Bay Windows - National News, December 16, 1999
Scott A. Giordano, Bay Windows staff

John Street was elected mayor on Nov. 2 by a narrow margin of 50.2 percent to 48.5 percent, defeating wealthy Republican businessman Sam Katz, who nearly became Philadelphia's first Republican mayor since 1952. Katz was endorsed by the city's two gay newspapers and all of its major political groups, while Street failed to win an endorsement from even the city's gay Democratic group in large part due to his efforts to block DP legislation when he was Philadelphia City Council President in 1996.

At that time, Street aligned himself with Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, and the duo held press conferences at an area church specifically to oppose a limited DP Executive Order signed by retiring Democratic Mayor Ed Rendell. Later, in 1998, the Philadelphia City Council passed several broader DP bills despite strong opposition from Street during City Council debate. Street also had filed a lawsuit as a private citizen that failed to block the city from implementing DP benefits, and he failed at having the matter placed on the ballot as a voters' referendum.

The words from the president of the Log Cabin Club (LCC) of Philadelphia, a gay Republican group, echoed thoughts shared by other gay Philadelphians after Street's Nov. 2 victory.

"Disappointed," was LCC President David Greer's reaction. "[The election race] got neck-to-neck in the end. There was a rather large gap earlier in the evening and at about 11:30, the gap closed up and it ended up being a neck-to-neck race. I think everyone was disappointed in the end." Other Philadelphia activists, however, expressed optimism that Street is on a learning curve and has become more educated and supportive of the gay community.

"Give the man a chance. The slate is wiped clean after an election. When anyone is elected mayor of the city, they change to some extent. What they want to do is work toward history and be supported by the people. And if they do that properly, they must be inclusive. Now we are waiting to see what [Street's] actions are," said Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News and president of the Pride of Philadelphia Election Committee (POPEC) -- a gay and lesbian political action committee that, like LCC, endorsed Katz in the mayor's race.

The Liberty City Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club is Philadelphia's largest gay political organization, with more than 300 dues-paying members. Its members chose not to endorse in the mayor's race rather than to endorse Street; its by-laws prohibit the group from endorsing a Republican candidate. "Despite more recent attempts by John Street to extend an olive branch to the lesbian and gay community, our membership did not feel comfortable endorsing him," said Liberty City Co-Chair Mark Smith.

Segal credits Street's victory to his ties with the Democratic Party machine and strong voter support from a labor constituency.

Prior to the election, Street was backed publicly in Philadelphia by powerful political figures who included Rendell, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and President Bill Clinton. "It took [those factors] for Street to win because this was the closest mayoral election in the city of Philadelphia," Segal said.

A lifelong Philadelphia resident, Katz founded a public financial management company and previously ran for mayor in 1991 and for Pennsylvania governor in 1994, but lost his primary races in both of those instances. He had strong gay community support based on his public comments and private conversations with the city's gay political leaders.

"The gay and lesbian community of Philly overwhelmingly felt John Street was willing to tolerate our community where Sam Katz was a man who wanted to bring us into the fold of government," Segal said.

"[Katz] had a brother who was HIV-positive and was gay and died in 1994, so he is very understanding of our community. And I think that he clearly was more supportive of our issues, particularly with regards to domestic-partnership legislation. Street was perceived as anti-gay because he fought tooth and nail against the community around that issue," Greer added.

Steve Black, political director of the Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Alliance (PA/GALA), said his group endorsed Katz specifically because of Street's anti-gay rhetoric used during City Council debates on DP legislation.

"Street tried everything to stop the domestic-partnership law and even campaigned at conservative churches to oppose it, and we were against the rhetoric he used," said Black, who believes Street is more supportive on other gay issues.

"We have to work with Mayor Street and his administration starting in January, and the gay individuals who were in Street's campaign become very important now for the rest of the gay community. ... Street did answer our questionnaire, and he was supportive of other things. He opposes discrimination based on sexual orientation, for example, and he said he will not seek to repeal the domestic-partnership measure, which is a step forward."

Segal trusts Street will work with the gay community, and that he will not let his religious ties dictate public policy. "I have spoken personally with John Street, and he has stated that he would not govern from a religious viewpoint," Segal said.

But Greer believes the city will be disappointed with Street's leadership, in regards to both gay and non-gay issues.

"I think he will be OK on AIDS issues and the matter of AIDS funding. He had openly gay and lesbian staff working on his campaign, so I'm sure one person will probably move into a [gay community] liaison position. Where I think we will suffer the most is that this guy is not going to be able to make this city a competitive one in terms of lowering the wage tax and attracting business, which Mayor Rendell definitely did a good job at doing. I think those things can fall apart under John Street. Those are the broader concerns we have," Greer said.

"I think that what we might see happening is that when John Street screws up, people will scream for Sam Katz to run again," he added. "This was a very narrow loss and a very divided electorate. I suspect Katz will run again with people begging him to do so. He already said he plans to stay very active in the community."

Meanwhile, Segal said the "long, educational process" with Street has begun. "I hope to see Street come to gay events and meet with gay people and come to meetings for various organizations. He is on a learning curve, and I have hope that we can work with him," he said.

And Smith said the gay community must hold Street's feet to the fire to ensure he will keep his campaign pledges to the gay community.

"We need to hold him accountable to all the pledges that he has made. Also, we should take hope from the fact that he moved in our direction throughout the mayoral campaign," Smith said. "Any mayor who is elected by so slim a margin would be unwise to ignore the lesbian and gay community. Also, John Street had lesbian and gay people supporting and campaigning for him who argued passionately for him. I suspect that there will be high-ranking openly gay and lesbian appointees in his administration, and I suspect that his moves to improve his relationship with the lesbian and gay community and to court gay and lesbian voters will continue. But we must be vigilant and we must hold him accountable to his promises."
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