Leadership

Printed in the South Bend Tribune, April 27, 2011

Some people have questioned why Ryan Dvorak was endorsed by South Bend Equality, when Pete Buttigieg seems to hold a similar position in term of supporting equality for GLBTQ citizens.

When SBE representatives spoke to the candidates, both Dvorak and Buttigieg said they were supportive of amending the human rights ordinance. Both agreed they would keep the executive order protecting city workers in place. Both indicated they would be willing to speak in favor of amending the ordinance publicly.

The difference between the two was that, while Dvorak was clear and unequivocal that he would argue for the amendment, from Buttigieg’s response, I wasn’t sure how much of a leadership role he would take.

In addition, Dvorak has the strength of his experience and voting record addressing similar issues in the legislature. We have evidence of how Buttigieg is untested in this regard. Buttigieg’s support by the Chamber of Commerce, which has not historically supported the human rights ordinance, was also a factor in SBE’s decision. Dvorak is a candidate we know we can count on.

Maureen Lafferty
South Bend

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