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Frank Sanchez refuses to stand by his remark on admitting women to Ye Mystic Krewe.
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 31, 2003
TAMPA -- Mayoral hopeful Frank Sanchez stood apart from his rivals last week when he said Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the organizers of Saturday's big parade, should admit women.
Then came calls from angry members of the krewe, whose ranks include many in Tampa's power elite. Some also appear on Sanchez's list of campaign contributors.
Now Sanchez is refusing to stand by his earlier remark, alienating both women and Tampa's old guard with barely a month to go before the election.
"I don't know where Frank's heart is anymore," said Louise Thompson, a political activist and consultant who wrote No Girls Allowed, a 1992 book that detailed the krewe's exclusive membership.
Sanchez's initial comments came during a candidates forum that was taped Friday. It will begin airing Saturday on City of Tampa Television, cable Channel 15.
During the debate, a panelist noted the city's close ties to the private parade and the krewe's unwillingness to admit women members. Do the candidates agree with this policy, and if not, what would they do about it?
The major candidates ducked the question, saying they would lead by example through their hiring and support of all neighborhoods. A few noted that the krewe is a private entity, and said they were satisfied that diverse groups are invited to participate in the parade.
Then Sanchez spoke.
"Discrimination in any form by government, by important social organizations, is debilitating," he said. "My personal belief is that important social organizations such as the Krewe of Gasparilla and others would be better served -- they would serve themselves better, they would serve our community better -- if they admitted women."
He said he has always placed a priority on diversity in his various public roles, including the federal government, where he was an assistant secretary of transportation.
But this week, Sanchez offered an addendum to his comments.
"I believe that the krewe and any private organization has the right to establish its own membership criteria," he said. "I was trying to convey (Friday) that in my own life experiences, organizations in which I have been active have benefited from that inclusion."
Sanchez said the later statement does not conflict with his earlier remarks. It is simply a response to questions he has fielded.
However, when asked specifically whether he believes what he said during last week's forum, Sanchez refused to answer Thursday, rereading his prepared comment above.
"I'm not going to say anything more than that," he said.
He acknowledged talking to unhappy krewe members, including krewe captain Fred Dobbins. But he wouldn't divulge what was said, calling the conversation private.
A call to krewe headquarters was not returned Thursday.
Thompson, the No Girls Allowed author, said she is disappointed by what she considers a changed position. Her book made the case that krewe members were benefiting from their clubby arrangement in their various positions and appointments around town.
"The point of my book was, "Why aren't women given that chance,"' Thompson said. "I'm personally aware of the pressure that can be put on one from the members of these groups.
"It's unfortunate that that pressure has forced him to change a very different and enlightened position," she said.