Lima Beans for Croft, the Equality Candidate

Eric Croft or Dan Sullivan for Mayor of Anchorage? That's easy. Croft has a record of support for LGBT issues, while Sullivan has led the fight against us on several occasions.

When Alaska GLBT News asked readers who they supported for mayor of Anchorage before the primary election, the first replies included one for each of the main progressive and moderate candidates, and half a dozen that said "anyone but Dan."

But Croft is more than the not-Dan candidate. He's the equality candidate:

• "I believe and have always believed that people should be free to choose their life partner and have that recognized by the state," Croft wrote in a recent email to Alaska GLBT News. "I will continue to fight for and vote for equality."
• Croft fought against and voted against the gay marriage constitutional ban in the Legislature in 1998.
• "In the House debate, I compared the gay marriage ban to constitutional bans in southern states against interracial marriage, and told my colleagues that we as a state would be embarrassed by this amendment. We lost. In the decade since, I have always been proud of that vote. I am today."
• On partner benefits, he told the ADN the Supreme Court was right to allow benefits for same-sex couples.
• "I don't understand why two people expressing their love for each other affects my marriage," said Croft in 2006. Eric and Joanna have been married for 15 years.
• When asked if he thinks people choose to be gay: "I don't care. It's none of my business, really," Croft said. "I grew up in an Alaska where you didn't really inquire too much into people's personal lives."
• "At one mayoral forum, they asked us to hold up a green or red card on gay marriage and I held up the red signifying that I knew of the constitutional amendment. I did not mean that my position had changed."

Our friends in Juneau have more good things to say about Eric:

"Please let Anchorage know that here in Juneau Eric Croft was an outright supporter of us finally getting our state partner benefits. He offered wisdom and support on all his committees when he was a legislator. His opinions were always sound and balanced, thoughtful and well spoken. I think you can't go wrong with Eric Croft," wrote Maureen Longworth and Lin Davis, plaintiffs in the state domestic partner benefit case.

But what were the reasons for the "anyone but Dan" replies?

• Dan tried to block implementation of domestic partnership benefits in Anchorage, against the Supreme Court ruling. (we got the benefits despite him.)
• He lead the opposition against selling a municipal building to Out North as their new home. (they bought it anyway.)
• He opposed the School Board over a PFLAG-sponsored display in the high schools.
• He promoted a religious right-wing agenda on the Assembly.
• He doesn't have lips. (I admit that my partner sent that reply. It's a pet peeve. How can you trust a lip-less man?)

Eric Croft for Mayor of Anchorage. Vote for Croft on Tuesday, or vote early at City Hall or Loussac Library. Bring a friend. Every Vote Counts.