Jul 06, 2007  RICK STAFFORD | COMMENTS     

AS PRIDE MONTH comes to a close, it is important for our community to reflect on how far we’ve come in the past year and why.

In 2006, President Bush kicked off Pride month by using the Rose Garden to launch a campaign for a divisive and discriminatory federal marriage amendment. By June 7, then-Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist had forced a vote in the Senate, with Republican leaders in the House following suit a few weeks later.

But this year is different. 

After last year’s victories, Democrats now control both houses of Congress, won majorities in 10 new state legislatures and control a majority of America’s governorships. At every level of government, Democratic-elected officials across America are protecting the rights and dignity of every American. Together, their record shows that the best way to stand up for our community is to elect Democrats.

From Iowa to Oregon, Massachusetts to Colorado, newly elected Democrats have fought for these values by defeating discriminatory ballot measures, ending workplace discrimination and adopting new protections for all of our families. 

IN IOWA, GOV. Chet Culver signed a state Employment Nondiscrimination Act. Gov. Bill Ritter in Colorado signed a second parent adoption bill and is expected to sign a state ENDA soon. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland signed an executive order banning discrimination against state employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And Gov. Deval Patrick in Massachusetts led the successful effort to keep an anti-marriage amendment off the ballot. His leadership stands in stark contrast to his Republican predecessor Mitt Romney, for whom scapegoating our community is just another part of his White House run. 

The same pattern holds true in state houses around the country, as new Democratic legislatures are passing new protections. Oregon Democrats took control of the state House and passed domestic partnership and state ENDA bills. A new Democratic majority in Indiana defeated a proposed constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage. New Hampshire Democrats took both houses of the legislature — including taking the state House for the first time since the Civil War — and promptly passed a civil unions bill.

In Washington, instead of debating divisive constitutional amendments, the Democratic Congress has passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, introduced a federal ENDA, and is considering the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Every one of the Democratic presidential candidates supports ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” something not a single Republican candidate is willing to do. 

THE DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT in our community’s fortunes is a result of one thing: the dramatic victories by Democrats across the country last year. And let there be no mistake: those victories would not have been possible without the Democratic National Committee’s 50 State Strategy.

Because Democrats organized and took their message to voters in every part of every state, we won in places no one thought possible. Of the new Democratic seats in Congress, 22 were from non-traditionally Democratic districts, including places like Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky — even a rural district in my home state of Minnesota. DNC programs in states like Montana, Minnesota and Virginia helped win close Senate races, giving Democrats a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994.  

But the DNC is not stopping there. Under Dean’s leadership, the party adopted new inclusion rules that will help empower our community, including new rules governing the election of delegates to the convention.  This summer, 45 states submitted plans that set specific goals outlining a certain number of openly LGBT delegates, something just 16 states did in 2004. The DNC has also sponsored first of its kind delegate selection trainings to educate members of our community on how to be a convention delegate. Together, these changes mean that, when our country’s next president is nominated at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, the delegates nominating him or her will look more like America than ever before.

Our task is by no means complete. But what a difference a year makes.