TX Rep. Norma Chávez "Apologizes" for Gay Baiting Opponent

An update to the story of Texas State Rep. Norma Chávez who repeatedly gay-baited her opponent in next week's special election. Chávez offers a faux apology—and works in more gay-baiting—after El Paso's leading elected Democrats condemned her tactics in her campaign against fellow Democrat Naomi Gonzalez.

The El Paso Times:

Chávez, who is trying to retain the seat that she has held for nearly 14 years, had publicly called Gonzalez a lesbian and said she should acknowledge it to voters. But on Monday, after newspaper coverage about her comments, Chávez sounded a more conciliatory tone. She said she regretted making sexuality a campaign issue but continued to blame the negativity in the campaign on Gonzalez. "I regret that in response to one of my opponent's repeated, negative, personal attacks, I made reference to her sexual orientation," Chávez, 49, said in a statement. "My opponent's sexual orientation has no bearing on this campaign. This campaign should be about who is going to be the most effective legislator for El Paso in the Texas House. "Gonzalez, 31, an assistant county attorney, said Chávez's latest statement was "one more mean attempt" to avoid focusing on her record.her comments,

Chávez has brought up Gonzalez's alleged sexual orientation several times in the media and at two public forums. Gonzalez has not responded.

On Monday, eight officeholders from El Paso issued a statement that criticized Chávez for her divisive tone. "Unfortunately, Chávez's desperate and unseemly tactics do nothing to move the community forward and only serve to embarrass her, and by extension, the district she currently represents," the statement said. "In El Paso, there is no room for appeals to bigotry."

Chávez has taken quite a hit for her comments and several staffers reportedly resigned from her campaign and district offices. Meanwhile: Chávez has been missing in action all week and reporters cannot find her ...

Comments

[Monica Roberts]

It's past time for all politicians in my home state of Texas (and beyond) to realize that gay baiting doesn't work as a campaign tactic anymore

[whatuthink]

@ Monica... I disagree.

If that was the case Prez Bush would not have made it back in a second term through all of the gay marriage ballots purposely put up through Carl Rowe.

C Average people are everywhere and are the majority. Religious people are make up a lot this. They can't see pass the Bible and the hate.

She likely denied it to not look like bigot.

[Monica Roberts]

Whatuthink, maybe what I should have said is that using it as a campaign tactic increasingly has negative costs.

When it comes to referenda, mixed results.

I based my original comment that gay baiting as a political tactic doesn't work on the election of Annise Parker as mayor of Houston.

Parker led all candidates in November with 40% of the vote to make the runoff against Gene Locke, then beat him a month later despite homophobia being injected by outside groups into the runoff campaign.

Example B is the upcoming mayoral runoff election in Gainesville, FL between Craig Lowe (who happens to be gay) and his conservafool opponent Dan Marsh.

Same dynamic here. Lowe led all candidates to get into the runoff, and has much the same profile as Parker in terms of longtime service to the city as an elected official.

Well find out on April 13 whether he gets the seat.