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PRESS RELEASE: Sacramento Stonewall Democrats Launch "StopAndrewPugno.com" in campaign against Proposition 8 Author and Republican nominee in Assembly District 5
PRESS RELEASE: Sacramento Stonewall Democrats Launch "StopAndrewPugno.com" in campaign against Proposition 8 Author and Republican nominee in Assembly District 5.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2010
CONTACT: Patrick Holstine, Communications Chair, 916.716.5889 | communications@sacstonewall.org
Sacramento Stonewall Democrats Announce the Launch of "StopAndrewPugno.com"
Sacramento -- Sacramento Stonewall Democrats Launch "StopAndrewPugno.com" in campaign against Proposition 8 Author and Republican nominee in Assembly District 5 The Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento announced the launch of "StopAndrewPugno.com" - an effort to help keep homophobia out of the California State Legislature. Andrew Pugno is the Republican candidate for Assembly District 5 in the Sacramento region and in 2008 co-authored Proposition 8, the California measure that stripped marriage rights from same-sex couples.
"Since graduating from college, Pugno's career has exclusively focused on the effort to deny gay and lesbian couples the right to marry," said Sacramento Stonewall President Christopher Moore. "Now, StopAndrewPugno.com is exclusively focused on the effort to deny Pugno a seat in the California State Legislature."
Pugno crafted Proposition 22 which enshrined marriage discrimination into law in the year 2000, then in 2008 co-authored Proposition 8 to amend California's Constitution to take away same-sex marriage rights, and now he continues to serve as legal counsel defending Proposition 8 in the federal marriage trial before Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco. Earlier this week, Pugno asked Judge Walker to allow government agencies and private businesses to nullify recognition of the more than 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California.
"This campaign is not about Andrew Pugno as a person," continued Moore, "This campaign is about his record, and the fact that all it includes is taking away the rights of gays and lesbians. It is absolutely ridiculous that one would consider this adequate qualification to tackle the complex problems facing our state legislature. Not to mention, it is horribly offensive to me as a gay man."
Besides his history of homophobia, Pugno is facing other serious criticism. He is being labeled a "carpetbagger" after recently relocating his residence when local press outlets revealed he was actively campaigning for the Assembly seat without actually residing within the district. Furthermore, the Fair Political Practices Commission received complaints that Pugno broke legislative ethics laws when, as a young staffer for the late Senator Knight, he used State Senate Resources to craft the anti-gay Proposition 22.
Pugno will face off against Democratic candidate Dr. Richard Pan in the November General Election. Pan has been endorsed by the Sacramento Stonewall Democrats, meaning he is 100% supportive of LGBT rights.
For more information, contact Patrick Holstine at 916.716.5889, or by e-mail at communications@sacstonewall.org. In addition, see www.StopAndrewPugno.com.
Stonewall Endorses Dr. Richard Pan in his Race Against Prop 8 Author Andrew Pugno in AD5
At the June General Membership Meeting Sacramento Stonewall endorsed Dr. Richard Pan in Assembly District 5. Dr. Pan won last week's Primary and will face off in November against the Republican nominee - Proposition 8 author and a man who has made a career out of directing hate toward the LGBT community - Andrew Pugno. To learn more check out https://panforassembly.com/ and also www.stopandrewpugno.com.
Pugno has been closely involved in the Federal Prop. 8 trial in San Francisco where he is fighting hard to preserve the discrimination he helped write into our State Constitution. Let's stop Pugno and elect Dr. Richard Pan to the Assembly in AD5! Dr. Pan will fight alongside the LGBT commmunity and will be a tremendous ally as we turn AD5 Blue and shut the door on Pugno and his homophobia in November! You can also follow the closing arguments in the Prop. 8 trial at http://twitter.com/EqualityOnTrial.
Sign the Petition! Stop Andrew Pugno!
Stop Prop 8 author Andrew Pugno in his bid for California State Assembly!
Andrew Pugno was the principal drafter, spokesperson, and instigator in the drive to strip equal marriage rights from gay and lesbian Californians. His success came when his long-time efforts concluded in the passage of Proposition 8.
Now he is the Republican front-runner for Assembly District 5.
If elected, who knows how much damage he could do to LGBT people and their families across the entire state?
Sign the Petition to Keep "Mr. Proposition 8" from being elected!
