My Mayoral Campaign, January 1973-April 1973
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, Bible thumper, 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 a mayoral campaign to get my views heard.