From DallasVoice.com
Gay Dems from Dallas head to national convention
By John Wright
Jun 12, 2008 - 6:12:28 PM
North Dallas LGBT community well-represented at state convention held last weekend in Austin; at least five advancing to Denver
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| Jesse Garcia, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, said four of the five North Texans chosen to go to the Democratic National Convention are pledged Clinton delegates. |
AUSTIN –At least 11 LGBT Democrats from Texas, including five from Dallas, will serve as delegates to the party’s national convention in Denver in August.
But it was unclear as of Wednesday, June 11 whether the Texas Democratic Party had met its goal of sending a minimum of 14 to 18 LGBT delegates to the national convention.
Hector Nieto, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party, said Wednesday that a list of national delegates and the minority groups they represent was not yet available following the state convention in Austin June 5-7.
Nieto also said he was unsure whether two pro-LGBT resolutions had passed during the convention. But Carl Betancourt, a party volunteer who was in charge of the hundreds of resolutions at the convention, said he believes one of the pro-LGBT resolutions was referred to the State Democratic Executive Committee, while the other died.
With intense interest in the presidential contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, competition to become a national delegate was fierce this year, according to Erin Moore, vice president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
Moore said she had to beat out 12 other candidates to be elected as a national delegate for Sen. Obama representing Dallas’ State Senate District 16.
“I’m ecstatic,” Moore said. “I swear, I jumped four feet in the air. It was truly an amazing moment.”
The other four pledged LGBT national delegates from Dallas will be for Sen. Hillary Clinton, according to Stonewall Democrats of Dallas President Jesse Garcia. They are Paul Tran, Trent Hagler, Jeff Strater and Neil Emmons. Unpledged superdelegate David Hardt of Dallas, president of Young Democrats of America, will be an LGBT delegate to the national convention for Obama.
“I’m very proud that Dallas had almost half the [known LGBT national] delegates [from Texas],” Garcia said. “It just shows how organized our community is. Dallas is leading the way when it comes LGBT equality.”
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| Jeff Strater |
Strater, vice president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, said although Clinton dropped out of the race last week, she’s holding on to her pledged delegates.
“My role as a Clinton delegate is sticking by Hillary before and during the [national] convention and really taking a lead from her and her campaign on things they need at the convention,” said Strater, who was also elected to represent Senate District 16. “I’m certainly, like Hillary, going to support Barack Obama in the fall, but it’s my hope as a Clinton delegate that she’s selected as the vice presidential nominee.”
Strater also said he would be disappointed if the state party didn’t meet its goal for LGBT national delegates. But he declined to comment further until he sees the final numbers.
The Democratic National Committee added LGBT to its affirmative action policy in 2006. LGBT Democrats were expected to account for 7 to 8 percent of Texas’ 228 delegates to the national convention.
Even if the party met that goal, some said it was likely Texas would have fewer LGBT national delegates than it did in 2004.
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| Teresa Herrin |
The other known LGBT national delegates from Texas were Victor Castillo (Clinton) and Teresa Herrin (Clinton) from Houston; and Glenn Maxey (Obama) and David Brockman (Obama) from Austin. Sue Lovell, who was re-elected to the Democratic National Committee during the state convention, will serve as an LGBT national delegate for Clinton. Lovell is Houston’s vice mayor pro tem.
Betancourt, the party volunteer, said according to his notes, a resolution died at the convention that would have called on Democrats to support legislation protecting LGBT students from bullying. Betancourt said another pro-LGBT resolution was referred to the Executive Committee because the convention adjourned before it could be heard on the floor. The resolution referred to the Executive Committee would call on Democrats to support legislation prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, insurance, education and public accommodations, he said.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 13, 2008.
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