DNC Chairman Howard Dean was in town this weekend to address the annual convention of the National Stonewall Democrats aka “gay Democrats.” Dean told the assembled faithful that Stonewall has made the party “stronger, more inclusive, more courageous, more tenacious.” (PG)
Mr. Dean said DNC operatives had been instructed to work with the gay community and trained to discuss gay-rights issues with straight voters.
He told the Stonewall group, 'We need you to reach out to the straight community.'
Reach out to the straight community? What the hell does he think we do everyday – live in a queers only bubble?
While reporter Joe Smydo was quick to get some comments from the Sanctimonious camp, he failed to even touch on some of the recent gay controversy swirling around Dean's leadership. (Washington Blade)
First, Dean eliminated the LGBT outreach desk late last year as part of a strategic realignment, assuring the community that the DNC would continue to reach out to gays.
Then in February, the DNC published its annual grassroot activity report without a single reference to LGBT grassroots activities.
Third, in early May, Dean fired gay outreach advisor Donald Hitchcock just weeks after Hitchcock's partner publicly criticized the DNC for failing to protect gay rights.
For his coup d'etat, Dean went on The 700 Club. Yes, Dean made time in his schedule to reach out to the Pat Robertson crowd. Later, Dean had to issue an apology for informing Robertson's viewers that the Democrat party platform stated marriage was between a man and a woman. Gay groups responded in outrage. Dean does intend to return to The 700 Club for future appearances. Click here for Shakespeare Sister's recap of Pat Robertson's more outrageous (?divisive?) comments.
Did anyone from the media even ASK Dean about these issues? Did anyone from Stonewall? I couldn't because Stonewall didn't want bloggers covering their convention. We aren't a “valid media.” I guess no one bothered to tell Dean that during the 2004 campaign, but whatever. Or perhaps bloggers might ask actual questions that put Stonewall on the spot. Wouldn't want that.
It appears that the PG editors prefer to spin Dean's appearance as an anti-Santorum story than to do any concrete reporting on current gay politics. To be fair, they have probably sent an intern into the bowels of the Boulevard to drag out and dust off the tired old gay cliches for the June 17 PrideFest article. Last year's trivial little article by Caitlin Cleary is a good example of how little concern the PG has for accurate reporting on gay issues. But I digress …
h/t to 2 Political Junkies for a transcript of the entire Dean speech.
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Maybe they're barring bloggers because blogging is an efficient, Democratic/democratic way to get information to the masses, and they don't want anyone to rock the boat.
See an example of a blogger rocking the National Stonewall Democrats boat: National Stonewall Democrats corporate status revoked
Only this blog claimed bloggers were banned. But obviously that isn't true since it appears on another blog. What this blog requested was a free pass to a paid convention (for the record, there is not official cost to attend a party convention, only that you have official credentials). the free pass was what was denied. There is a difference.
Maybe Dean's “behind-the-scenes” team has discovered some deep dark secret truth — maybe that the 700 Club's leadership are really J.Edgar Hoovers in disguise. You know, homo-hating in public yet dressing up in drag and attending the race track with their boyfriends and betting with mob or membership money?
For a guy who sounded pretty darn on-track a few years ago, Howard now sounds like and acts like Senator John McCain… flipping and flopping more than the all the pancakes at the House of Pancakes during Senior Citizen Discount Day.
If this is all the leadership we have to offer Democrats, we better hope that disgust and hate sweep out the Republicans in Nov & in 08 — because this flippy floppy no issue no concerete plan of action stuff isn't going to cut it.