Nov 16, 2007  |  By: JOSHUA LYNSEN  | COMMENTS     

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign this week released a new list of prominent gay supporters.

The list, released first Wednesday to the Blade, included 21 gay professionals and activists who recently endorsed Clinton’s bid for the White House.

Names on the list include H. Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition; Dana Beyer, who is transgender and a member of Human Rights Campaign’s board of governors; and Rep. Patricia Todd, the first openly gay member of the Alabama House of Representatives.

“I am honored to have the support of these leaders in the LGBT community,” Clinton said. “Together, we can end the divisive politics of the current administration and renew the promise of fairness and equality for all Americans.”

Robinson said he chose Clinton over her fellow Democratic candidates because she “is the best prepared of all the candidates to step into the very challenging job of repairing our standing in the world.”

He added, “I really felt after looking at the other candidates and taking all things into consideration that she had the experience and commitment to the issues that are important to me and to really take us to the next level.”

Beyer, meanwhile, said Clinton won her endorsement in part because the New York senator wants to protect transgender Americans in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

“I really feel that she understands what gender identity and expression means,” Beyer said. “She is supportive of an inclusive ENDA, and she is even more importantly supportive of an inclusive America.”

The endorsements came the same week that gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced his support for Clinton.

Frank, a senior House member who serves as chair of the Financial Services Committee, also will serve as the campaign’s economic adviser.
In a prepared statement, Frank said Clinton is “the candidate best qualified to serve as president.”

He also noted that on issues involving discrimination, “Clinton is the candidate best equipped to pass laws that will treat all Americans with dignity, fairness and equality no matter who they are or who they love.”

In other campaign news, Sen. Barack Obama this week released an editorial to gay publications (see page 24) that explained why his campaign featured an anti-gay pastor at a fundraising event, and asked gays for their support toward inclusive efforts.

“I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans,” he wrote. “But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced.”

The piece came about two weeks after Rev. Donnie McClurkin performed and spoke during an event in South Carolina. McClurkin, who claims to be “ex-gay,” has accused gay Americans of “trying to kill our children,” and called homosexuality a “curse.”

Obama, who did not attend the event, has repeatedly said he does not share McClurkin’s views.

But Rick Garcia, an early Obama supporter and longtime gay rights activist who helped start Equality Illinois, said he remains frustrated with Obama’s campaign.

“I know Sen. Obama, I know his record, I admire it,” he said. “But on this issue, this campaign doesn’t get it, and I’m afraid that it is going to hurt him in the long run.”

Cathy Renna, managing partner of Renna Communications, said Obama’s editorial lacked an essential component.

“Until he’s willing to say this was a huge mistake, nothing is going to appease anyone,” she said. “Nor should it.”

Obama wasn’t the only presidential candidate working to recover from a perceived misstep.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney took some ribbing last week after the New York Times reported his campaign had advertised for at least two days in August on Gay.com.

Citing campaign sources, the newspaper indicated that the advertisements encouraging viewers to “Join Team Mitt!” were inadvertently placed on the gay web portal and were removed at the request of Gay.com.