Geri Delevich speaks with borough officials Friday morning.
A controversial campaign sign for Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick located at a high-visibility intersection in New Hope was taken down by the borough Friday.
Local officials said that neither they nor New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, who control the right of way on which the banner was located, had granted permission for its installation. The borough was alerted to the problematic signage at 11 a.m. Friday by Geri Delevich, an LGBTQ rights advocate and former borough council member.
Delevich initially was concerned the sign had been placed on borough property, and noting its proximity to railroad tracks, she also reached out to New Hope & Ivyland Railroad. They confirmed that they had not been asked permission by the Fitzpatrick campaign.
But it’s not only the possibility that Fitzpatrick campaigners trespassed on borough and local railroad property and installed a sign without asking that has Delevich and several other area residents up in arms, but also the artwork and endorsement message on the banner itself, copies of which have been placed around the county. The words “American Unity Fund LGBTQ Equality Endorses Brian Fitzpatrick” are emblazoned across the iconic rainbow flag associated with LGBTQ pride and identity.
“The sign does not speak for many members of the LGBT community,” explained Delevich.
Gayle Share-Raab of Newtown agreed in a widely-read Facebook post complaining about an identical campaign sign on Taylorsville Road in Yardley.
“I was intrigued and wanted to find out exactly what LGBTQ organization could possibly endorse a candidate who voted over 80 percent of the time with a party that wants to deny them the rights and freedoms straight Americans enjoy,” wrote Share-Raab. “A cursory check of the website for the ‘group’ finds one page devoted to the ‘Gay Wedding Cake’ court case. The other three pages on the site showing photos, when clicked, that all lead to the same message. It becomes obvious that this ‘organization’ is nothing more than a totally fake portal so Republicans can pretend to support LGBTQ issues and wave a rainbow flag endorsement to mislead voters.”
“In this case, Brian Fitzpatrick is boldly lying to the voters of Bucks County, Pennsylvania,” continued Share-Raabb. “Shame on him!”
Not a great deal of information is publicly available on American Unity Fund, although the group is occasionally quoted as a source in news reports.
“We’re conservatives working with conservatives to make the case for full LGBTQ freedom,” reads the group’s Facebook page.
Fitzpatrick wouldn’t comment.
“I think candidates should follow election laws and get proper permission before placing signs,” remarked Matthew Hanson, President of New Hope Celebrates, an organization founded in the summer of 2003 by a group of local LGBT business leaders. “I think the signs are factually correct, as American Unity Fund does endorse Fitzpatrick. I think voters should do their homework and research candidates rather than believing signs or ads that candidates pay for.”
Republican Brian Fitzpatrick is running against Democrat Scott Wallace in Pennsylvania’s 1st District.
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanUnityFund “Conservatives working with conservatives to make the case for full LGBTQ freedom.”
Illegal??? Free expression.How Tolerate you are Peter. Reminds me of those signs that say Hate has no heart here only to find they are the biggest haters and hypocrites in our area.The only person that made out was the sign maker.
A lot of these mega-signs are suspicious in nature. The “Humane Society” endorsement sign on 202 is misleading.
As a charity/non-profit, the Humane Society itself does not endorse political candidates. This sign is probably sponsored by the Society’s legislative branch, or action group. But the sign leads you to believe that the Humane Society itself endorses Fitzpatrick. Of course, someone driving by will not see or understand the subtleties.
Ahhh, politics.
Every non-profit or corporate organization has a political action fund. Federal law prohibits them ALL from contributing directly. Hence… it is the Planned Parenthood Action Fund that does the political bits and not Planned Parenthood directly.
“The sign does not speak for many members of the LGBT community,” explained Delevich. Says who? Does Geri have the name & number of every member of the LGBT community? Do they all report to her? She lost the recent election if I remember correctly, so I guess everyone doesn’t agree with her. How insulting to view people as a block of voters rather than individuals.
Lost the race BIG TIME.That should show how many of us feel.Never mind removing the sign lets remove her to some Middle Eastern Country to take up the cause.She would not last to long.In New Hope where your free and hopefully we are still able to have a differing opinions.
I’d be happy with a Wawa in New Hope I’d make one stipulation that there would be no tobacco sales. I’m not a fan of stopping progress. The town lacks retail.
Geri is now our New Hope version of the out-of-touch but unfortunately not out of mind Hillary Clinton. Still upset by the election loss I see? Time to move on Geri and dare I say it, let people think for themselves. You were worried? Let the rightful property owners complain. Busy body lefties.
As they say forgotten but not gone.
This reminds me of people in charge of Condo Associations. All powerful always charging assessments and telling you what paint to use or you will be fined, Especially Village 2.It is about time residents’ start calling the IRS to see where all that money is really going but fear of retaliation and general cowardice from those in charge allows them to continue charging and charging.Wake up Village 2 your being had in more ways than one.
Gayle Share-Raab is dead wrong about the American Unity Fund. Check them out for yourself: https://www.americanunityfund.com
Gayle’s attitude about sexual minorities and groups that support them, and their relationship to the GOP belies an insidious form of homophobia that I frequently face when encountering leftits. Specifically, that being a homosexual and being a Republican are incompatible. Clearly, Gayle does not know that since 2010, as much as 30% of the gay vote has gone to the GOP depending on the election year.
Assuming a person’s vote based on their sexual orientation replaces their individuality with a group identity. It removes their agency to think for themselves based on who they love. A straight man can vote for any party he wants, and nobody raises an eyebrow. A gay man, conversely, must stick to the socially-expected voting patterns, or have his identity questioned.
Milo I could have not said it better.We do have a mind and we do think.The lockstep mentality of some is quite frightening when you think of censorship,blacklisting and boycotts that some use as a weapon to destroy others.
Thank you, James.
I came out of the closet so that I could be myself, not to be shoved into a political closet.
Thanks you Milo. Look no further than Kanye West. He left the plantation and was pilloried by the “loving, tolerant, non-racist lefties.” If his example doesn’t cause you to just #walkaway there is no hope for your soul.
How tolerate us Gay people are. We are upset at everything no matter how trivial.No one is allowed to have their own opinion UNLESS it is given to us by a chosen few.Let the hate e-mails begin.
This same sign was placed on the abandoned property just north of the Giant Shopping Center. When I saw it I came home and as did some immediately Googled American Unity Fund. My impression was it was part of Log Cabin Republicans which is a conservative gay lobbying group in Washington. Upon further investigation it seems to be a made up group designed to attract LGBTQ voters. The sign north of Giant on 202 has also been removed but my concerns of Fitzpatrick remain. I understand that his brother is the attorney for Wawa wanting to bring a Super Wawa to the intersection of Sugan and 202. We don’t want 202 in New Hope, Solebury to look like 202 in Flemington with strip malls and shopping centers. Don’t vote for Fitzpatrick so he can fast track his brothers agenda of bringing this beautiful part of Bucks County to just another suburb.
American Unity Fund is an arm of the GOP. They only work with the GOP on their lobbying. This is the same as saying the GOP endorses Fitz. What a scam and it’s good to see people realizing it.
Took them long enough to figure this shit out???
Fitzpatrick won’t comment. Ever try to contact his office? Impossible. Another example of the gutter campaign run by him.
You must not have a telephone John Harman. I have called Fitzpatrick’s office over several issues and there has never been ANY problem. And, they are courteous as well. Stop lying.
Thank you for writing this important story.
. Hope all political signage has been removed from borough property. #walkaway
Tell me one thing that is denied to the LGBTQ community in this area.
You can be fired for being gay in Pennsylvania. Also, there’s pretty much no protections for trans people in PA. See here.
Soecific examples please, Eli. Your one example involved a Catholic school. A teacher’s gay marriage is not going to be tolerated in a Catholic school. If you teach there you are expected to adhere to Catholic doctrine and that does not include gay marriage.
Please explain why this comment is germane to the illegal placement of a political sign on private and/or municipal property.