Good As You

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09/11/2006

Garden State Equality, New Jersey's prominent LGBTI political action group, is expressing outrage over "a transphobic, anti-LGBT diatribe" allegedly unleashed by Diance Legriede, the executive director of the State Democratic Committee. The story: On Friday evening, prior to a Democratic LGBTI Caucus event in Atlantic City at which a Cher impersonator by the name of Devon Cass was scheduled to perform, Legriede is quoted by Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein as having said in protest of the performer:

"We cannot have THAT walking in the hallway."

"You cannot have THAT inside your Caucus."

"The State Committee will not have someone like THAT attending dinner -- THAT cannot come inside the ballroom."

"What if the press sees THAT -- what if they report on THAT in tomorrow's papers?"

Then in response to Goldstein's subsequent defense of Cass, Legriede was said to reply:

"It's not your event, it's our event. If THAT's going to be inside the room, we're going to boycott your Caucus."

Wow! Apparently not a Cher fan, that Diane! Next year, Jersey kiddies, we'd suggest you instead book THAT with a 'T' LIza with a 'Z!'

So far Legriede doesn't seem to have apologized for the tirade. However, while we have no Living Proof, as ones who Believe we have to Love One Another, we'd hope that If she Could Turn Back Time, Ms. Legriede would've been Strong Enough to abstain from (allegedly) dismissing the Dark Lady impersonator as if she were some sort of Half-Breed who should've been cast out with the Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. We'll give Ms. Legriede the benefit of doubt; but if The 'Beat' Goes On and it seems like we're Living in a House Divided where some display a Heart of Stone towards others, we'll have to do our part to see that such biases go down in flames, Just Like Jesse James.

Full email from Steven Goldstein [Garden State Equality]
Another account: He was no Cher, and Democrats were not sunny [Star-Ledger]

***UPDATE: THE LGBTI community and the Democratic State Committee have made peace [GSE Email]

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