Kansas Mayor Mell Kuhn Dresses In "Blackface Drag"

[CrackSmokeRepublican]

Kansas Mayor Mell Kuhn Dresses In "Blackface Drag" For "Men In Tights" Ball

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Arkansas City, Kansas mayor Mell H. Kuhn decided that nothing would be more appropriate for the Court Appointed Special Advocates' annual fundraiser, Men in Tights, than a red sequined dress accessorized with blackface, a curly wig, and a dark-colored bodysuit. Kevin Myles, president of the NAACP's Wichita Branch, had this to say about the mayor's choice of outfit:

    I requested the meeting with the modest goals of making accessible to the Mayor the level of offense and outrage his performance had engendered, and to impress upon the Mayor our perspective that this performance, when viewed with other key indicators, appears to be emblematic of a larger problem and perspective gap.

    These issues were highlighted by an interview that appeared in the online version of the Ark City Traveler newspaper in which the Mayor reportedly said, "I don't give a damn what people think. It's a bunch of bullshit" and later remarked, "All this PC is bullshit".

After meeting with Myles, who pointed out that perhaps dressing ilike Harvey Fierstein's secret cousin is not the best way to go about things, Mayor Mell H. Kuhn publicly announced that:

    "It has been brought to my attention how offensive this was and I absolutely agree that it was shortsighted of me not to see that in the first place. I am sincerely sorry and I sincerely apologize for the offensive nature of my actions. [T]his was of my own volition, and I take full responsibility for my actions. The buck absolutely stops here".

This was after Kuhn had been presented a trophy at the Men in Tights ball. Which begs the question... Double-sided tape? And is blackface always racist? And, finally, what about all the other people involved in accepting — and rewarding — Mayor Kuhn's choice of dress? Should they not also be forced to issue a formal apology, or does setting an example for racial sensitivity and tolerance stop at city officials?

Kansas: mayor appears in blackface drag...and wins trophy [Pandagon]

http://guanabee.com/2008/10/kansas-mayo ... sses-2.php