Dems take the GLBT vote for Granted
Dems take the GLBT vote for Granted
Letters to the Editor
Copyright by The Chcago Free Press
After making the overworked Donald Hitchcock a sacrificial lamb, now the DNC is attempting to silence the party’s gay activists. Choosing to let Donald go was a mistake. Now we have a new director, Brian Bond, without a strategic plan and without the funding, institutional support or time to handle both fundraising and outreach to the LGBT community. And if that weren’t enough, the DNC’s LGBT and field staff have to divide their time between handling an immense task and calming the critics of the program.
Taking the LGBT vote for granted is a luxury the DNC cannot afford with crucial 2006 midterm elections approaching. It is likely that the LGBT vote will play a very important role in deciding who is elected and who falls just short this season. When marriage equality is once again hitting the radio and TV airwaves in a craven attempt to turn out the votes of the narrow-minded, the Democratic Party will need to rely on the organization of LGBT Democrats to counterbalance the issue. Without a strong and active LGBT field program from 2006 to 2008, the Democratic Party risks losing the substantial gains it made in organizing the LGBT community during the 2004 campaign. The hard work of LGBT field staff during the 2004 election cycle is now deteriorating and dissent is growing.
The LGBT community is one of the most engaged demographics. It is looking for a party that will fight for its issues. But under the leadership of Howard Dean, the Democratic Party continues to signal to LGBT votes that they will take our money but do not take up our issues for fear of appearing too liberal.
Stripping the field program and replacing it with a plan focused entirely on fundraising is not only disheartening but is destroying the credibly of the DNC, Howard Dean and other high ranking LGBT officers, such as Andy Tobias. As the highest-ranking officer at the DNC Tobias should be the most vocal critic of the DNC’s dismantling of the LGBT outreach program—not it’s most silent.
There must be a point at which LGBT voters say we cannot support the Democratic Party until it makes a more dedicated commitment to our community. I strongly urge you to take consider what the DNC is doing before writing a fundraising check. Help push the DNC in the right direction and ask Dean to take responsibility for destroying the highly successful Pride at the Polls program.
It is time to accept that the LGBT community must be more than the silent piggy-bank of the Democratic Party and from this day forward commit to realizing a formal place in party organizing and outreach before it is too late.
Andy Szekeres Former Out for Dean chapter leader
Letters to the Editor
Copyright by The Chcago Free Press
After making the overworked Donald Hitchcock a sacrificial lamb, now the DNC is attempting to silence the party’s gay activists. Choosing to let Donald go was a mistake. Now we have a new director, Brian Bond, without a strategic plan and without the funding, institutional support or time to handle both fundraising and outreach to the LGBT community. And if that weren’t enough, the DNC’s LGBT and field staff have to divide their time between handling an immense task and calming the critics of the program.
Taking the LGBT vote for granted is a luxury the DNC cannot afford with crucial 2006 midterm elections approaching. It is likely that the LGBT vote will play a very important role in deciding who is elected and who falls just short this season. When marriage equality is once again hitting the radio and TV airwaves in a craven attempt to turn out the votes of the narrow-minded, the Democratic Party will need to rely on the organization of LGBT Democrats to counterbalance the issue. Without a strong and active LGBT field program from 2006 to 2008, the Democratic Party risks losing the substantial gains it made in organizing the LGBT community during the 2004 campaign. The hard work of LGBT field staff during the 2004 election cycle is now deteriorating and dissent is growing.
The LGBT community is one of the most engaged demographics. It is looking for a party that will fight for its issues. But under the leadership of Howard Dean, the Democratic Party continues to signal to LGBT votes that they will take our money but do not take up our issues for fear of appearing too liberal.
Stripping the field program and replacing it with a plan focused entirely on fundraising is not only disheartening but is destroying the credibly of the DNC, Howard Dean and other high ranking LGBT officers, such as Andy Tobias. As the highest-ranking officer at the DNC Tobias should be the most vocal critic of the DNC’s dismantling of the LGBT outreach program—not it’s most silent.
There must be a point at which LGBT voters say we cannot support the Democratic Party until it makes a more dedicated commitment to our community. I strongly urge you to take consider what the DNC is doing before writing a fundraising check. Help push the DNC in the right direction and ask Dean to take responsibility for destroying the highly successful Pride at the Polls program.
It is time to accept that the LGBT community must be more than the silent piggy-bank of the Democratic Party and from this day forward commit to realizing a formal place in party organizing and outreach before it is too late.
Andy Szekeres Former Out for Dean chapter leader
posted by Carlos T Mock at 4:06 PM
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