Cleveland Stonewall Dems: Bill Mason Appointment Puts County on Wrong Side of History

The Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, an organization dedicated to promoting political candidates who support LGBT rights and social justice, are evidently unmoved by the early rhetoric from Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish’s new Chief of Staff, Bill Mason.

In comments to cleveland.com — the only local outlet to celebrate the malodorous move — Mason said that he’s looking forward to helping Budish “achieve his vision of a county where people have equal access to justice and opportunity.”

The former Parma City Councilman and longtime County Prosecutor, a guy known for bringing an organized criminal sensibility to the local halls of justice, was appointed this week.

But in a public letter, the Stonewall Dems expressed disappointment for reasons other than Mason’s famous nepotism or his failure to investigate the county corruption scandal a decade ago. They said that the Mason appointment was wrong on the grounds that he played a “key role,” as prosecutor, in preventing the county commissioners from enacting domestic partnership benefits before marriage equality was passed by the Supreme Court. 

“The fact that this appointment is happening with no regard for how Mason has actively worked against marginalized community residents sends the wrong message at such an already tumultuous time for the office and our state,” the letter read.

The Stonewall Dems urged the County Executive Budish to rescind the appointment and move in a different direction.

“Cleveland Stonewall Democrats … will continue to push, pull and prod our party and county to continue to be on the right side of history, not just in words but in actions.”

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This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2019.