With Obama’s VP pick announcement rumored to be coming right around the corner, LGBT stalwart activists have taken to the netroots to raise Obama’s profile among the LGBT community.
Through LGBTforObama.com, a team of top-notch LGBT advocates and politicos will raise money for the “Yes We Can!” Democratic candidate and highlight the differences between Obama’s forward-thinking platform and John McCain’s Bush-lite, backward thinking campaign.
Activist Terry Bean is the one behind the scenes. David Mixner wrote a nice little piece on him back in June 2007:
Terry Bean is always one of those behind the scenes people you rarely hear about in American politics that gets more done than most elected officials. For over thirty years, Terry Bean has unselfishly committed himself to the struggle for human rights. This man has never given up on the fight for LGBT equality. He also has been a participant in every major battle for freedom and justice in his lifetime.
Other folks behind the scenes included committed activists and young adults like my friend and colleague Jake Reitan, founder of the Soulforce Equality Ride. Bean and the Obama team hired Jake last month to help with the development of the site and fundraising.
What I find particularly interesting is the participation from LGBT bloggers. North Carolina’s own Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend fame is already in on the mix, as is Michael Crawford (bloggernista.com).
Bean says the new website will be a “unique collaboration of bloggers, politicians, celebrities working in support of Obama.”
That “unique collaboration” currently includes a smorgasboard of activists and prolific LGBT bloggers:
John Aravosis, of AmericaBlog.com
Chad Allen, TV actor
Marti Abernathy, of Bilerico.com
Phil Attey, activist
Vice Basile, former HRC executive director
Elizabeth Birch, former HRC executive director
Bil Browning, of Bilerico.com
Andres Duque, of Blabbeando.com
Terrance Heath, of RepublicofT.com
Jeremy Hooper, of GoodAsYou.org
Jeff Hickey, community activist
Corey Johnson, community activist
Waymon Hudson, of fightoutloud.com
Robin Kane, community activist
Jake Kaskey, community activist
Eric Marcus, of Bilerico.com
Rod McCullon, of RodOnline.typepad.com/rodonline
David Mixner, of davidmixner.com
Cathy Renna, of Renna Communications
Bishop V. Gene Robinson
Mike Rogers, of PageOneQ.com
Hillary Rosen, of HuffingtonPost.com
Michelangelo Signorile, of SiriusOutQ Radio and signorile2003.blogspot.com
Joe Sudbay, of AmericaBlog.com
Andy Towle, of Towleroad.com
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