Joe Szwaja, Candidate for Position One, Seattle, WA
Campaign Home Page
Joe Szwaja Attends Seattle Pride, Volunteer Park
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday June 22nd, 2007.
Seattle City Council candidate Joe Szwaja is the environmental/social
justice candidate challenging Jean Godden. As the “only” straight
candidate in a city council race this year with an outstanding record
on advocating for LGBT rights, Joe invites comparison of his record to
Godden's. Szwaja’s pioneering record for LGBT rights will be highlighted
this weekend as he campaigns at the Gay Pride events in Volunteer Park
on Saturday and downtown Seattle on Sunday.
During his 2000 US Congress race Szwaja received an endorsement and perfect
AAAAA5 rating by the Seattle Metropolitan Election Commission (SEAMEC)
for his record on issues important to the LGBT community. Szwaja can
also point to having co-authored landmark legislation when he served
on the Madison, Wisconsin city council from 1986- 1993.
Szwaja co-authored and shepherded through one of the first domestic-partner
laws in the country as a city councilman for the City of Madison. The
law provided sick and bereavement leave benefits for domestic partners
of city employees, many of them gays and lesbians. The law also provided
crucial non-discrimination protection in housing and public accommodations.
When Szwaja and a colleague first introduced this legislation to the
Madison City Council, they were derided and the measures were initially
defeated. Joe and his colleague then worked with grassroots groups
to hone the ordinance and build community support, leading to these landmark
legislative victories. According to Szwaja, “It was one of the
happiest days of my public career to see the joy in the eyes of families
who were receiving a modicum of pubic respect and equal treatment for
the first time. It was well worth all of the critiques, the long meetings,
and the previous defeats of our new family fairness legislation.”
The significance of Joe's unique leadership on domestic-partnership benefits over
15 years ago is highlighted by the fact that the City of Bellevue,
WA granted domestic partnership benefits to its city employees just this
year for the first time.
Joe moved to Seattle 14 years ago to teach at Nova, one of
the most LGBT-friendly high schools in Seattle. He has been providing
support to transsexual and other queer students there, winning respect
from LGBT students, faculty and others. David Goldman, a former
teacher colleague and member of the gay community expresses support for
Joe’s candidacy. “I know that Joe is a supportive and caring
ally of LGBT youth and their families, I know he will push to break down
more barriers to equality as a city councilperson in Seattle, just as
he did in Madison”
"
Joe has done very impressive, pioneering work on LGBT rights," said
Sarah Luthens, a leader in the local LGBT community. "By comparison
Godden's record is undistinguished. She does not even mention a single
LGBT issue among her top 30. Joe will also expand social justice & environmental
agendas, which we have not seen from the incumbent."
****** For more information, contact: Campaign Headquarters Priority
Press Contact
Joe Szwaja, 206.420.1830
campaign@joeforcouncil.com
Gentry Lange, 206.498.3937
gentry@gentrylange.com