The Case of the Super Secret Questionnaire!!!

This is a guest column.

The Case of the Super Secret Questionnaire!!!

By Kirk Wentzel

I’m not usually one to go out against a GLBTTIQ rights organization but I have to tell you that recently I’ve been having my doubts about PA GALA, the (Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Alliance).

I’ve been wanting to write an article for John and for other blogs about our Democratic Senatorial Candidate Bob Casey Jr. Mr Casey Jr. seems to have switched his positions on a few rather key GLBTTIQ issues since starting his bid to remove the obviously insane and fashion challenged (I loved that photo John) Rick Santorum. I intend to include other social issues such as gun control and reproductive rights in the article as well because I think Mr. Casey’s website is a little light on his stand on social issues.

I contacted Steve Black, who bills himself as the Political Director of PA GALA and asked him about a questionnaire I’d heard about. I was at a function a few months back and was part of a conversation where someone mentioned a questionnaire that PA GALA presented to various candidates in order to query them about the stand on GLBTTIQ issues. I’d heard that one was sent to Bob Casey Jr. and that he, in fact, did respond.

So on June 27^th at 6:29 a.m. I sent an email to Mr. Black:

“Mr. Black:

Good Morning. My name is Kirk Wentzel and I'm writing article on Bob Casey Jr.

I have information that Mr. Casey answered a questionnaire for PA-GALA but those results are not public. I admit I don't know all the specifics of that questionnaire or even if it was for this campaign or for a previous office that he ran for.

Is there any information you can give me on Bob Casey and where he stands on GLBT issues? Naturally, citing your sources would be helpful since it makes the fact verifiable.

Thank you in advance for your time and your assistance.”

The reply I received was VERY interesting:

“For what publication are you writing an article?

Who told you about the questionnaire?

Have you asked Bob Casey about his positions on lgbt issues?

Steve Black

Political Director

The Pennsylvania Gay And Lesbian Alliance”

I found this reply to be curious and somewhat confrontational. So my reply answered his questions in the following manner:

“Mr. Black:

I've been asked to write an article for a few blogs, my understanding is it will be submitted various places but I'm just the writer. My only condition is that wherever it goes, it goes intact, without any editing and I trust the people asking me do to this. They've come to me because they know I will take my time and research this correctly and write a truthful piece.

I intend to write a fair and accurate article concerning Mr. Casey's stand on social issues. Since his website is somewhat sparse in this area, the more information I can gather the more accurate my article can be.

As for who told me about the questionnaire, it was something I heard about a meeting a while ago. Honestly I don't even remember where and to be frank, I don't even know if it's actually true that a questionnaire exists/existed. Though your response indicates that it does exist, otherwise, you would not have asked how I heard of it. Given that I find no reference to it, I can fairly conclude it's unpublished, perhaps by design, perhaps by agreement.

As to your final question I have asked the Casey campaign, twice now, about their stand on GLBT, abortion, gun control and a number of other social issues. So far they have chosen to refer me to the HRC candidate website for the GLBT issues but they not responded to my second email requesting information about Mr. Casey's position on the other social issues. Naturally, I've garnered information from other sources.

I think being an educated voter is important and that's why I agreed to write the article.

Now that I've answered all your questions perhaps you would consider responding to my original request for information? Naturally, you can refuse but, either way, PA-GALA will be properly cited in the article.

If you would like to give information anonymously, you could be cited as "an anonymous source at PA-GALA" or some other suitably obscure term, but, I must admit, I'm not a big fan of anonymous sources. I'll use the tactic if I have to but it's not at the top of my hit parade.

I look forward to your reply.”

Surprisingly, I have not had the courtesy of a reply of ANY sort. It’s as if Mr. Black has become Mr. Invisible. I’m not prone to begging for information from people. I ask and they either reply affirmatively, negatively or, as in the case of the mysterious Mr. Black, not at all, which I must say is somewhat rude.

However, I’m not surprised by his vanishing act since I have been able to confirm that a questionnaire does, in fact, exist. I’ve been offered a copy of it but I’ve refused that offer. I’d rather want to know why PA GALA is not releasing their questionnaire to the GLBTTIQ community.?

Who, exactly, does PA GALA represent?

My understanding is that the candidates where promised confidentiality in exchange for their completing the questionnaire and maybe that’s the real reason Mr. Black is afraid to answer me.

As for Candidate Casey…well he’s changed is position on a GLBTTIQ issue here and there but more about that in the article on him. I’m still gathering data for that one. Of course, PA GALA’s cooperation would have made my job easier, but I have my ways.

Mr. Black doesn’t need to worry about me releasing the details of his super secret questionnaire…I don’t work that way. I would like to know why PA GALA is making deals with candidates at the expense of the GLBTTIQ people they claim to be lobbying for?

If the idea is to say “We Endorse Candidate A” or “We do NOT Endorse Candidate B”…well that’s fine, but how about telling us WHY you endorse or don’t endorse. Why is it that every political and lobbying organization thinks the American people can’t read and comprehend what a candidate actually says? Why does the message always has to be “spun” or “rephrased”?

Mr. Black, if you are truly on the side of the GLBTTIQ community then it’s time to come clean. Release your secret questionnaire and prove that you are on the side of the community not just a political puppet.

PA GALA is non-existent in the news, few people even know you exist and you seem to be ineffective as a lobbying group. I see no press releases, no rallies, no lawsuits, no anything. Nobody seems to reference you in their stories or in their statements. Where was your face in the media blasting the people in Harrisburg for attempting to pass the recent amendment? Where were the press releases? I heard more from the HRC and Lambda Legal then I ever heard from anyone at PA-GALA.

Don’t believe me? Do a Google search for “PA GALA” and click on ‘Search News’. What I got was:

Your search - "PA GALA" - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:

Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
Try different keywords.
Try more general keywords.

Also, you can browse today's headlines on the Google News homepage.

Yeah…that’ll impress those politicians!!!!

The last news article I can find about PA GALA was a July 21, 2005 (note the year please) news story about a PA GALA letter being altered and duplicated and mailed to Republicans by some unscrupulous folks.

Perhaps I shouldn’t even be interested in the questionnaire about such an ineffective organization as PA GALA. Perhaps we need a new organization built around the model used by New Jersey’s Garden State Equality. Do a Google news search on “Garden State equality” and see what you get.

Finally, as additional proof of ineffectiveness I offer this tidbit for recent news.

In the recent decision by New York’s highest court, they sided against 44 same-sex couples in their search for marriage rights. The Chief Justice of that court, the Honorable Judith S Kaye, wrote a dissenting opinion that was quite eloquent in defense of GLBT citizens. For those interested it can be found at: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/ny/cases/app/86-89opn06.pdf

In her dissent she references Pennsylvania in the following manner:

“It is, additionally, already impossible to maintain

uniformity among all the states, inasmuch as Massachusetts has now legalized same-sex marriage. Indeed, of the seven jurisdictions that border New York State, only Pennsylvania currently affords no legal status to same-sex relationships. Massachusetts, Ontario and Quebec all authorize same-sex marriage; Vermont and Connecticut provide for civil unions (see

15 Vt Stat Ann tit 15, § 1204 [a]; Conn Gen Stat § 46b-38nn); and New Jersey has a statewide domestic partnership law (see NJ Stat Ann § 26:8A-1 et seq.).”

Thanks for your efforts PA GALA! I see that Mr. Black not just invisible for me…he appears to be, in fact, non-existent.