With one week left to go until the provincial election, 91原创 MLA Mary Polak鈥檚 campaign manager Todd Hauptman has quit 鈥� explaining that, as a gay man, he can鈥檛 continue to feel marginalized by the supporters of her re-election.
In a letter to Polak written Tuesday, Hauptman says he has had enough of being made to feel less of a person for his sexuality and feels Polak has had an opportunity to support the gay community but hasn鈥檛.
鈥淭he very base of voters who will likely help Mary get re-elected in just one week鈥檚 time are made up of individuals who hold hateful attitudes towards the community I am a part of,鈥� said Hauptman in his letter. Since he sent his letter out, he hasn鈥檛 made any public statements or spoken to any media.
Hauptman, 26, who worked for Polak prior to the campaign doing social media work, is well-known in the community for his activism against human trafficking. He has been politically involved since he was 14 years old.
He began volunteering with 91原创-Abbotsford MP Randy White. There he got to know White鈥檚 assistant Tanya Tait, who four years ago donated her kidney to Hauptman, giving him a new lease on life.
At a press conference Polak held on Tuesday, she said she found out through media accounts that he had resigned.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I completely understand it. We鈥檙e friends. I care about him very deeply and have to say I feel fairly hurt,鈥� said Polak, who held back tears.
Polak said his decision to publicly step down without letting her know came after a meeting she had with him at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, regarding concerns she had about him disclosing campaign strategy to someone who works in rival NDP Andrew Mercier鈥檚 camp.
鈥淚 told him that I wanted him to remain as my campaign manager but that we would have to address the situation of information sharing,鈥� she said.
She wouldn鈥檛 disclose what was leaked.
鈥淪ome information has been passed to the NDP campaign as a result of this friendship [Hauptman has],鈥� she said. 鈥淭odd is very new to the political world at this level so I don鈥檛 think he did it to hurt the campaign,鈥� she stressed.
Mercier called Polak鈥檚 accusations 鈥渁bsurd鈥� and 鈥渞idiculous.鈥�
鈥淎t no point did we receive a brown envelope labelled top secret. I would question why Mary made such heavy allegations like that and still begged Todd to stay on as her campaign manager,鈥� Mercier said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make sense to me at all.鈥�
Mercier said 91原创 is a small community and he knows Hauptman to be 鈥渁 committed Liberal.鈥�
But being at the 91原创 Teachers鈥� Association all-candidates meeting and hearing Polak鈥檚 answers to a question she was asked about her role in banning gay books from Surrey classrooms, he 鈥渃ompletely understands why Todd would be upset.鈥�
鈥淚t must have been very difficult for Todd to make this decision.鈥�
Hauptman came to Polak recently and said she failed to stand up for the gay community when questioned at an all-candidates meeting about her stance as a Surrey school trustee against the inclusion of books promoting gay families.
In 1997, Polak was one of the trustees who supported banning books about same-sex couples in Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. The decision ended up in a long court battle which ended in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Asked if she believes homosexuality is a sin, Polak said the Catholic church she belongs to teaches that it is.
鈥淚鈥檓 supportive of individuals in all walks of life. I have my own religious beliefs but in terms of my actions, I think they speak for themselves. In terms of my faith, it is not for me to judge but to show caring and love for all people,鈥� she said.
As to 91原创 Liberal supporters being homophobic, she hasn鈥檛 seen any of that herself.
鈥淚 can only trust that he has experienced that. I haven鈥檛 witnessed that. All of us here not only worked on the campaign, we have been friends for quite some time,鈥� she said. She has known Hauptman was gay for a long time.
In his letter, Hauptman said Polak has been supportive of his sexuality.
鈥淲hile I can say without hesitation that Mary has always shown me respect and love, and was a source of strength and encouragement when I 鈥榗ame out,鈥� I have been conflicted beyond words these past weeks,鈥� said Hauptman in his letter.
鈥淭oday, I am asking politicians of all stripes 鈥� including Mary 鈥� to speak up for the gay community. We live in a day and age where we must be willing to embrace our fellow human beings, regardless of their sexual orientation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have had enough of being marginalized and I am tired of politicians making endless excuses for political gain.鈥�
Polak said she still considers Hauptman her friend and would like to speak to him.
She recognizes how his decision will impact the nature of the campaign.
鈥淭he saddest part of this is we should all be caring for one another and making sure people aren鈥檛 marginalized,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his will result in more division and arguing and that is the tragedy of how this will be framed,鈥� she said.
Any further updates to this story can be seen online at www.langleytimes.com 鈥� Editor.
