November 1, 2008

Yes On Prop 8 Thugs Try to Blackmail Campbell City Councilmember Evan Low With Recall Threat

They’ve threatened pro-gay business owners. They’ve physically beaten up their opponents. They’ve launched cyber attacks. And they’ve spread lies to advance their cause.

Now backers of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage amendment on Tuesday’s ballot, have threatened to recall an openly gay South Bay politician if he does not convert to their side in the fight.

I’m going to stop asking how low will the brownshirts behind California Proposition 8 will sink — because it’s obvious there is no low too low.

Now they’ve threatened to launch a recall campaign against Campbell City Councilmember Evan Low if he does not agree to support Prop 8.

Breaking news:
South Bay lawmaker
receives recall threats

… Evan Low, who serves on the Campbell City Council, reported this week that he had received threats from half a dozen people that if he did not rescind his endorsement against Prop 8 he would be recalled from office.

“I have received seven calls today threatening to recall me from office if I do not publicly retract my position and switch to Yes on 8,” Low informed supporters in an e-mail Wednesday, October 29. “The Yes on 8 campaign is continuing their efforts of deception and coercion. Let’s have a strong showing during this final stretch.”

Chip White, a spokesman for Protectmarriage.com, the main group backing Prop 8, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Instead of backing down, Low turned up in San Francisco this morning (Thursday, October 30) to join Mayor Gavin Newsom and other Asian American politicians from the Bay Area for a walk through Chinatown to urge voters to support marriage equality.

In his e-mail Low urged his supporters to donate to the No on 8 campaign as well as attend several rallies in Silicon Valley over the weekend. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Low said he did not know where most of the callers lived or if they were being coordinated by the Yes on 8 campaign.

“At least one person I knew was from Campbell,” he said. “Whether or not these calls or threats of recall are attributed to Yes on 8 directly, it still shows the attempts of people on that side of the issue will go to threaten. It is just ridiculous.”

He called the threat of a recall a “pathetic attempt” that would not impact his speaking out against Prop 8.

“It is bad enough they want to eliminate rights for people. It is just ugly, plain and simple,” said Low.

Gloria Nieto, political director at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, labeled the tactics thuggish and said they would not work.

“You know what a bunch of thugs. They are attacking our Web sites, threatening our elected officials. It is nothing but thuggery; it is disgusting,” said Nieto. “I don’t think it will work in Campbell. …”

“It only reaffirms my commitment to why I do what I do,” Low told The Advocate. “This reaffirms why I serve in this capacity, to give a voice to those that are less fortunate, and to also stand up against this horrible, despicable, hateful agenda. It’s unfortunate that a proposition like this brings out the worst in people. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t spending our time and energy on both sides working on something that we can all agree on, like health care and education.”

That won’t happen with this bunch, Evan, because they’re just sick, singleminded thugs driven by blind hate.

Posted by: Sapphocrat

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