Erin Jones in her open letter yesterday:
I recognize and regret using overly equivocal wording on issues related to the LGBTQ community that has let friends and supporters down. I am sorry that I used language that could be too easily interpreted as murky.
In my answers to the SW Washington Blog and some of my responses to the Stranger, I made mistakes. As a leader, I have shown true commitment to grow in my understandings of these issues. I have spent hours on the phone talking with friends who are members of the LGBTQ community, allies, experts on sexual health, parents of LGBTQ youth and LGBTQ youth themselves. I plan to continue these conversations long after the campaign has run its course.
Erin Jones in a fundraising e-mail this afternoon:
A recent article by a Seattle area weekly paper has called into question my commitment to ending discrimination against the LGBTQ community, which as you know, is absolutely ridiculous.
This was not award winning investigative journalism. Far from it. It was a poorly researched and anecdotal — even editorial — article that twisted several statements I've made over the course of this campaign into something that you, who know me, wouldn't even recognize.
Let me be clear: this was a concerted effort by our opponents to undermine me with progressive voters and supporters, and I need your help to set the record straight.
In one case, Jones admits to making mistakes in her interview with me for this piece. In another, she claims she didn’t actually say what she said. I’ve asked her to clarify and haven’t heard back.
Additionally, Jones’ opponent, Chris Reykdal, had nothing to do with the piece. In fact, it was a series of conversations with LGBTQ advocates at Equal Rights Washington and elsewhere that brought attention to Jones' previous statements about gender education and sexual orientation. Jones' statement that “this was a concerted effort by our opponents” is false.
Read more about Jones’ controversial comments here and her response after the piece was published here.
