A Maplewood resident writes to Maplewood Councilwoman Karen Wood, asking her position on LGBT issues, almost seven years after Wood voted (in the minority) against a bill that protects Maplewood citizens on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity.
Wood is running for re-election to represent Maplewood Ward 1 on the city council.
The resident’s letter:
In September of 2012, the City of Maplewood became one of the few cities in Missouri — and, practically, in the entire country — to outline explicit protections for its citizens on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity in Bill 5877.
The bill passed with a majority but was opposed at the time by then Mayor James White, Councilman Fred Wolf, and Councilwoman Karen Wood. Of these, only Karen Wood remains on the Maplewood City Council. At the time, Wood stated she voted against the measure for fear of “unintended consequence from the law” and that it may have “unintended ramifications.”
It has been seven years since and this year Karen Wood, who also holds the title of Deputy Mayor, is up for reelection in Maplewood Ward 1. I would like to respectfully ask candidate Wood the following questions:
First, to your knowledge have any unintended ramifications of the anti-discrimination ordinances occurred in Maplewood?
And second, were this ordinance to come before the City Council today, would you vote the same way?
Thanks to Councilwoman Wood for her time, and to Doug Miner for providing this platform,
-Andrew Herbig
Maplewood Resident
Thanks for asking this question!
Doug, I think in the interest of providing quality news to the citizens of Maplewood, you need to explain to your readers why a letter from a voter (that is specifically asking a candidate a question) needs to be published in a public forum?
Did you contact the candidate that is mentioned in this letter? Are you going to publish any question that any Maplewood citizen has of any candidate running? If so, I have a few questions for Jason Goldkamp that I think need to be published for the entire community to ponder.
Beth, I contacted Karen Wood through the city’s website to tell her of the letter. I don’t have an email address for her. I’m hoping for a response. Yes, I’d publish questions that residents have of candidates. I should add that I (40 South), because of time constraints, haven’t been able to organize a League of Women Voters candidates forum for the candidates this year.
Doug, I think it would have been best if you would have waited to publish this piece until you heard back from Karen Wood. She’s very easy to contact, her campaign has a Facebook page.
Whatever it’s a good question, no reason not to post it
It is a good question. It’s so good that the gentleman should have asked the candidate directly.
With the question being asked here, others can see the question and benefit from hearing the answer. It was asked in a reasonable way. I don’t go to her Facebook page. And if you go to council meetings she rarely speaks.
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