July 2000 Cover Story - Liberty Press Online Archives... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 7/1/2000
Last Visited: 4/4/2002
Although there were many candidates in the primary who supported Simply Equal, only two of the six primary winners were for the initiative: Nalbandian, who finished first in the primary and political newcomer Allen Levine, who finished sixth.
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"After the primary, when the remaining candidates were two members of the religious right (against), Bonnie Augustine (against), Nalbadian (for) and Levine (for), he read that as meaning that the people were against it."
The commission postponed a vote on the amendment despite Compton's request and Simply Equal became the overriding electoral issue in the city.Without any hope of passing the amendment before the election, the Freedom Coalition needed to employ grassroots electoral tactics to elect both Levine and shoo-in candidate Nalbandian in order to have a majority, along with incumbent Andersen.But that would take a small miracle.
"When the commission didn't vote on it, it was fuel for our fire," Green recalls."The sentiment was right, the public was behind us, and opposition in the commission was just a temporary glitch."
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Zimmerman and Green started campaigning tirelessly for Levine, canvassing the streets of Lawrence and encouraging voters to use only two of their three available votes, since only two candidates, Nalbandian and Levine, supported Simply Equal.
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Zimmerman and Green started campaigning tirelessly for Levine, canvassing the streets of Lawrence and encouraging voters to use only two of their three available votes, since only two candidates, Nalbandian and Levine, supported Simply Equal.
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This technique, known as bullet-voting, was instrumental in electing Levine.It worked: Nalbandian, Augustine and Levine won the election and Simply Equal had its majority.
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"Allen was in sixth place in the primary," Zimmerman recalled.
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The night before the election, I went over to visit with Allen, getting ready to lose.He thought we were going to make it.And he made it!Everybody thought we were so smart planning all of that."
While Levine had not gotten into the race just to support Simply Equal, he acknowledged the initiative's role in his victory.
"I had run to talk about growth issues and things like that, and [the Freedom Coalition] gave an injection of enthusiasm into the campaign," Levine said."I feel very fortunate to have been at the right place at the right time and wouldn't trade the experience.I think it's rare that public officials get a chance to vote on civil rights.It's really a great honor."
Compton, hurt by his indecisiveness, finished fifth in the election.
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Levine, who considers Simply Equal "one of the few bright moments in the state's recent history," remembers constituents threatening to leave Lawrence if the amendment ever passed.
"My response was always, ‘I'll be standing at K-10 with a hanky waving good-bye,'" Levine said laughingly."Ultimately, my comment to most people who were really against it was that whether you believe in this or not, the day after we pass Simply Equal the sun is going to rise and set on our community and you're not going to notice one bit of difference.But some people, just a few of your fellow residents and neighbors, might be sleeping a little more comfortably."
It is true that Lawrence's queer residents can sleep a little more soundly these days.But there is still much to be done.
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Levine, who is a marketing director for a natural products company and on the board of directors of the Douglas County AIDS Project, sees many exciting prospects ahead.
"I don't know how realistic something like marriage is," Levine said, "but I think with things happening in Vermont, and with big corporations being forced by city governments, like San Francisco, to provide domestic partnership benefits, it will slowly catch on, hopefully here.Otherwise, we'll continue to be passed over by the rest of the country."
Not if the Freedom Coalition has its way.