The Best Mayoral Forum EVER!

Posted by Mary Mancini on July 19, 2007 under Uncategorized |

Last night, I briefly attended the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender mayoral forum sponsored by Nashville’s GLBT Chamber of Commerce. Although I was there for only a very short time, I can declare it the best mayoral forum EVER. Seriously. Hors d’œuvres and a full bar? Genius.

The at-large candidates who were there were given a chance to introduce themselves. Megan Barry, Peter Westerholm, Ronnie Steine, Luvenia Butler, and Saletta Holloway did so from the left side of the room, Dave Pelton from the right.

Five of the mayoral candidates attended (Briley, Dean, Dozier, Eaton & Gentry), one declined (Clement), and one did not respond (Tisdale).

I heard the opening statements before heading out. David Briley said that as a councilman he had stood up for what was right when the anti-discrimination ordinance was voted on and as mayor he promised to continue to stand up for what is right. Karl Dean said that Nashville needs to be a city that celebrates diversity. Buck Dozier tried to appeal to the members of the GLBT Chamber of Commerce by declaring that he’s always been pro-business. Kenneth Eaton said, once again, that he’s different than the rest of the pack because he’s not a politician. Then he gave a plug for his wife’s hair salon.

Howard Gentry was the last to make his statement. In 2003, Gentry, as Vice Mayor, cast the tie-breaking vote which defeated an anti-discrimination ordinance which would have outlawed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and disability. I think everyone expected the vote to be brought up during the forum but I don’t think anyone, even Gentry, expected him to bring it up during his opening statement. But, he said, he knew he had to address it after he was “accosted” prior to the event by someone who scolded him for showing up.

Now, even if his statement was political calculus instead of heartfelt mea culpa, it was still powerful. Gentry began by saying he had prayed for guidance before he cast the infamous vote and he also prayed last night that he would say “what is in his heart.” He said that we all have to make tough decisions in life and the night he cast the vote he concluded that the bill was about hatred and “all that was going on at that time” and he felt that he had an opportunity to end it. But, he said, he knows now that his decision hurt people “like he had been hurt early in his life” and so he came to the forum not to explain his vote but “to ask for forgiveness” for the pain he may have caused. He ended by saying that even though there is more to Howard Gentry than this one vote, his daily discussions, confrontations, and interviews on the topic have equipped him to understand this situation better than any other candidate.

In just under two minutes Howard Gentry explained his vote, asked for forgiveness, looked to the future, turned his negative into a positive, and radiated humanity. Nicely done.