Pride at the Polls Update for May 2008

This message was sent out to our list of dedicated LGBT activists from Brian Bond, Executive Director of the GLLC. To receive these messages and other updates, sign up here.

DNC Pride at the Polls Update

May 2008

In six months we have the opportunity to win the White House, increase our majorities in Congress and strengthen our Party in states throughout the country. The stakes are high for our community, and indeed for all Americans. Whether talking about equal rights, ending the war in Iraq, putting our economy back on track, or stopping global warming, we all have a stake in the crucial issues facing us in this election. Please, before you go any further, if you want to help us take back the White House, there are two things you can do right now to help:

First, forward this update to at least 10 of your LGBT friends, encourage them to sign up and get involved in this election at www.democrats.org/lgbtsignup, and ask them to forward this to 10 friends. This election is too important for LGBT Americans to not be on the forefront of taking back the White House!

Second, consider joining the DNC's Neighborhood Volunteer Program. By committing to engage your neighbors in the important issues affecting all of us in this election, you will help make the difference in November. Join hundreds of thousands of other Democrats around the country who have pledged to contact 25 voters in their neighborhoods about Democratic candidates at least three times between now and Election Day. For more on the Neighborhood Volunteer Program and how you can be involved go to: www.democrats.org/neighborhoodvolunteer. And when you sign up, stand up and be counted, by writing in the comment section, that you are a proud LGBT Democrat!

If you take a moment and participate in these two important activities you will help to ensure our nominee and the Party is victorious in November. You are the key to Democratic success in 2008!

Rick Stafford Chair DNC LGBT Caucus

Mirian Saez Vice Chair DNC LGBT Caucus

Brian Bond Executive Director DNC GLLC

Congressman Barney Frank Speaks Out On John McCain

In a number of areas, Senator John McCain is praised for moderation that he has not in fact shown in his votes. It is true that by comparison to many of the angry right-wingers that have dominated the Republican Party with Senator McCain's general support he is less extreme and he has from time-to-time shown an amiability that contrasts with the snarling demeanor of some of his co-partisans. But all this shows is that it is possible to be prejudiced all of the time and pleasant some of the time when it comes to the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. With one exception, the relevance of which Senator McCain himself is rapidly diminishing, John McCain's record is completely opposed to our efforts to combat prejudice and gain legal equality.

The one exception has to do with his vote against the constitutional amendment that would have banned marriage. He did vote against that amendment on states' rights grounds. But in his effort to win over the right wing support he has needed to secure the Republican nomination and hold Republican votes in November, he has paved the way for a retreat from that position. He has begun to outline circumstances in which he would support such an amendment, even taking the unconstitutional position that he would "sign" a constitutional amendment if elected president. In fact, presidents do not get to sign or not sign constitutional amendments, and McCain did subsequently clarify that he would only support such an amendment if the courts had held that states must recognize each other's marriages. He has of course made it clear that he will support constitutional Amendments banning marriage at the state level, including in his own state of Arizona, and he regretted the fact that Arizona rejected such an amendment.

In every other area, McCain has a consistent voting record against our efforts. In 1996, the only time the Senate voted on the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, McCain was one of those who voted no. He has also consistently voted against extending hate crimes protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals.

In the area of gays in the military, he is one of those who made sure that President Clinton's effort to lift the ban would fail. For example, when President Clinton first proposed lifting the ban, McCain was one of its leading opponents, saying for example on January 27, 1993, "It is incredible to me that President Clinton ... has decided to lift the ban without consulting any leading military official or veterans' organization." In fact, there had been such consultations with military officials and they had opposed the president. Colin Powell, then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was our leading opponent and McCain, Sam Nunn and other leading pro-military figures combined to defeat the effort.

Now that many who supported the ban when it was first imposed, including former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and former Army Chief of Staff John Shalikash-Vili, and with Senators Clinton and Obama firmly committed to lifting the ban, John McCain has firmly renewed his support for it -- "I believe that the don't ask don't tell policy is working ... I hear that from our military commanders all the time. There are some issues in which you just have to rely on the views of our military leaders if you're going to give them responsibility for the lives and the welfare of men and women who are serving under their command."

This apparently reflects the prejudiced view that he expressed in 1993 when he was helping block President Clinton's effort when he said on February 4th, as recorded in the Congressional Record, "The issue of allowing open gay lifestyles in the military is completely different from the kind of changes taking place in civil life ... Homosexuality is a behavioral trait, unlike skin color."

In addition to strongly opposing same-sex marriage, suggesting that he could modify his opposition to a federal constitutional amendment banning states like Massachusetts from adopting same-sex marriage, voting against ENDA, consistently opposing hate crimes coverage for us, and being recorded against every other effort in the Senate to give us fair treatment, Senator McCain also promised if he becomes president to reduce those protections we have been able to achieve at the Supreme Court level. He has noted his admiration for those justices who have consistently voted against any efforts by GLBT people to establish any right to legal equality, for example Chief Justice Rehnquist, a dissenter in the Lawrence v. Texas case, in which the sodomy laws against gay and lesbian people were stricken.

Given the alignment of Supreme Court Justices, and their ages, it is virtually certain that if John McCain is president, he will appoint justices who will overturn the Lawrence decision and the leading Supreme Court opponent of fair treatment for gay and lesbian people, Antonin Scalia, will gain allies from McCain's appointments.

It is also the case that under Republican presidents we have seen virtually no significant appointments of openly gay and lesbian people, with the exception of an ambassador and some appointments to fairly unimportant commissions. In the Clinton administration, by contrast, and the administrations of most Democratic governors, there are appointments made to high positions without regard to any LGBT prejudice and so we are fairly represented.

DNC Voter Protection Outreach Includes Transgender Education

The DNC's National Lawyers Council (NLC) set up a working group under the leadership of New York NLC Member Matthew Morningstar and DNC Deputy Political Director Anna Martinez, working in conjunction with Transgender Democratic leaders to develop educational resources which will be used to educate political and electoral staff at every level on the special concerns of transgender voters. The following text was prepared by the working group for inclusion in Voter Protection Outreach:

It is important to consider the unique issues facing transgender voters (Transgender is an umbrella term used to designate a community of people who regularly present in a gender different from the sex assigned to them at birth and who live a significant part of their lives in that gender. This includes people who have undergone medical procedures to change their sex and those who have not.) These issues are especially acute because of the voter identification law.

In general, transgender people often are harassed because of their transgender status and fearful of a public and open conversation about their gender presentation. In the context of a voting situation governed by the voter ID law, many transgender people have identification that either doesn't match their gender presentation or reflect their affirmed names.

Therefore, should a transgender voter encounter any issues at your polling locations, follow these steps to defuse and resolve the situation:

1. If a situation arises where a voter's ID is challenged based on a discrepancy between the name and/or gender classification on the voter rolls as compared to the ID, ensure that the conversation between the poll worker and the voter occurs in a private area, if possible.
2. If the ID identifies the voter by a different name or different gender than what appears on the voter rolls, ask the voter if s/he has any other identification that matches the information on the rolls. If so, instruct the voter to offer this identification to the poll worker.
3. If the voter has no identification that matches the information on the voter rolls, have a conversation with the poll worker and explain the situation in an attempt to allow the voter access to the polls.
4. If the poll worker refuses to give the voter access to the polls, work with the voter and poll worker to obtain a provisional ballot for the voter.

REMEMBER, always be respectful of the voter's situation and the potential for embarrassment or discomfort, which could lead to the voter leaving the polling station without casting a vote. Always remember to refer to voters by their preferred name and refer to the voters using pronouns consistent with their gender presentation.

For more information, please go to http://www.nctequality.org/Resources/resources.html#voting

Democrats Advance Equality

Washington State Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire Signs Historic Domestic Partnership Expansion Bill!

"This bill strengthens Washington by strengthening families," Gregoire said. "It strengthens families by providing domestic partners with rights and responsibilities they need to maintain stable, loving relationships for them and their children." According to Out State Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle), "With Governor Gregoire signing this bill today, we're taking another important step in giving financial equality and fairness to loving families. This work is not about more rights, it's about equal rights."

To read more please go to:
http://wintest3.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=815&newsType=1 or
http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17130

Arizona Democrats Help Representative Kyrsten Sinema Derail Proposed Constitutional Ban On Gay Marriage

Out Democratic State Representative Krysten Sinema "out maneuvered" right-wing attempts to place a proposed anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution on the November ballot. In an effort to overturn the will of the voters in 2006 to keep an anti-gay marriage amendment out of the state constitution, Republicans in the state legislature have tried to put it back on the ballot this November. In a related effort, Sinema is playing hard ball against equality foes by promoting potential ballot strategies that would rally fair minded voters to the polls.

According to Sinema, "Arizonans support legal protections for unmarried families, and the House's vote on my amendment showed this support. The House Republican leadership is trying to make the so-called 'same-sex marriage ban' an issue again this election cycle, but what Arizonans want is for them to solve the budget crisis and focus on real priorities like education, health care, and immigration."

For more information go to:
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/04/040408az.htm or
http://www.victoryfund.org/news/view/url:sinema_serves_as_leader_on_lgbt_issues_in_arizona_legislature

Also In Arizona -- Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, Regulatory Review Council Approve Rule To Grant Domestic Partner Benefits For State Employees

On April 1, the Arizona Governor's Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) approved a rule granting domestic partner benefits for state employees. Equality Arizona, has been working in coalition with lawmakers and civic leaders to advocate for fair and equal benefits for Arizonians. According to Out Democratic State Senator Ken Cheuvront, "we fought hard for domestic partnership benefits for state employees for eight years, and it wasn't until we elected a Democrat as Governor that our dream became a reality."

For more information go to:
http://eqfed.org/ahrf/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=22098775

Virginia Democratic Governor Tim Kaine Signs Medical Rights Bill

With the stroke of a pen, Governor Kaine signed into law a measure which establishes a state registry for living wills and advanced medical directives. According to the Washington Blade and Equality Virginia, while not aimed specifically at the LGBT community, this law will enable same-sex relationships to designate their partner as the person who would make medical decisions on their behalf.

According to Out Democrat Virginia State Delegate Adam Ebbin, "The signing of legislation to establish an Advance Medical Directive registry by Governor Tim Kaine is another example of support from Virginia Democrats. Governor Kaine, former Governor Warner and Senator Webb all opposed the 2006 anti-gay marriage amendment and are friends of our community."

For more information go to:
http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17149

New York Democratic Governor Paterson Stands Up For LGBT Rights

In a video taped speech from Albany to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards on April 7, 2008, Governor David Paterson assured the community that he would work for marriage equality for New York and was committed to fight for an end to school bullying, transgender rights and affordable health care for all New Yorkers. Governor Paterson was being honored by the Task Force for his long commitment to LGBT rights.

For more information go to:
http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr_040708

Watch Governor Paterson's remarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGvVO6CI5H4

Oklahoma Democratic Party Condemns Homophobic Remarks By Republican State Representative

Oklahoma Democratic State Chair, Ivan Holmes, issued a press statement, publicly condemning recent homophobic remarks by Oklahoma Republican State Representative Sally Kern. Calling her remarks inflammatory and offensive, Holmes called on the Republican leadership of the House to condemn her remarks. Holmes noted, "As an elected Representative to the Oklahoma State Legislature Rep. Kern is held to a higher standard in her public remarks ... Rep. Sally Kern did not show such responsibility..."

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

With 65% of the vote in the Democratic run-off in Travis County, Texas, Out Democratic candidate Rosemary Lehmberg has secured the Democratic nomination for District Attorney. There is no Republican challenger on the ballot in this Democratic enclave, all but ensuring Lehmberg's election.

For more information go to:
http://www.victoryfund.org/news/view/url:lehmberg_trounces_opponent_in_texas_d_a_runoff

Colorado Democratic Legislators Blast Republicans Over Discrimination

The debate over a bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, places of public accommodation, consumer credit, labor unions and school enrollment became very heated and emotional in the State Senate. The bill which is being sponsored by Out Democratic State Senator Jennifer Veiga, stated while pushing back on Republican attacks, "It must be nice as a white male to sit back and mock the real discrimination that occurs in our society, especially on the basis of sexual orientation." Disgusted by Republican attempts to belittle the discussion over discrimination, Senate President, Democrat Peter Groff referred to discrimination as a "birth defect of this country," and said it's time we deal with that.

For more information go to:
http://www.denverpost.com/dnc/ci_8974184

The Road to Denver -- Convention Update

As you know, the Democratic Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado, August 25th -- August 28th to nominate the next President and Vice President of the United States. For more updates and information on this historic convention please visit: http://www.demconvention.com.

LGBT Delegate Push to the Democratic National Convention

As previously mentioned, 50 of the 56 states and territories have set numeric goals for LGBT delegates - up from 16 in 2004. Historic numbers of LGBT Americans are letting their voices be heard and voting in Democratic primaries and caucuses! In order to ensure the success of this effort, the DNC under Governor Dean's leadership, has provided resources for both training and outreach to prospective delegates through the National Stonewall Democrats "Pride in the Party" program.

From press accounts, you would think that the delegate selection process is almost over. But, that's wrong -- at least a third of the delegates have yet to be selected! That means we still have both a lot of work ahead of us and a unique opportunity for even more inclusion for LGBT Democrats in the nominating process.

Please go to www.PrideintheParty.org to learn more about the delegate selection process. On the website, you will be able to get more information about filing requirements and deadlines, how to contact your state Democratic Party to obtain an application, and download a "Tips" document with helpful information about running for delegate. When individuals signup on the site, the information is shared with the presidential campaigns.

If you have specific questions about running as a delegate, please contact Rick Boylan at RQBoylan@yahoo.com.

DNC Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council -- Fundraising

Save the Date: June 26, 2008 -- Annual GLLC Gala in NYC

The annual GLLC Gala is set for June 26th! While all the details are not yet finalized, we can tell you that it will be held at the Waldorf=Astoria in NYC and Governor Dean will be attending (if we have a nominee, we hope to have him or her there, too). We hope to have more details for you soon.

Signing up is easy! Simply visit www.democrats.org/gllcdinner

Even if you can't attend, please consider contributing anyway. We have an election to win and need your help now more than ever (and we'll credit you for an event that you can attend)! For more information, please contact Tom Petrillo at PetrilloT@dnc.org.

AGAIN -- YOU ARE THE KEY TO THIS ELECTION!

• Forward this update to at least 10 of your LGBT friends, encourage them to sign up and get involved in this election at www.democrats.org/lgbtsignup, and ask them to forward this to 10 friends.
• Join hundreds of thousands of other Democrats around the country pledging to contact 25 voters in their neighborhoods about Democratic candidates at least three times between now and Election Day 2008. For more information on the Neighborhood Volunteer Program and how you can be involved go to: www.democrats.org/neighborhoodvolunteer.
• And when you sign up, stand up and be counted, by writing in the comment section, that you are a proud LGBT Democrat!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact Brian Bond at BondB@dnc.org.