Thursday, September 03, 2009
Yiddish article about Lander sparks gay marriage debate
A Borough Park newspaper article about Brad Lander has called the 39th City Council candidate’s views on gay marriage into question.
At the same time, candidates in the race to replace Bill de Blasio are claiming that Lander’s political ideologies are different in the conservative Orthodox side of the district than they are in Park Slope, where residents are more liberal and progressive.
Der Blatt, which is printed in Yiddish by the Satmar Hasidim, came out with an article last Friday encouraging readers to vote for Lander, who they said “strongly opposes various types of abominations and immoral laws.”
The article was aimed directly at Orthodox readers, who equate “abominations” with homosexuals.
Eyebrows were raised almost immediately, especially since Lander has repeatedly said that he is for gay rights and gay marriage.
But the article didn’t just talk about Lander’s opposition to abominations. It also goes on to say that “it would be a desecration in the name of God to support the other candidates who support laws permitting abominations and who do not at all address the problems we are concerned about even if such candidates happen to be Jewish themselves” -- a swipe at Lander’s Jewish opponents in the race.
The Lander campaign immediately denied any involvement in the article, which is in effect a paid advertisement. At the bottom of the photo, among pictures of Lander speaking to Orthodox leaders, are the words “Paid for Brad Lander for City Council.”
Lander’s campaign wrote Der Blatt demanding a retraction. The campaign also alerted the city’s Campaign Finance Board, asking for guidance on how to deal with this situation.
Claims of ignorance sounded hollow, however, when this paper acquired a copy of the advertising invoice for the article.
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2009/09/03/brooklyn/brooklynntchfjg09032009.txt
At the same time, candidates in the race to replace Bill de Blasio are claiming that Lander’s political ideologies are different in the conservative Orthodox side of the district than they are in Park Slope, where residents are more liberal and progressive.
Der Blatt, which is printed in Yiddish by the Satmar Hasidim, came out with an article last Friday encouraging readers to vote for Lander, who they said “strongly opposes various types of abominations and immoral laws.”
The article was aimed directly at Orthodox readers, who equate “abominations” with homosexuals.
Eyebrows were raised almost immediately, especially since Lander has repeatedly said that he is for gay rights and gay marriage.
But the article didn’t just talk about Lander’s opposition to abominations. It also goes on to say that “it would be a desecration in the name of God to support the other candidates who support laws permitting abominations and who do not at all address the problems we are concerned about even if such candidates happen to be Jewish themselves” -- a swipe at Lander’s Jewish opponents in the race.
The Lander campaign immediately denied any involvement in the article, which is in effect a paid advertisement. At the bottom of the photo, among pictures of Lander speaking to Orthodox leaders, are the words “Paid for Brad Lander for City Council.”
Lander’s campaign wrote Der Blatt demanding a retraction. The campaign also alerted the city’s Campaign Finance Board, asking for guidance on how to deal with this situation.
Claims of ignorance sounded hollow, however, when this paper acquired a copy of the advertising invoice for the article.
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2009/09/03/brooklyn/brooklynntchfjg09032009.txt
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