Frank Schubert, head of the public affairs firm that did yeoman’s work on the Prop 8 campaign, has a sister who is a lesbian. This story from the Fresno Bee, does credit to both Frank, and his sister Anne Marie.
Frank Schubert was the consultant behind recent campaigns to ban gay marriage in California and Maine. Anne Marie Schubert is a respected local prosecutor who neither promotes nor hides that she is gay.
Frank Schubert has been vilified for his work though he supports his sister’s civil union and her decision to raise two small children with her partner.
Anne Marie Schubert has taken heat from people furious with her brother. The expectation is that she should campaign for gay marriage. No way. She aspires to be a judge, and judicial rules preclude her from supporting political causes. “My ethics are more important to me than something put on a piece of paper,” she said. “I’m going to follow the rules. That’s how I am.”…
Frank says his fight isn’t against gay people. He believes marriage is a sacred bond between men and women that must be protected.
“What my relationship with my sister has done is made me very careful in my words,” he said. “I focus them on policy and not the humanity of the individuals involved. There are very sincere, loving gay people who feel the way they do about same-sex marriage.”
From my limited dealings with Frank Schubert, I can attest to this. If you notice, the Prop 8 ads make no claims about “all gay people are this or that.” The ads are not about the worthiness of gays and lesbians. The campaign was about the social consequences of redefining marriage. That’s Frank Schubert. I think all this will become more and more clear as the trial goes on.
