Brockton Elects First Openly Gay City Councilor

[Ian David]

Congratulations Linda. I was pulling for you. Thank you Jim Harrington for your service. It's time to relax, catch your breath and spend time with your family. Congratulations Jass Stewart!!! The third time's a charm. The city needs your energy, imagination and new ideas. You'll do a great job. I'm sorry to see Patrick Quinn didn't get a seat on the council also. Maybe next election he can bounce Petti out on his ear. Brockton deserves someone like Patrick Quinn.
http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x896787608/High-voter-turnout-expected-at-Brocktons-West-Jr-High


Stewart could become Brockton’s first openly gay City Councilor
by John Thomas
Bay Windows contributor
Friday Oct 30, 2009


As he leans forward at his desk in an executive office suite in downtown Boston, Jass Stewart said, "Donuts, life, you name it, are all shaped by your imagination."

Recalling his grandfather, Stewart said, "I was taught that the only thing that would limit me is my imagination." Well-dressed, six feet tall with a runner’s physique and shaven head, Stewart speaks softly as he describes the spirit his family instilled in him while growing up poor in a housing project in Dallas, Texas. He has traveled very far since then.

Stewart is a thirty eight year old openly gay African-American running for councilor-at-large in Brockton, Massachusetts. If elected on Nov. 3, he will be the first African-American and the first openly gay member of the city council in its 128 year history.

With the decline of its once flourishing shoe and leather industry, Brockton has endured hard economic times for the last several decades. While in the past the population had been predominantly white, an increase of immigration from Haiti, Cape Verde and Vietnam in the last few years has made the nonwhite population close to 50%. Like most economically depressed cities, Brockton has significant rates of unemployment and crime.

More:
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=98433