Difference between revisions of "My Mayoral Campaign, January 1973-April 1973"

From OutHistory
Jump to navigationJump to search
m
Line 9: Line 9:
 
| Ruth Brookens, Republican mayoral candidate || Ethel Doughty
 
| Ruth Brookens, Republican mayoral candidate || Ethel Doughty
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Rev. Charles Llewellyn, Bible thumper, Independent mayoral candidate || Rev. Orville Barber
+
| Rev. Charles Llewellyn, Fundamentalist minister, Independent mayoral candidate || Rev. Orville Barber
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
| William Stanley, Gay activist, YSA member, Graubart campaign manager || Winston Stanfield III
 
| William Stanley, Gay activist, YSA member, Graubart campaign manager || Winston Stanfield III
Line 21: Line 21:
 
[[Image:StatementOfCandidacy1973.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Note the signature of the Urbana City Clerk at the bottom. As you will see, It is the greatest irony of this exhibit and of critical importance to the novel.]]
 
[[Image:StatementOfCandidacy1973.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Note the signature of the Urbana City Clerk at the bottom. As you will see, It is the greatest irony of this exhibit and of critical importance to the novel.]]
  
At the start of the campiagn, the Urbana Chamber of Commerce invited the Democratic and Republican mayoral candidates to a luncheon. Invitations went out before Bible beater Llewellyn declared his candidacy, so I was the only candidate excluded. We decided to protest.
+
At the start of the campiagn, the Urbana Chamber of Commerce invited the Democratic and Republican mayoral candidates to a luncheon. Invitations went out before fundamentalist minister Llewellyn declared his candidacy, so I was the only candidate excluded. We decided to protest.
  
 
[[Image:BookImage.jpg|left|50px]]
 
[[Image:BookImage.jpg|left|50px]]
Line 33: Line 33:
 
[[Image:GraubartRunning.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Above the headline reads Trotsyist, socialist, homosexual.]]  
 
[[Image:GraubartRunning.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Above the headline reads Trotsyist, socialist, homosexual.]]  
  
I was only able to do door-to-door campaigning in a small portion of the city. The most dramatic day occurred campaigning in the very poor and mostly black wards of north Urbana.
+
I was able to do door-to-door campaigning in only a small portion of the city due to work obligations. The most dramatic day occurred campaigning in the very poor and mostly black wards of north Urbana.
  
 
[[Image:BookImage.jpg|left|50px]]
 
[[Image:BookImage.jpg|left|50px]]

Revision as of 19:22, 23 January 2010

Mask201.jpg The Cast - Major players identified. Actual historical figures on left.

Jeff Graubart, Gay activist,SWP mayoral candidate,Narrator Dave Rosen
Hiram Paley, Democratic mayoral candidate Manny Singer
Ruth Brookens, Republican mayoral candidate Ethel Doughty
Rev. Charles Llewellyn, Fundamentalist minister, Independent mayoral candidate Rev. Orville Barber
William Stanley, Gay activist, YSA member, Graubart campaign manager Winston Stanfield III

With Champaign twice unanimously defeating the gay rights bill and the Champaign County States Attorney burying the grand jury investigation of the abusive Urbana cop and McGovern delegate Kathy Wilch calling gays child molesters from the podium of the Democratic National Convention, and victorious Illinois gubenatorial candidate Dan Walker telling me personally that gays were godless sinners who deserved no rights, my uncontrollable rages were crippling me as a person. I decided that violent overthrow of the United States government was a necessity and convinced by my friend, mentor and fellow gay activist, William Stanley, that socialist revolution was the answer. I joined the Young Socialist Alliance (YSA), youth group of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Obsessed with seeing justice done regarding the Urbana cop and demanding civil rights protection in both cities, I used the platform of an Urbana mayoral campaign to get my views heard.

Note the signature of the Urbana City Clerk at the bottom. As you will see, It is the greatest irony of this exhibit and of critical importance to the novel.

At the start of the campiagn, the Urbana Chamber of Commerce invited the Democratic and Republican mayoral candidates to a luncheon. Invitations went out before fundamentalist minister Llewellyn declared his candidacy, so I was the only candidate excluded. We decided to protest.

BookImage.jpg

Dramatization of Chamber of Commerce Protest and Lunch [1] Menu and outfits of the candidates fictionalized. The peculiar emotion of worrying about killing Ethel Doughty probably did not occur during that lunch, but it was a frequent emotion I felt at the time.


Click to see actual copy of My Campaign Platform


Above the headline reads Trotsyist, socialist, homosexual.

I was able to do door-to-door campaigning in only a small portion of the city due to work obligations. The most dramatic day occurred campaigning in the very poor and mostly black wards of north Urbana.

BookImage.jpg

Dramatization of Campaigning in North Urbana [2]


References

  1. Graubart, Jeff. 2009. The Quest for Brian, 4th Draft,5:55-58
  2. Graubart, Jeff. 2009. The Quest for Brian, 4th Draft,5:59-61

Contact Person

Jeff Graubart jeffgrau@rcn.com

Categories