STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website: www.sdwny.org

OFFICERS

Bryan Ball Dear New York State Senate Candidate,

President

Kitty Lambert Stonewall Democrats of Western New York is the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
Vice President
Community Outreach
transgender (LGBT) Democratic voice in western New York working to elect
Democrats who are supportive on LGBT and other progressive issues important
Bruce Kogan to our community.
Vice President
Party Outreach
We have begun our endorsement process for the 2010 election season. Among the
Ronald Groth issues most important to our community are three bills—Marriage Equality, the
Treasurer
Gender Non-Discrimination Act and Dignity for All Students—which we are
Thomas Peglowski looking to have passed in the state legislature. As you know, the Marriage
Secretary Equality bill failed in the NYS Senate late last year. As a candidate for the NYS
Legislature, we are interested in your candidacy, which would provide you with
an opportunity to vote on these important measures. We would like to provide you
with the opportunity to engage in our process for endorsement by Stonewall
Democrats of WNY. As you may know, an endorsement from Stonewall
Democrats of WNY is important to many local LGBT community members, as
well as our family, friends and supporters, as they decide whether to volunteer for
particular campaigns and as they prepare to head for the polls to cast their vote.

To be considered for endorsement, please complete and return the enclosed

questionnaire to us at your earliest convenience, so that we may consider
endorsement for the NYS Legislature at our next meeting.

The completed questionnaire should be either emailed to info@sdwny.org,

faxed to (716) 853-2448 (Attention: Bryan Ball, Stonewall Democrats of
WNY) or mailed to:
Attention: Endorsement/GOTV Committee
Stonewall Democrats of WNY
PO Box 857
Buffalo, NY 14205

You should also be aware that our revised endorsement process is attached.
Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
us. We thank you and look forward to receiving your completed questionnaire for
consideration for endorsement by Stonewall Democrats of WNY.

Sincerely,

Bruce Kogan Tom Gleed

Vice-President for Party Affairs Endorsement/GOTV Committee
(716) 886-7283 (716) 510-5507
Stonewall Democrats of Western New York Endorsement Process

Candidates for elected office who wish to be considered for endorsement must complete our
questionnaire and schedule an interview appointment with the membership at a general meeting.

Endorsement of a candidate requires a vote of sixty percent of the membership present at that meeting. If
no candidate receives the required sixty percent vote for endorsement, subsequent ballots shall be taken
deleting the candidate receiving the least number of votes or no votes on the previous ballot.

If, after the completion of balloting, no candidate has received the sixty percent of the vote required,
candidates may be rated as “acceptable,” “unacceptable,” or “no position,” depending upon the
candidate’s record and/or position statements. If sixty percent of those voting cannot agree on a rating,
the candidate will be assigned the rating of “no consensus.”

If a candidate is endorsed, the remaining candidates will not be rated.

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 2

STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York
PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website: www.sdwny.org

2010 ENDORSEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE – NYS SENATE/ASSEMBLY

Robin Wilt
Name:______________________________________________________________________
P.O. Box 10875, Rochester, NY 14610
Campaign Address:___________________________________________________________
(585) 286-1289
Daytime Phone:_________________________ Evening Phone:________________________
(585) 286-3136 Campaign@WiltForSenate.com
Fax Number:____________________________ E-mail:_______________________________
New York State Senate – Senate District #56
Office Sought:________________________________________________________________
Democrat, Working Families Party
Party Affiliation:_______________________________________________________________
Before you continue, please understand that:
• Stonewall Democrats of WNY may publicize your responses in press releases and voters’ guides, on our
web site, and via other channels of communication. Stonewall Democrats of WNY will also identify
candidates who fail to respond to this questionnaire.
• Stonewall Democrats of WNY will hold you publicly accountable for actions inconsistent with your
responses during your campaign and if elected during your term in office.
• Stonewall Democrats of WNY will not consider endorsement of any candidate if they support any state or
national version of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) legislation.
• Stonewall Democrats of WNY will not consider endorsement of any candidate if they advertise on or
support any homophobic website, including but not limited to, politicswny.com/politicsny.net.

Part 1:

Please submit your typewritten responses to the following questions on a separate sheet.

1) Why are you seeking this office?

2) Why are you seeking the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of WNY?

3) What three issues do you consider to be most important to the people served by the office you seek? For each
issue:
a) Provide an example of specific action you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private
citizen--to bring about positive change relative to this issue; and
b) Specify what additional action in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

4) What three civil rights issues do you perceive to be the most important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) community? For each issue:
a) Provide an example of specific action(s) you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private
citizen--to bring about positive change relative to this issue; and
b) Specify what additional action(s) in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 3

5) Stonewall Democrats of WNY strongly believes that candidates have a responsibility to provide voters with
truthful, fair and clean campaigns for public office and to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a civil,
issue-oriented debate with their fellow candidates. Will you sign a written pledge to conduct your campaign
accordingly?

6) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you list the endorsement on all applicable campaign
literature (i.e., all literature listing any other endorsements)?

7) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you attend a LGBT community forum to introduce
endorsed candidates?

8) What are you doing or what will you do to advocate for greater LGBT representation and empowerment at the
ballot box and in elected office locally?

9) Would you seek endorsement of or advertise on any homophobic websites, including but not limited to,
politicswny.com/politicsny.net?

Yes No

10) Have you advertised on, supported or intend to advertise on such websites for your election or reelection?

Yes No

Part 2:

Please indicate your level of support or non-support for the state legislative priorities listed below based on the
following rating system:
Sponsor: I will sponsor (or am a sponsor of) and will vote for this legislation
Cosponsor: I will cosponsor (or am a cosponsor of) and will vote for this legislation.
Vote For: I am not a sponsor or cosponsor of this legislation, but I will vote for this legislation
Oppose: I will actively oppose this legislation

Legislation Sponsor Cosponsor Vote for Oppose

A 3645- SAFETY Act: Authorizes the

office of children and family services to
establish policies and procedures affording
all children in OCFS facilities an
environment free of harassment and
discrimination based on actual or perceived
race, national origin, ethnic group, religion,
˟
disability, sexual orientation, gender or
sex; requires reporting harassment and
discrimination.
A5165- Provides accidental death benefits
to domestic partners and the children of
domestic partners.
˟
A 2128 | S5196 - Includes domestic
partners in certain provisions concerning
disability benefits and defines the term
domestic partner. State disability law
affords certain benefits to the spouse
Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 4
survivors of covered employees, but does
not extend these benefits to surviving
domestic partners. This bill would extend
survivor benefits available under the state
disability law, as administered by the
˟
workers' compensation board, to domestic
partners.

A 2563 | S6177- Provides that employers

who provide funeral leave for family
members of deceased shall not deny such
leave for same-sex committed partners of
the deceased.
˟
A 3372 | S2278- Requires a patient
hospital admissions form to allow a
patient to designate a domestic partner
with the same privileges as a next-of-
kin respecting authorizing surgery
˟
A 3661-B | S1987-A “Dignity For All
Students Act": Authorizes the
commissioner of education to establish
policies and procedures affording all
students in public schools an
environment free of harassment and
discrimination; requires reporting
˟
harassment and discrimination to such
commission.

A 3956 | S1385- Requires the state

office for the aging to report on the
delivery of services to and needs of
traditionally underserved populations in
their annual report to the governor. This
measure will require the State Office of
the Aging to assess the needs of and
delivery of services to traditionally
under served populations and to
˟
provide technical assistance to
organizations that provide services to
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender senior populations.

A 4089-A | S1422-A- Expands

eligibility for crime victims'
compensation to include domestic
partners ˟

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 5

A5710-A | S 2406-A – “Gender
Expression Non-Discrimination Act
(GENDA)”: Prohibits discrimination
based on gender identity or expression;
defines "gender identity or expression"
as having or being perceived as having
a gender identity, self image,
appearance, behavior or expression
whether or not that gender identity, self
image, appearance, behavior or
expression is different from that
˟
traditionally associated with the sex
assigned to that person at birth; further
includes offenses regarding gender
identity or expression within the list of
offenses subject to treatment as hate
crimes.

A 7732 | S4401- “Marriage Equality

Bill”: Relates to an individual’s ability
to marry. This bill provides same-sex
couples the same opportunity to enter
into civil marriages as opposite-sex
couples. The bill also provides that no
member of the clergy may be
˟
compelled to perform any marriage
ceremony.

A 3261 | S1985- Requires a course of

instruction in the awareness of hate
crimes, to educate every child in New
York State on the issue of hate crimes. ˟
A 9220 | S6701- Relates to the issuance
of protective orders during the
disposition of cases involving hate
crimes and upon release of a convicted
hate crime perpetrator, and authorizes
the imposition of additional sentencing ˟
conditions.

New York State Defense of Marriage

Act (DOMA): Makes a marriage
absolutely void if contracted by two
persons of the same sex. Last ˟
introduced during the 2008 session.

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 6

I attest that this questionnaire represents my opinion of the issues on this questionnaire:

Candidate’s Signature:_______ __________________________________________________________

August 2, 2010
Date: _____________________________________

Please complete the attached issues surveys, sign below and return questionnaire, surveys and your resume by
Friday, February 12, 2010 by either by email to info@sdwny.org, faxed to (716) 853-2448
(Attention: Bryan Ball, Stonewall Democrats of WNY) or mailed to:
Attention: Endorsement/GOTV Committee
Stonewall Democrats of WNY
PO Box 857
Buffalo, NY 14205

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 7

STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York
PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website: www.sdwny.org

Part 1 (Continued)

1) Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking this office because I have been organizing on the grassroots level with regard to various social
justice, living wage, progressive taxation, ethics reform, campaign finance reform, environmental fairness, and
health justice measures. I have a long-standing commitment to advancing progressive causes within the
community. Through my activism, it became eminently clear to me that our existing legislators were not going to
be responsive to the needs of every day working families if they were not sent a message that the power existed
within the grassroots community to replace them with people who were responsive to that constituent group. I am
a mother of three, a small business owner, and a community activist. I am familiar with the challenges of working
families, and I want to implement policy that will help them, as opposed to only corporate interests. I formed an
organization called the Progressive Democrats of Genesee Valley (PDA) in 2008, and we have been advocating
for progressive causes both inside and outside the Democratic Party, in order to ensure that progressive ideas are
part of the Democratic Party platform. My candidacy is a direct outgrowth and extension of my political
advocacy.

2) Why are you seeking the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of WNY?

I am seeking the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of Western New York because I share the vision of
human rights, equity and progressive change for which they advocate.

3) What three issues do you consider to be most important to the people served by the office you seek? For each issue:
a) Provide an example of specific action you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to
bring about positive change relative to this issue; and
b) Specify what additional action in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

1) Progressive Taxation: Through my affiliation with Metro Justice (a Citizen Action New York affiliate), I have helped
to coordinate volunteers for, and participated in rallies to re-implement the Millionaire’s Tax in New York State. I
participated in visibility events when Governor Paterson visited Rochester, NY, and I have written letters, phone
banked and lobbied representatives with regard to this issue. If elected to office, I would sponsor legislation to extend
existing progressive taxation measures, in addition to sponsoring legislation to re-implement the Stock Transfer Tax.
I would also support legislation to implement a property t ax “circuit-breaker,” which would cap property taxes as a
percentage of household income. Also, while I realize that the Federal Tax Code is out of my jurisdiction, I
would advocate with our Federal elected officials to remedy the unjust taxation of “domestic partner
benefits” which many within the LGBT Community refer to as the “gay tax”. It perpetuates the taxation
discrimination targeting LGBT citizens, even those who are legally married in other jurisdictions, while at
the same time using DOMA to prevent same sex marriages being recognized by the Federal Government.
I’d compare this with Jim Crow Laws enacted in areas of our country to perpetuate already onerous
discrimination based on race. The former “poll tax” would be analogous to this concept.
2) Economic and Educational Opportunity: I have attended forums with regard to the Green Jobs initiative, and I
strongly support such legislation. In addition, I support micro loans that ensure that capital is available for small
businesses that need it. Furthermore, I support an expansion of Universal Pre-K (UPK) programs to help improve
educational outcomes, and I have been involved in the Community Education Task Force in Rochester.
3) Accountability and Ethics Reform: I have been involved with Citizens for a Better New York and the New Roosevelt
Initiative, which are organizations that support widespread reform efforts in Albany. In addition to advocating for
budgetary reforms (following generally accepted accounting practices, creating an independent budget authority, and
ending unfunded mandates), I would champion redistricting reform that created an independent redistricting body, as
well as sweeping campaign finance reform.

4) What three civil rights issues do you perceive to be the most important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) community? For each issue:
a) Provide an example of specific action(s) you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to
bring about positive change relative to this issue; and
b) Specify what additional action(s) in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

1) I consider marriage equality to be the primary civil rights issue facing the LGBT community: In 2008, I co-founded
the Genesee Valley Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), a grassroots organization dedicated to
working inside and outside the Democratic Party to advance progressive issues like full LGBT equality. PDA
actively promotes candidates who support LGBT and other minority concerns. Additionally, we have conducted
public educational forums and coordinated phone banking for legislative drives for marriage equality, GENDA and
dignity for all students in conjunction with Empire State Pride Agenda campaigns. As a senator, I would not only
sponsor marriage equality legislation, but champion the legislation through passage.
2) Opposing Defense of Marriage: As evidenced by initiatives like Proposition 8 today and state-level anti-
miscegenation legislation before that, the erosion of civil rights for any minority group should not be tolerated at any
jurisdictional level. I have participated in letter-writing campaigns to protest Proposition 8 and DOMA enactment,
and as a Senator, I would use my statewide office to champion federal legislation that would end the practice of
abridging LGBT rights.
3) Dignity and fairness: Although I realize that one cannot legislate morality, I have worked to help strengthen
accountability for invidious discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as ensure that sexual orientation is
among the protected minority classifications in New York in civil code, thereby providing for accountability measures
in cases of discrimination. I phone banked for GENDA and “Dignity for all Students” and celebrated their passage.
In the Senate, I will remain a strong advocate for implementing reporting and accountability measures.

5) Stonewall Democrats of WNY strongly believes that candidates have a responsibility to provide voters with truthful,
fair and clean campaigns for public office and to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a civil, issue-oriented
debate with their fellow candidates. Will you sign a written pledge to conduct your campaign accordingly?

I will sign such a pledge.

6) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you list the endorsement on all applicable campaign literature
(i.e., all literature listing any other endorsements)?

If fortunate enough to be endorsed by Stonewall Democrats of WNY, I will proudly publicize my endorsement on my
website and issue a press release—as I do with all of the endorsements I garner.

7) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you attend a LGBT community forum to introduce endorsed
candidates?

If endorsed by Stonewall Democrats of WNY, I will make myself available to participate in a LGBT community forum
introducing endorsed candidates.

8) What are you doing or what will you do to advocate for greater LGBT representation and empowerment at the ballot
box and in elected office locally?

I am currently a member of Pride at Work AFL-CIO and support their workplace legislative initiatives at the state and
local levels.

In Albany, I would sponsor any legislation that would enhance movement toward full LGBT rights, and diligently
oppose any erosion of incremental gains. In addition, I would consult liaisons to the LGBT community to help
me develop and promote legislation that advanced LGBT rights.

Stonewall Democrats WNY – NYS Legislature Questionnaire 2010, page 9