Okay, so Sho Dozono has received the support of the Multnomah County Republican Party. The same party that vehemently opposes basic rights and equality. But, as the Willamette Week reports, Dozono is honored to have this support and says it doesn't color his record:

Although a life-long Democrat, I am pleased to receive the endorsement from the Multnomah County Republican Party for Mayor of Portland

Sam Adams has been severely vocal regarding my endorsement by the Republican Party and is proud of the fact that he refused their request for an interview. This is yet another example of Sam's narrow focus and inability to tolerate opinions different from his own...

I'm sorry, Sho. No. You don't get it. Even though you say you will "vigorously defend equal freedoms" as you have done in the past, equality and basic rights are not opinions. They are matters of constitutionality and basic moral ethics. You should not be proud to have sought (or received) the endorsement of a group that flouts these basic tenets of our society and seeks to actively discriminate against people in our community.

In the same vein, the Willamette Week also revealed that Sho had given a sizable sum to the Republican nominee for governor in 2006, Ron Saxton. In the end, Dozono has given over ten thousand dollars to Saxton for his runs. It might be a drop in the bucket for Sho and his companies, but the money talks.

Ron Saxton's 2006 gubernatorial run was wholly regressive and a slap in the face of equality and basic rights. Here's what Basic Rights Oregon had to say about Saxton's run:

During the Primary election, we got to see the real Ron Saxton: a candidate who has allied himself with the most virulent anti-gay forces in Oregon. As a result, the GLBT community faces an Election Day threat every bit as serious as Ballot Measures 36, 13, and 9.

Think that overstates the case? Take a look at where he stands on basic fairness:

-Saxton opposes basic equal treatment for GLBT Oregonians and our families. Forget about equal marriage rights: Saxton opposes even civil unions. [KGW GOP Primary Debate 4/24/06; Statesman Journal, 4/23/06]

-Saxton doesn't seem to have any problem with anti-GLBT discrimination. He opposes adding sexual orientation and gender identity to anti-discrimination statutes. "I'm not convinced that it needs to be there," he said [WB's "Outlook Portland," 4/2/06] and has vowed to veto any bill like Senate Bill 1000 should it pass in the next legislative session.

-And Ron Saxton actively courted - and won - the support of the anti-gay Oregon Family Council. In fact, they liked him even more than Kevin Mannix. Even OFC Director Tim Nashif personally sent a recorded phone endorsement to 160,000 Republican voters, telling them to vote for Saxton over Mannix in the primary election. [Willamette Week, May 24, 2006]

On basic rights, equality, and LGBTQ issues, Ron Saxton was as hawkish as it gets, wanting to run roughshod over equality in a desperate appeal to the worst in Republican politics. And Sho gave money and support to him.

Although Sho has been a committed advocate for LGBTQ causes, and working with people of all political persuasions is admirable and correct, he's way off-base here. Working with individuals is one thing, but having the support of a machine that can churn out anti-equality thugs like Saxton and actively opposes basic rights is another. This was never about refusing to work with individuals; it was always about refusing to pursue an endorsement from a group that supports a terrible, regressive cause.

Disclaimer: I worked for Sam Adams' office in 2005 and I'm an ardent support, but I speak and write only for myself.