Sepi Shyne, a candidate in the Nov. 3 election for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council, has been the victim of threats and insults during her campaign.
In a post on Facebook, Shyne revealed that she had received hateful comments and a threat during her unsuccessful campaign in 2019. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week two different men sent her messages on social media, one of them calling her a “vile white supremacist Zionist Islamophobe.”
During her campaign last year “I received several hateful messages, including a post from a man who called me a terrorist and threatened to mace me if I knocked on his door to talk about my candidacy simply because I am an Iranian American,” Shyne said.
Shyne came in fourth in the 2019 race to fill three seats on the City Council, only 139 votes behind incumbent John D’Amico. This year she is one of eight candidates for two seats now occupied by John Duran and John Heilman. Shyne, a lawyer and a member of the city’s Business License Commission, is one of only two women in the race (the other is Noemi Torres, a real estate agent and a member of the city’s Public Facilities Commission). Shyne also is an Iranian immigrant and, if she wins, she would be only the second lesbian to have served on the West Hollywood City Council. Her wife, Ashlei, is a Black woman.
Shyne posted images of the insulting posts on her Facebook page. “I share the text of their posts to show people how much work we still have to do to ensure we live in a country that respects everyone,” she said. “HATE IS A REAL AND PRESENT DANGER for so many communities.
“No matter how many threatening, bullying, and hateful messages I receive as a candidate for office whether they are direct or even micro-aggressions, I am and will continue to be a:
- Proud Iranian American Woman and non-practicing Muslim;
- Proud Immigrant;
- Proud Ally to the Jewish community;
- Proud ally to Black, Indigenous and other people of color;
- Proud Lesbian And proud ally to my Transgender, Non-Binary, Two Spirited, Bisexual, Gay, Intersex and Queer siblings;
- Proud supporter of Labor;
- and a proud feminist..
“I have no tolerance for hate and will continue to stand for others, for my family, and for love.”
People, we have a big hate problem in our country now, can we please just hold our tongues and try to be a cohesive community as much as possible. We need to try to stick together as we have no clue what is coming and there is good reason for us to be an organized “together” community.
This is simple does a person deserve to be attacked purely as a woman, because she is a woman? Does a man attack a woman in order to feel powerful? Is a woman being attacked for her religion, ethnicity, ancestry or sexual preferences ? Does she deserve this behavior, NO!
What was posted on Sepi Shyne’s social media is appalling and sadly a sign of the times we are living in . I echo Sepi’s pronouncement as we all should, “ HATE IS A REAL AND PRESENT DANGER for so many communities.” I respect Sepi for speaking out and admire her courage and commitment to public service. Rob Bergstein, should be ashamed of himself for using this forum, especially on this issue as a platform to attack Sepi Shyne. He demonstrates over and over that he is part of the old boys network in West Hollywood and a Heilman sycophant… Read more »
Wow Marco. Reread your comments and apply your intent on every hit comment that you have posted since you announced your candidacy. My guess is you’ll see how shallow and obvious they are. It really reflects who you are. This characteristic is not what a candidate for City Council should have and shamelessly embrace. Vitriol towards others is vile and not welcoming in a candidate for City Council. It’s obvious to me, sadly, this is well woven into your fabric. I do have empathy for your nature but do your attacks really serve our city and its constituents?
Hi Mike, Articles in the press about policy and politics warrant discourse and should embrace dissent, The vicious racist attacks on Sepi Shyne are not about policy or politics. They were about hatred, discrimination and social injustice. And what I said regarding Rob Bergstein, I standby. This was not the time or place for him to criticize Sepi or her qualifications. He behaves like the disgraced Senator of old, Joseph McCarthy. Has he no shame? We stand against injustice, racism and misogyny. Sepi’s courage, activism and service to our community is an inspiration. As for my dissent and calls for… Read more »
@Rob Bergstein, I find it difficult to believe that you ever considered Atty. Shyne as your choice for City Council as you have frequently demonstrated your allegiance to 30 + year Councilmember Heilman who is pro-developer. Candidate Shyne has many concerns regarding current city policies and is pro RESPONSIBLE, development supported by many citizens in Weho. She is correct about gender disparity on the boards and commissions. Just compare males to females on current commissions and boards. It is down in black and white. Fortunately, Sepi doesn’t need your vote to be elected. Women like Marquita and Sepi don’t need… Read more »
@ Monica Jefferson, ah no. She lost any respect I might have had for her when she lied about a conversation that we had to try and get a commission appointment. Pretty simple, really.
No one ever deserves to ever receive this type of racist vile language….ever. I hope that someone is able to track it back to their IP address & hold them accountable. But here’s why I am not going for Sepi. During her last run for council, she came to our home & we spent a bit of time chatting. I told her one of the concepts she brought up, having more women appointed to boards & commissions was needed, but the problem was there weren’t enough qualified women applying, so council wasn’t able to appoint them. I likened it to… Read more »
Rob, I would point out that in the ancient days when I was on City Council I manged to have gender parity in all of my appointments for Boards and Commissions. In fact my planning commissioner was the only woman of that body for many years. There are plenty of qualified women for these positions; I never had a problem finding competent women. I think that in this day in age the City Council is remiss in not having gender parity in all of it’s appointments. Maybe I am a dated relic but I also think the president of Hollywood… Read more »
@ Rob Bergstein I just do not agree with you Mr. Bernstein.
I find that what John Erickson did by nominating himself for Vice-Chair on the Planning Commission, pushing his way over a senior more qualified female commissioner so much worse. Especially from a man who is all about being a feminist.
I was so appalled and outraged when I read what he did that I made my mind up then and there to not vote for him. (As if taking in all that money from developers wasn’t enough)….and I will be voting for Sepi Shyne.
I hope these ugly threats aren’t coming from people in West Hollywood. That would really surprise me. A very sad commentary in any case
I’ve met Sepi a few times and she’s very self involved. The only thing I noticed was me, me, me. The main reasons to vote for her is she is a lesbian and a woman. But what has she done in this city except inject her racial injustice lines into our open hearted city.
She has been super active in the community, serving on boards and commissions. She is more than qualified.
What have you done?
https://www.sepishyne.com/sepis-story
@ Weho Resident.
Here are just two examples of what she has done:
As a result of COVID-19 she co-founded the group WeHo Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Which is a group of residents in West Hollywood and neighboring areas who offer support to seniors, disabled, and others during these horrible times of quarantine and social distancing. She also organized ways for seniors in need on the east side to get food deliveries.
So, perhaps a little research before your comment might have enlightened you.
She is going to make a great council woman.