Dem Convention update: platform and gay delegates
by Matt | August 8th, 2008 |
The Democratic Party released a draft of their 2008 platform yesterday, according to GayWired.com News.
While advocacy groups report total LGBT participation will be increase these year, the platform makes only two mentions of “sexual orientation,” regarding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and then in a general “non-discrimination” plank. “Gender identity” is only mentioned once and more specific LGBT issues are left untouched.
“We will also put national security above divisive politics,” the document reads. “More than 10,000 service men and women have been discharged on the basis of sexual orientation since the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was implemented, at a cost of over $360 million. Many of those forced out had special skills in high demand, such as translators, engineers and pilots. At a time when the military is having a tough time recruiting and retaining troops, it is wrong to deny our country the service of brave, qualified people. We support the repeal1 of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and the implementation of policies to allow qualified men and women to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation.”
In its plank entitled “A More Perfect Union,” the Democrats say, “Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and disability in every corner of our country, because that’s the America we believe in.”
Transgender activists probably won’t be pleased that “gender identity” is mentioned only once. As for marriage equality, safe schools, hate crimes, employment non-discrimination, the Boy Scouts, LGBT immigration equality, the HIV travel ban (which is, in fact, still in effect) and so much more — none of these issues receive specific mention in the party platform.
But there’s good news, too. Stonewall Democrats announced earlier this week that they’d seen a 27% increase in the number of LGBTs participating in the nation convention, from 282 in 2004 to more than 350 this year.
Notes on delegates: The Southern Voice reports some details, from The Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson — There will be only 277 actual LGBT delegates. The rest of the National Stonewall Democrats’ number is an estimation of “total LGBT participation.” Also, North Carolina is sending six and South Carolina is sending none. My sweet sister state to the south is among only a few handful of states and territories sending no LGBT delegates, including American Samoa, Guam, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Virgin Islands.
3 Responses to “Dem Convention update: platform and gay delegates”
I suspect part of the reason for the quiet is that many democratic gay activists will be more focused on debunking the persistent myth from 2004 that “the gays cost Kerry the election” at this convention than they are on making forward progress on the issues that you mentioned. Like it or not, other than fundraising, the LGBT community isn’t exactly popular within the democratic party this year, and supporting us doesn’t jive well with the current democratic strategy of trying to pick up seats in the south by running culturally conservative candidates. http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121807022975219007.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_topbox Good luck with combatting that (and I say that sincerely).
By Casey on Aug 8, 2008
Having looked more closely at the draft platform… did you notice that the words “gay” and “lesbian” actually don’t appear anywhere in it? That’s a change from 2004, when it read: “We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families.” On the other hand, this year it does add that Democrats oppose the federal Defense of Marriage Act, for which I’ll give them props.
By Casey on Aug 8, 2008
Part of the reason for not mentioning the words “gay” or “lesbian,” at least in the context of Don’t ask, Don’t tell, is that the bill that would repeal DADT is written with the phrase “sexual orientation” in order to apply to everyone and not only as a protection for gay people.
In other words, everyone has a sexual orientation so everyone is protected. There are no special rights - and you know how the right likes to paint every gay-related legislation as a special rights bill.
By Pepe Johnson on Aug 9, 2008