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| Gay rights supporters gathered at the Capitol City Brewing Co. in D.C. to await election returns Tuesday night. The crowd had much to celebrate and broke into applause when the defeat of Sen. Rick Santorum was announced. (Photo by Janelle Zara) |
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: JOSHUA LYNSEN COMMENTS
 
Gay rights advocates hailed this week’s election results and expressed hope that the Democratic takeover of the House, and possibly the Senate, would revive chances for long-sought workplace discrimination protections and other advancements.
Although results from the Nov. 7 election were incomplete at Blade deadline, Democrats were expected to hold at least 229 House seats. The tally gave Democrats a clear majority in a chamber it hasn’t controlled since 1994.
It was unclear at deadline which party would control the Senate. Democrats held 50 seats, and all eyes were on Virginia, where Democrat Jim Webb was poised to narrowly defeat Republican Sen. George Allen.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said the Democratic victories, which included the election of several gay-friendly lawmakers across the nation, signified “a great day for LGBT Americans.”
Democratic National Committee GLBT Caucus Chair Rick Stafford agreed.
“It’s like the gloomy skies cleared Tuesday night,” he said. “The sun isn’t quite out, but it’s clear skies. And it’s a lot better walking under clear skies than gloomy skies.”
Stafford, Solmonese and others said Democrats would give new priority to gay initiatives when the 110th Congress convenes in January.
Perhaps the greatest push will be to advance a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
“An inclusive ENDA is a very top priority for our community, and I think Congress will put that at the top of their agenda,” Stafford said. “That is something that is very doable.”
Other priorities included a federal hate crimes bill that covers crimes motivated by hatred of gays and transgender people, and a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military’s ban on openly gay service members.
“Could we have a hate crimes vote in the first six months? Could we have a hearing on gays in the military?” Solmonese said. “Absolutely.”
Competing interests
But some analysts were more guarded, noting that action on the proposals was not certain.
Dan Pinello, a City University of New York government professor, said Democrats must first tackle the Iraq war and a host of immigration issues.
“I don’t see LGBT issues high up at all,” he said, “so there might be some waiting.”
Pinello said gay activists must compete with other key constituencies within the Democratic Party for attention during the first year.
He said issues not addressed in 2007 could fall by the wayside in what could be a politically volatile 2008.
“That will be the tension for LGBT interest groups — to try to get that honeymoon period of the first year to produce action favorable to our side,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy, I think, but clearly some opportunities are there. It all depends on how much our community is able to get the congressional focus placed on us.”
Solmonese said HRC is working with other gay organizations, including the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, and congressional leaders to plan such strategies.
“We at HRC have been meeting with the congressional leadership for some time now, and have begun to have those conversations,” he said. “And we have been talking with the Task Force, and talking with other groups, about what the legislative agenda might look like.
“But one of the great things about the past year is that we’ve all been talking enough within the different groups that I think even now there’s a pretty pragmatic and clear idea on how we’re going to move forward.”
Solmonese said the two top priorities moving forward likely would be ENDA and hate crimes.
“I don’t want to give one more or less significance than the other, because they’re two very different landmark pieces our community has been working on for years,” he said. “I don’t think one is more important than the other.”
Conservative opposition
Plans to advance gay legislation drew heated reactions from some conservative groups.
Americans for Truth, which is billed as “the only national organization devoted exclusively to exposing and countering the homosexual activist agenda,” pledged to counter efforts by HRC and others.
President Peter LaBarbera told the Blade, “conservative groups and pro-family groups” are “gearing up” to derail ENDA and the hate crimes bill.
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