Lt. gov. candidate booted from band for marriage stance

Mark Smith recently made headlines for getting kicked out of his Christian rock band for his pro-marriage-equality stance. Now, Smith hopes to continue to make a name for himself as a progressive Democrat looking to become the state’s next lieutenant governor. Smith, 35, hails from Athens, Pa., and is currently in his second term as Bradford County commissioner in Northeast Pennsylvania. He got involved in Christian group One Floor Away through an ad on Craigslist. “I have played in a lot of bands over the years and this was the first I played with that was faith-based,” he said. “I met with them and we seemed to get along well and the music came along well.” Conversations on same-sex marriage came up throughout his tenure with the band and Smith said his fellow members were aware of his support for marriage equality. But, he said, when he decided to run for public office, things changed. He was asked by the band to change his position and, when he refused, they asked him to leave. “I have a hard time understanding their beliefs but it was more of an issue later on, and it took me by surprise,” he said. “But, on the other hand, it does not compare to what the LGBT community is going through by not being able to express who you are and who you love.” Smith said he’s since received emails and correspondence from across the state from people supporting his position. “It has been a great thing for me as a person and certainly for the campaign. It’s been wonderful to talk about this issue and have something that has brought it to life.” Smith said his bid for public office is allowing him to share his progressive views with people of all ideologies. “This is an opportunity for me to come out of a very rural, traditional and conservative area as a liberal Democrat and talk about issues that are important to me — one of those being marriage equality,” he said. “As I travel the state, I have seen that the issues are very similar and people are concerned about education, social issues and natural-gas drilling issues, which is something I am close to because I am from the most drilled county in the state.” Smith and his sister were raised by a single parent and attended public school, so he said he’s seen firsthand the need for proper education funding. “It meant a lot to us to have a place to go with after-school programs. It really made a difference in my life and I know they are important to kids all over Pennsylvania.” In terms of LGBT equality, Smith said efforts need to be made to ensure nondiscrimination is in place. “It is extremely important to step forward and make sure each county, town and city in PA does not discriminate based on gender identity and sexual orientation,” he said. “I think how we approach our youth needs to be addressed as well and we need to have conversations in our high school to have a better understanding of these issues.” Taking that dialogue across the state is key, he said. “We have to have that conversation in all of Pennsylvania. It is common to talk about these issues in Southeastern PA and Western PA, but coming from rural PA, we have to have that conversation in every corner of the state.” Smith will run against current Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley in November 2014. For more information on Smith, visit www.marksmithforpa.com. The LGBT community is invited to a fundraising party for Smith’s campaign, June 15 at 334 Callendar Lane in Wallingford.