James Fournier responds to 10/15/2010 Washington Blade article

Candidate for ANC 5C07 commissioner in the November 2010 primary election James Fournier asked to have this Email thread posted on the blog:

From: James Fournier
Date: October 16, 2010 10:13:00 AM EDT
Subject: Letter to the editors concerning inaccurate facts in ``Gay incumbents face opposition in ANC races``

Oct 15, 2010 05:46:18 PM, james.fournier wrote:

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Dear Mr. Chibarro and editorial staff:

The October 14, 2010 electronic edition of the Blade published a piece entitled ``Gay incumbents face opposition in ANC races``.

In the piece, reporter Lou Chibbaro states that:

``In Ward 5, gay incumbent Barrie Daneker, who represents SMD 5C07 in the city`s Bloomingdale neighborhood, is facing a challenge from attorney James Fournier. Fournier states on his campaign website that Daneker didn`t adequately reach out to his constituents over a controversial liquor license application in the district and has not adequately handled a controversial proposal to develop the site of the city`s former water filtration plant near North Capital Street and Michigan Avenue.

Daneker said he has a two-term record of working closely with constituents and soliciting their views on a wide range of issues, including the water filtration site and the liquor license flap. He told members of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club Monday night his outspoken support for the city`s same-sex marriage equality law was controversial in a ward where many residents strongly opposed the law.

Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas Jr., who angered many of his constituents by voting for the marriage bill, endorsed Daneker`s ANC re-election bid. Thomas won the Democratic nomination for his own seat by winning the primary in September by a comfortable margin despite organized opposition led by same-sex marriage opponents.

Daneker said some of that same opposition may be seeking to oust him from office in the ANC race.

Fournier could not be immediately reached.`` (emphasis added).

I have never been contacted by anyone from the Blade for comment on any story - ever.

Second, I wholly support gay marriage, which the Blade would have known had it bothered to contact me. Third, I grew up in Northern California and lived in Berkeley, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C. and probably have more gay friends than straight ones and have been to my several gay unions over the years – another fact that would have been pointed out had the Blade bothered to contact me.

The Blade also would have known this if it had bothered to read the brief biography posted on my website. Mr. Chibarro inaccurately refers to my website, yet manages not to cite it, not to quote it, and fails to even present the website address.

There is not much of a connection between ones sexuality and whether you are a decent ANC Commissioner (or if there is it escapes me). The issues that people actually care about in SMD 5C07 are listed on my website at www.jamesjfournier.com and certainly are not limited to the issues referenced in Mr. Chibbaro`s piece.

The Blade`s piece is inaccurate and poor journalism. Commissioner Daneker`s comments reflect a transparently desperate effort for public sympathy three weeks prior to an election after four years of grandstanding and failing to grasp the fundamentals of what it means to be a good ANC Commissioner.

James Fournier