Rounding Out Stein's Slate
Incumbent president, vice president announce three additions to slate for LGBT Democratic club's upcoming elections
The two executive committee officers running for re-election to lead the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the District’s largest LGBT political organization, have announced three newcomers who will run as part of their candidate slate in this month’s elections to lead the club in 2014.
Incumbents Angela Peoples, vice president for political and legislative affairs, and Martin Garcia, club president, announced last month they would run for the other’s seat on the executive committee. The newly announced candidates on their slate are Diana Bui, Bobbi Strang and Terrance Laney.
Bui, a poet involved in social justice movements and progressive politics, will run for vice president of administration. That seat is now held by outgoing incumbent, Vincent Villano. Bui is co-chair of the D.C. chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and as membership and chapter coordinator for the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, where she does immigration-advocacy work.
Strang, a local activist with the DC Trans Coalition (DCTC), Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) and The DC Center, is running for secretary to replace outgoing incumbent Jimmie Luthuli. Strang previously worked in the District’s Office of Latino Affairs and is the first openly transgender person to work at the Department of Employment Services.
Laney, a community organizer who served as special assistant to the CEO at the National Black Justice Coalition and who worked on the campaign to legalize marriage equality in Rhode Island, is running for treasurer, replacing the outgoing Barrie Daneker.
”I could not be happier with the talent and experience represented on our slate,” Peoples said in a press release announcing the candidates. ”The club’s membership is full of diverse backgrounds and perspectives; Diana, Terrance and Bobbi are a tribute to that diversity. 2014 is going to be a big year for the District and for the club. I’m confident we will be able to hit the ground running with this outstanding group.”
”I have been very impressed with the work of the Stein Club and current Executive Committee’s leadership,” Bui said in a statement. ”I am excited to get involved and connect my labor work and work with the DC Asian Pacific American community with Stein Club.”
Most of the slate, so far, is running unopposed, though Peoples will face off against longtime Stein member and local transgender activist Jeri Hughes, who announced her candidacy for the club’s presidency last week. Hughes said she is not running as part of a slate.
”As far as I know, Stein is a democratic club, so anyone can run,” Hughes told Metro Weekly. ”I hadn’t even heard of a slate until last year,” she said, referencing the executive committee elections that pitted then-President Lateefah Williams and two of her allies against the slate of Garcia, Peoples and Villano.
The executive committee elections will be held on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. in Room 123 of the Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
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