund is making inaccurate accusations against Finney to cover its own mistakes in the campaign.

Witt, who was initially involved with Taylor’s campaign, has called on the Victory Fund to apologize.

In the 84th District primary where 957 votes were cast, Finney won 57 percent of the vote to Taylor’s 43 percent. The victory for Finney, who is vice-chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, means she wins the Democratic nomination in the race over Taylor, a clinic worker, to represent Wichita in the Kansas Legislature.

On Aug. 6, the Victory Fund issued a statement decrying e-mails and robo-calls from the Finney campaign that mentioned Taylor’s sexual orientation and contributions the Victory Fund made to her campaign.

Finney sent an e-mail before the primary that says Taylor “considers it an honor that if elected, she will be the first openly gay African-American legislator in the United States.”

The e-mail asks voters to go to the Victory Fund web site, where they would find that the organization is “excited about the same and working strategically to ensure that this candidate wins the election.”

“Who would she be representing?” says the e-mail. “Those that fund her from the East Coast or [the] 84th District? Is this what we want to be known for in Kansas? In Wichita?”

A robo-call recorded by Finney similarly discusses how the primary “has been targeted by a special interest group with an unknown agenda.” Finney says Taylor received more than 90 percent of her funds from outside Kansas.

“Of course I want your vote,” Finney says in the robo-call, “but it’s more important that you know who you are voting for.”

The robo-call does not specifically mention the Victory Fund, nor does it reveal Taylor’s sexual orientation.

Taylor said Finney’s campaign tactics were “just sad” and that it was shameful Finney “felt that was the route she needed to take.”

Taylor also said she “absolutely” would have won the primary had Finney not resorted to those tactics.

“Everything was fine — we were working our tails off,” she said. “I didn’t start getting the hang up phone calls until after her stuff started.”

Taylor said she was frustrated because she expected such tactics during the general election but not the primary.

Rick Stafford, chair of the Democratic National Committee’s gay caucus, said “it’s just really unacceptable and it’s unforgivable” that a Democratic candidate would try to damage a gay opponent’s campaign by mentioning sexual orientation.

He said such tactics are “nothing entirely new and surprising,” though, because they happen to many gay candidates, especially those in areas where not many openly gay people have previously sought office.

“Even in our family, unfortunately, the opposition is going to use what I call ‘kind of hate crimes’ in terms of their campaign,” Stafford said.

Chuck Wolfe, president of the Victory Fund, called Finney’s campaign methods “divisive, gutter politics at its worst” and said Finney “should be ashamed of herself.”

Denis Dison, a spokesperson for the organization, said opponents sometimes attack the sexual orientation of gay candidates who are performing well or raising more money.

“It was a little unusual that it happened in a Democratic primary and that, I think, has gotten a lot of
attention,” Dison said.

Taylor said she raised about $19,000 for her campaign. Of that money, the Victory Fund raised about $15,000.

Dison noted that nothing in Finney’s campaign material directly attacks Taylor for being a lesbian, but said simply mentioning her sexual orientation is a “sophisticated” way of smearing her.
“It’s subtler way of saying we want you to know she’s gay,” he said.

But Witt, chair of a Kansas gay group, had a different take on the situation and told the Blade the Victory Fund’s criticism of Finney is “completely over the line.”

On Friday, he issued a joint statement with Finney saying that the Victory Fund “used divisive tactics and out-of-state money to influence a Kansas election.” The statement says the Victory Fund owes an apology to Kansas, Finney, the 84th District and gays.

“We categorically condemn the destructive tactics used by the Victory Fund,” the statement says. “We know Gail Finney will be a strong advocate for civil rights for all Kansas.”

In ...