June 26, 2008
Where John McCann Stands on LGBT Issues
I Gotta See ThisPosted on June 26, 2008 12:05 PM
April 22, 2008
The Center's 5th Annual Art Show and Auction
STONEWALL MEMBERS SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
FOR THE CENTER APRIL 26,2008
KICK OFF PRIDE WEEK
Posted on April 22, 2008 10:05 PM
February 15, 2008
DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE 21 LGBT SUPER DELEGATES ?
LGBT Superdelegates
(Source: National Stonewall Democrats)
Members of the U.S. Congress:
–Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Declared for Clinton
–Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)
Declared for Clinton
Posted on February 15, 2008 9:11 PM
Clark County Democratic Convention Needs Volunteers
February 15, 2008
Please Volunteer for the Clark County Democratic Convention!
As precinct chairs and caucus volunteers, you stepped up to the plate on January 19th and hit the ball out of the park. Now the party needs your help again. The Clark County Democratic Convention is rapidly approaching on Saturday, February 23rd, and the Clark County Democrats are seeking volunteers to help with registration and sign-in procedures. Volunteers are needed both on Friday evening, February 22nd from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM, and on Saturday, February 23rd from 7:00 AM - Noon at Bally's Hotel and Casino in the Grand Ballroom.
If you would like to volunteer at the Clark County Convention, please attend a mandatory training session this Monday evening, February 18th, at 6:00 PM at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall, 760 N Lamb Blvd in Las Vegas. It is very important to attend this training if you would like to volunteer at the convention. Please RSVP to Erin Bilbray at ebilbray@aol.com.
Thank you for all your continuing support of the Democratic Party!
Posted on February 15, 2008 8:09 PM
February 6, 2008
Hillary Sends Letter to LGBT Community
Hillary Clinton tries to woo gay vote with letter...
http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2008/02/hillary_clinton_tries_to_woo_g.html
Posted on February 6, 2008 6:57 AM
January 24, 2008
AL GORE ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Al Gore Makes Some Noise on Marriage
This week, Vice President Gore shared his thoughts on the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. His view? That it would only strengthen the American family. Gore released his statement as a video blog post on Current TV, the user-generated cable television channel which he heads.
In response, Executive Director Jon Hoadley noted that "It is a position which some would still call courageous, but which a new generation of Americans would call common sense."
To watch the Gore video, simply click here.
You can also read the statement by Jon Hoadley here.
Posted on January 24, 2008 2:21 PM
December 15, 2007
WHERE WILL YOU CAUCUS ON JAN.19TH??
We have crossed another important hurdle in organizing for our caucus on Saturday, January 19th!
The Nevada Democratic Party has finalized 545 caucus locations statewide to host Nevada's historic presidential caucus on January 19th. That is more caucus locations in 2008 than there were polling locations in 2006!
Find your caucus location by clicking HERE or put in www.nvdemscaucus.com in your browser !
About 75 percent of the locations are in schools, and most others are in public buildings such as community centers, libraries and even a YMCA.
Please call me at the Nevada Democratic Party at (702) 737-8683 if you have any questions! You can also go onto the website www.nvdemscaucus.com and put in your address to find out where your caucus location is for your precinct.
Robert Disney
Nevada State Democratic Party
Nevada State Democratic Party | 1210 S. Valley View, Suite 114 | Las Vegas | NV | 89102
Posted on December 15, 2007 2:00 PM
December 9, 2007
Progressive Democrats of America
Congress to Vote on Iraq Funds
as early as
Monday, December 10
Following Message was sent to me and I thought I would share it with our members who are concerned:
As most members of the Senate and the House are preparing to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace with their loved ones, they are about to vote to fund more death and destruction.
In a complete capitulation to Bush and the Republican war machine, Congress is expected to vote on Monday, December 10, to approve continued funding for the occupation of Iraq with NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
We're fed up.
Though time is short, peace activists are mobilizing to make our voice heard yet again. Choose which works best for you and your district from the following tactics and please, act quickly:
* Send an email to your senators and representative that says “Peace is Possible, if you vote NO.”
* Send a delegation to the offices of your Senators and Representative on Monday--emphatically demand an end to the occupation. Your peaceful visit can be brief, or last long enough for you to read the names of every civilian and soldier killed in Iraq, or it can last until the member of Congress agrees to oppose all funding that is not tied to the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops and contractors. Post a notice of this action here and check here to see if there's an action planned in your district.
* Flood both your senators and representatives with phone calls through the Capitol Hill switchboard (202-224-3121) with this message: “Vote NO to any funding for the occupation of Iraq that does not require the rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops and contractors.”
* Issue a press release or letter to the editor denouncing Congress' capitulation to Bush and demand an end to the occupation. Send it TODAY!
Yours in the movement,
Tim Carpenter
PDA National Director
____________________
Spread the "Progressive Word"--Shop PDAstore for the Holidays!
Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal: Extend the victory of Nov. 2006 into a permanent, progressive majority. PDA's advisory board includes seven members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Cindy Sheehan and Rev. Lennox Yearwood. More info: http://pdamerica.org
Posted on December 9, 2007 9:47 AM
December 6, 2007
Hate Crimes Update December 6,2007
Stonewall Democrats Comment on Conference Removal of Hate Crimes Bill
Democrats Maintain Moral Obligation to Ensure Passage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats issued the following statement on the removal in conference of the Matthew Shepard Act (also known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act) from the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act:
"Democrats in both the U.S. House and Senate support passage of the Matthew Shepard Act (Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act). The Democratic Leadership, which guided this legislation to successful passage in their respective chambers, are now burdened with a moral obligation to see their work completed. If the National Defense Authorization Act is not the appropriate vehicle for passage, then we encourage the Democratic Leadership to work with our community to find the most expedient way to place this legislation on the President's desk within this Congress."
- Jon Hoadley, Executive Director
The Matthew Shepard Act, would extend federal grants to local law enforcement agencies in order to more thoroughly investigate and prosecute domestic terror crimes that target individuals based on disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Under existing hate crimes laws, such grants are routinely provided to local agencies for similar crimes which target victims based on race, color, national origin or religion.
Presidential candidates Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are introductory co-sponsors of the Senate version of the legislation as was Representative Dennis Kucinich of the House version. Senators John Edwards and Mike Gravel, along with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson have also taken positions supporting the legislation.
A 2007 poll conducted by Peter Hart Research associates found that three out of four Americans supported the expansion of federal hate crimes law to include crimes based on disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Support cut across partisan, ethnic and religious lines. 74% of African Americans support the legislation along with 74% of Whites and 72% of Latinas/os. 63% of Evangelical Christians support the legislation according to the poll, as do 56% of Republican men.
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National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
# # #
Find out more at www.stonewalldemocrats.org.
(c) 2007 National Stonewall Democrats. Contributions to National Stonewall Democrats are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Posted on December 6, 2007 6:51 PM
LA TIMES DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL POLL
Latest Poll Posted by the LA Times Dec.5, 2007 shows Hillary Clinton with 45% followed by Barack Obama with 21%.
We will try to keep you updated with latest poll results on a weekly basis. Iowa Polls however are showing Barack Obama with a marginal lead over Hillary Clinton. It will be interesting to see how this will all play out in the coming weeks. The other candidates have a lot of work to do to catch up to these frontrunners.
Stonewall Democrats support all of our Candidates and wish them well. We will be happy to support any of the candidates for President when all is said and done.
Posted on December 6, 2007 1:24 AM
PRIDE IN THE PARTY PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: John Marble
(202) 436-5966
johnmarble@stonewalldemocrats.org
Stonewall Democrats Launch Effort to Increase LGBT Delegates to 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver
PRIDE IN THE PARTY PROGRAM TO TRAIN FUTURE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Washington, DC - Today, National Stonewall Democrats announced the launch of Pride in the Party. This national program will expand the participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democrats within state and local Democratic parties – and will specifically increase the participation of LGBT Democrats at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Pride in the Party was created with a strong focus on developing the participation of LGBT communities of color, union members, youth and veterans.
"Many of our brightest elected officials, chapter leaders and party officers began their participation in Democratic politics as delegates to past conventions," said Jon Hoadley, Executive Director. "Pride in the Party is designed to develop that type of local leaders who will ultimately shape the national policy of the Democratic Party on LGBT issues. We are seeking the participation of individuals who want to help the Democratic Party grow and win by advancing the values which make it strong."
Rick Boylan, former Director of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection at the Democratic National Committee, will serve as Director of Pride in the Party. It was also announced that Rick Stafford, Chair of the GLBT Americans Caucus at the Democratic National Committee and former Chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, will be utilized by the program as a consultant with a focus on state parties. Assisting in outreach to the LGBT communities, particularly within the Party’s core constituencies are consultants Mandy Carter, former member of the Democratic National Committee and the DNC’s GLBT and Black Caucuses, and Laura M. Esquivel, a strategist with experience in successfully building bridges between Latino/a and LGBT constituencies.
The program will work with presidential campaigns, state parties and allied organizations to ensure that LGBT Democrats are reflected in each state delegation. Pride in the Party will assist in training and advising interested individuals and in the development of delegate campaigns.
What Community Leaders are Saying about Pride in the Party:
"Pride in the Party is a hands-on opportunity to educate policymakers, regardless of their political affiliation, on the priorities of our community. This program enables advocates to actively inform the political process on issues of gender identity and expression." – Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
"The more openly LGBT people serving in powerful party positions, the more likely we are to see inclusive party platforms and inclusive campaigns. National Stonewall Democrats is doing our community a great service in prioritizing this program." – Dave Noble, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
"The upcoming elections will set the tone for progressive movement for decades to come. It is paramount that LGBT people play a positive and visible role. Stonewall is leading the way." – H. Alexander Robinson, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition
"For LGBT workers, political action is a vital element of any strategy to win protection from job discrimination, as well as to gain improved wages, better working conditions and increased job security. In 30 of the 50 states, it remains legal to discriminate against gay, lesbian and bisexual workers; in 39 states, it is legal to discriminate against transgender workers. Registering to vote and participating in the political process are essential steps for LGBT workers to break down these barriers to full inclusion in the American Dream." - Donna Cartwright, Communications Director, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
National Stonewall Democrats has launched www.PrideInTheParty.org as a stand-alone website where LGBT Democrats can sign up to participate in the delegate selection process and access state-by-state information.
Overall program goals include:
- At a minimum, the election of 321 LGBT delegates, a 14% increase in the number of LGBT Democrats elected to the 2008 Democratic National Convention over 2004 numbers (282 LGBT Democrats were elected as delegates in 2004).
- The participation of LGBT Democrats in the delegations of all 50 states (42 states sent LGBT delegates in 2004).
- Increase in the participation of LGBT Democrats of color.
- Increase in the participation of LGBT youth, veterans and union members.
Most delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be elected by Democratic voters within their congressional district and approved by the presidential campaigns which they seek to represent. Often complex, the procedures for becoming a delegate vary greatly from state to state. Pride in the Party is an organized effort to help LGBT Democrats navigate their state’s particular requirements and to run successful campaigns to win delegate positions.
Prior to the launch of Pride in the Party, National Stonewall Democrats undertook efforts to require each state Democratic Party to work toward the increased participation of LGBT Democrats within their 2008 delegations. As a result, the Rules and Bylaws of the Democratic National Committee were amended to require each state party to establish numerical goals for LGBT participation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention or implement comprehensive participation and outreach programs. Already, 47 states have established numerical goals for the participation of LGBT Democrats in 2008. Alaska, Arkansas and Mississippi have established inclusion programs but not numerical goals.
The Democratic National Convention will be held August 25 through August 28 in Denver, Colorado. It immediately follows the Stonewall Democrats National Convention, also held in Denver on August 21 - 24.
------
National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
# # #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find out more at www.stonewalldemocrats.org.
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(c) 2007 National Stonewall Democrats. Contributions to National Stonewall Democrats are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Posted on December 6, 2007 12:34 AM
October 23, 2007
Symbolism or Substance in ENDA Debate?
By Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director -- Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
When the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) received its first-ever vote in the House of Representatives and passed the Education and Labor Committee on Oct. 18, it should have been a historic - and celebratory - moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. But there was a cloud hanging over the vote, with over 300 LGBT and allied groups in the United ENDA Coalition advocating for the original form of the bill introduced earlier this year- one that finally included a ban on discrimination based on gender identity. The House Democratic leadership’s decision to strip those protections from the bill, leaving only sexual orientation covered, has turned what should have been a victory into an unnecessarily divisive, disappointing setback for the LGBT movement.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media has characterized this primarily intra-community conflict as the protestations of a “fringe minority of transgender activists” or the “extreme left” of the LGBT population. Nothing could be further from the truth. One look at the list of organizations and the constituencies we represent makes that crystal clear. This is not a conflict between “pragmatic incrementalists” and “all-or-nothing idealists.” this controversy goes to the very core of what brings the LGBT community together, and it has forced a much-needed debate to the surface. It is time for some truth-telling and difficult conversations about what it means to be a community advocating for workplace protections.
Our coalition is urging Congress either to restore gender identity protections via an amendment offered by Congresswoman and out lesbian Tammy Baldwin or, if that cannot be accomplished, to drop the effort to pass LGBT anti-discrimination legislation this year. The reality is that this President will not even consider signing such a bill, whether it covers gender identity or only sexual orientation. This gives us the opportunity in the coming months to continue to educate our elected officials - and the public - about how matters of gender affect people of all sexual orientations...
Posted on October 23, 2007 9:24 PM
October 17, 2007
Weakened ENDA Is Not Good for Anyone
by Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal Executive Director
It’s been a difficult few weeks for the LGBT community — ever since Congressional leaders introduced a stripped-down version of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), unleashing a storm of disappointment, outrage and soul-searching among our communities.
But perhaps in facing down adversity we begin to realize who we really are. What I’ve realized in these past few weeks is that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, while comprised of so many different groups and interests, is stronger than ever. Though we may take different views on issues, as some of us have regarding this important legislation, we are hardly fractured (as a few columnists might like to believe). We are standing tall as a powerful force for civil rights in this country.
A brief recap of the past few weeks: Congressional leaders, afraid they would not have enough votes for an inclusive ENDA, stripped out protections for transgender people that this bill sought to provide. Groups including Lambda Legal and the National Stonewall Democrats swiftly protested, making clear that a bill that did not protect all of us would be unacceptable.
Lambda Legal then released an analysis of the bill showing that there were a number of loopholes that made the new version of the bill inadequately protective even for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Four other major LGBT legal organizations joined Lambda Legal and issued a joint statement expanding upon our analysis of the bill. We explained that by deleting the previously-included ban on discrimination based on gender identity and expression, House leaders severely weakened protections that would have been provided for lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals who may not conform to common stereotypes of what it means to be male or female in our society. We and the other four major LGBT legal organizations all joined more than 150 organizations calling for an inclusive employment nondiscrimination bill. I've been heartened to see so many people realize that, when one part of the community is harmed, it affects us all.
When we decided...
Posted on October 17, 2007 9:44 PM
October 3, 2007
Gay Dems 'Come out of the closet'
The National Stonewall Democrats is the national organization representing LGBT Democratic activists throughout the nation.
They're making a splash with their new NoSubstitutes.org website. It's a direct challenge to the Democratic Leadership in Congress, who has substituted a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill with one who leaves an entire class of people behind.
Historically, Stonewall has worked within the Party structure to achieve education, inclusiveness, and progress on behalf of equal rights. That is another way of saying that they've never been willing to rock the boat or oppose the Party.
Now, under a new generation of leadership, New executive Director Jon Hoadley is taking the reins armed with passion and knowledge of the new media and online organizing. Perhaps we should call it Stonewall Dems 2.0!
NoSubstitutes.org is a creative way to highlight the issue. It really does fly in the face of the Leadership, who is used to Stonewall Democrats backing them up as any other loyal constituency might. However, some things are more important than loyalty to Party Leadership -- things like equal justice under the law.
That's why NoSubstitutes.org urges Congress to accept no cheap substitute for employment protections for all Americans. No person should be fired because of the color of their skin, their gender, their religion, their national origin, their ethnicity, their disability.....nor should they be fired based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity.
It's a basic concept of equality for American citizens. Please go to NoSubstitutes.org and sign up to urge Congress to include all people in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
Posted on October 3, 2007 10:24 AM
September 24, 2007
Straight moms go public for gay equality
by Deb Price
Meet lawyer Anne Wynne of Texas, a straight married mother of three. She's a strong supporter of gay equality.
And say hello to Wisconsin first lady Jessica Doyle, also a straight married mom and strong supporter of gay rights.
Then here's writer Amy Buttery of Lansing, a straight married mom of two, and staff developer Susan Craine of South Carolina, a straight single mom of three. And, yep, they're both strong supporters of gay rights.
This foursome share something else: They're standing straight up for gay friends and neighbors -- taking the all-important step of going from privately opposing discrimination to actively speaking out against it.
They'll be part of a week-long, first-ever series of events starting Oct. 7 known as "Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights."
At church potlucks and candlelight vigils from California to Maine, thousands of such straight men and women will get acquainted with like-minded folks. And those of us who are gay will get a rare glimpse of how our allies' ranks are growing. (Learn more at: sevenstraightnights.org.)
Posted on September 24, 2007 11:02 AM
September 12, 2007
Senator Larry Craig: Victim
Sen. Larry E. Craig, the Idaho Republican who was forced to resign after a police sting in
an airport restroom caught him acting a little like he wanted to have sex with a plainclothes cop, ought to have made a better case that he was the victim and not the predator.
Craig was the episode's only victim, even if it was of his own long career of showy piety, but he was the victim. Craig complained that his hometown newspaper hounded him into making the fatal misjudgment of pleading guilty to a misdemeanor by its relentless campaign to prove old rumors that he was gay. The paper, the Idaho Statesman at Boise, does have an infamous history of crusading against homosexuals, but Craig's worst
tormentor was his own political party.
For 10 years the Republican Party has been beset by an endless succession of sex and ethics scandals, all of them far worse than the senator's vaguely suggestive behavior in a stall of the men's room, which would have been thrown out of court as evidence of criminal activity if it involved anything but homosexuality, but the party never before had risen in instant unison to insist that a Republican resign. Party leaders in and out of Congress
seem to have concluded that after literally dozens it could not stand one more scandal, especially of the same-sex variety, and still claim to be the party of God and the family...
Not a single party leader demanded the resignation of David Vitter, the blow-dried senator from Louisiana who apologized this summer for his connection to a prostitution ring...
Posted on September 12, 2007 9:44 AM
September 6, 2007
Will Iowa’s Gay Marriage Amendment Hurt Democrats In The Next Election?
It’s a paradox that Dan Gilgoff looks at in The Politico:
One post-2004 study found that voters to whom gay marriage was a top issue were more than twice as likely to support President Bush if there was a gay marriage ban on the ballot in their state.[..]
The 2006 midterm elections, by contrast, showed that when the gay marriage question is overshadowed by other issues - in that instance, the Iraq war and the rash of Republican scandals - Democrats can win big.
When that happens, gays tend to benefit. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill to expand federal hate crimes protections to homosexuals earlier this year. And unlike recent GOP-controlled Congresses, this one is not planning to take up an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage.[..]
With the 2008 Iowa presidential caucuses looming, last week’s dramatic gay marriage “victory” in Polk County threatens to halt such incremental gains for gay rights.
As conservative religious activists in the Hawkeye State mobilize...
Posted on September 6, 2007 3:38 PM
August 31, 2007
A Predictable Fall from the Closet
Senator Larry Craig's problems prove the closet is not a comfortable place to live
Editorial by KEVIN NAFF, The Washington Blade
Friday, August 31, 2007
The news that U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges stemming from an investigation into sexual activity at a men’s restroom in the Minneapolis airport will not come as a surprise to those of us who have heard the gay rumors about him for years.
His office must have been working overtime to suppress the news of the arrest, because it happened in June and only leaked this week in a Roll Call report. Craig paid $500 in fines and fees, had a 10-day jail sentence stayed and received one year of probation in the case.
Craig is a conservative Republican with an abysmal record on gay issues and a 100 percent favorable rating from the Christian Coalition. And, of course, he’s married.
Last year, I was visited by a reporter from the Idaho Statesman who was investigating rumors that Craig sought gay sex in D.C. area restrooms, specifically in Union Station. He went so far as to stake out the bathroom, armed with glossy photos of Craig to show those using the facilities on the chance that someone had seen him there engaged in sexual activities. Not much came of his prolonged investigation, but now it appears he was staking out the wrong toilets...
Posted on August 31, 2007 9:59 AM
August 13, 2007
Hits and Misses at the LGBT Candidate Forum
Stumbling to make separate sound like anything other than unequal the Democratic front-runners swore allegiance to civil unions for LGBT Americans in Thursday night's HRC/Logo sponsored candidate forum. I was privileged to be in the studio audience for the historic gathering of presidential candidates addressing LGBT issues to an LGBT audience -- an event hardly even imaginable an election or two ago. It was an honor to be there and one of the questions a reporter asked me afterwards was "did you hear anything new?"
What was new and important and worth celebrating, I believe, was the willingness of six leading Democratic candidates for President of the United States to address rather than dodge questions of concern to the LGBT community. Marriage Equality. Work place discrimination. "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Hate Crimes. Yet I yearned to hear about the OTHER issues that impact LGBT Americans -- the war in Iraq, global climate change, poverty and a sustainable economy to name a few.
For example...
Posted on August 13, 2007 9:56 AM
Wrong Answer, Governor Richardson
The Democratic Calculus On Gay Rights Issues
Gov. Bill Richardson
By Jonathan Capehart
Bloomberg News columnist Margaret Carlson and I were stealing glances at each other when singer Melissa Etheridge asked New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson an easy question: "Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?" His response was quick: "It's a choice!" My visible reaction to Carlson was equally quick: "Oh, no, he didn't!"
The occasion was Thursday's forum with the Democratic candidates for president, hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, and Logo, the gay channel owned by Viacom. I served as a panelist at the two-hour event in Los Angeles. It was a historic moment for gays and lesbians nationwide, as many believed that one of the people who came to offer their views on gay issues would be the next president of the United States. (Plans for a Republican forum were scrapped after GOP candidate Mitt Romney declined an invitation and John McCain and Rudy Giuliani did not respond to invitations.)
The forum's organizers hoped to get the candidates to show their concern for the gay and lesbian community and to see whether their understanding emanated from their consultant-generated talking points or from their hearts. Clearly, Richardson's head needed some work. Even his campaign recognized this -- it issued a "clarifying" statement not one hour after the event. And on a gay radio show the next day, Richardson told host Michelangelo Signorile that he didn't understand the question because of jet lag.,,
Posted on August 13, 2007 9:24 AM
May 17, 2007
Support pro-gay legislation that omits trans protections?
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION passed the House of Representatives on May 3. The Democrats deserve our thanks. It included not only the words sexual orientation but also gender identity as a protected class.
I applaud this as a real step forward. I know that Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese and Judy Shepard, along with congressional supporters and leaders like Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Steny Hoyer worked hard that day, and for many years, to pass this legislation.
But there is another story here. On the eve of the House taking up the Hate Crimes Prevention Act it appeared that passage was not assured in this form. Republicans thought they figured out a way to strip the bill of the term “gender identity” and just the possibility of this appeared to leave our national gay organizations in a tizzy.
The debate at HRC was if “gender identity” was left out of the bill, should the organization withdraw its support? When I heard this I was amazed. Could all of our national organizations — HRC, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (although they seem to have disappeared from the national scene in the last few years) — that have been fighting for this bill for nearly 10 years actually say no to hate crimes protections for 30 million gays and lesbians in the nation, if we use the 10 percent figure, because transgender individuals were not in the bill? Will we see ENDA defeated for the same reason? (read more)
Posted on May 17, 2007 11:06 AM
May 9, 2007
Standing against Hate Crimes
Blogged by: shandwerk
Put yourself into the shoes of someone else will you? Imagine you were in a minority. Imaging the majority HATED YOU. Imaging now those same people that hate you. yell terrible things at you when you walk by them. Imagine the
local police seem to turn a blind eye to this, or when you do complain they tell you are just being sensitive and to not worry about it.
Then, picture yourself on a split rail fence in the middle of Wyoming. You barely remember how you got here and you can't bare to try to remember for the pain you are suffering is so great. Your face so bloody that you can
barely see your skin, except where the tears washed your face clean in a small line down to your chin.
Hate crimes are more heinous and more violent and do not have only one target - an entire class is effected by these crimes and that is why we, as a country, should demand that these crimes are prosecuted at a different level.
Posted on May 9, 2007 10:26 AM
May 2, 2007
Gay lawmakers have impact on gaining rights
When Connecticut state Rep. Beth Bye's turn came to speak about the need for her legislature to approve gay marriage, she tearfully recalled her devout Catholic father's loving participation in her civil union ceremony, then described the pain of being excluded from actual marriage.
The freshman lawmaker recounted filling out a health care form: Her choices were "married," "divorced," "widowed," "single" or "other." "Forgive me if I'm not patient," Bye told Connecticut's joint House-Senate Judiciary Committee. "I don't want to be 'other' anymore. I want to be married."
Bye's touching plea helped create a lopsided victory -- the 27-15 committee vote that endorsed opening marriage to gay couples. Gay marriage now goes to the full state House and Senate. (To watch Bye's moving testimonial, go to lmfct.org .)
Connecticut's breakthrough is one in a series of astonishing gay advances in the past three weeks. The headline-grabbing victories shared one thing in common: A gay lawmaker played a key role.
"We have seen in the last month at almost every major win, almost always there is an openly gay legislator behind that story," says Denis Dison of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helps elect openly gay or transgender officials, who now number 370.
Here's a quick tick tock:
Posted on May 2, 2007 10:10 AM
April 27, 2007
Rudy Giuliani's flip-flop on Civil Unions
He was "for it before he was against it"
by: Pam
Rudy Giuliani, one of the most pro-gay politicians in America, is now pulling a Mitt Romney and trying to pretend that he's really not THAT pro-gay. You see, like John McCain and Mitt Romney before him, Giuliani is busy re-inventing himself for the Republican presidential primary - an event in which only Neanderthals pass the virtues test put forward by the extreme right that now controls the Republican party. So Giuliani, a staunch defender of gay rights, is now suddenly against civil unions for gays - even though he's been for them, forever.
Anything to get elected. I wonder how Rudy's gay friends (Howard Koeppel and his partner Mark Hsiao) who put him up in their pad while he was going through his messy divorce with Donna Hanover, feel about being sh*t on by Rudy.
That leaves zero Republicans for any semblance of equality.
Posted on April 27, 2007 12:17 PM
April 25, 2007
NY Times editorial: Mr. Spitzer and Gay Marriage
The news that Gov. Eliot Spitzer will soon introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage — what he calls “a simple moral imperative” — is welcome and could give new national momentum to this important cause. Mr. Spitzer would be the first governor in the nation to introduce a gay marriage bill. But if he is going to make a real difference, rather than simply checking off a box to fulfill a campaign promise, he will have to fight for the law vigorously.
Even in a progressive state like New York, this will be a steep political climb. So far, only Massachusetts has enacted a gay marriage law — after its highest court held that gay couples had a right under the State Constitution — and while there is a similar bill working its way through the Connecticut legislature, its prospects are uncertain. Civil unions or domestic partnerships involving same-sex couples are now recognized by a small but growing number of states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, California, Hawaii and Maine. It is an indication of how big a challenge Mr. Spitzer faces that New York is not, and hasn’t come close to being, on this list.
Mr. Spitzer is right to be fighting for gay marriage. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are an important recognition of..
Posted on April 25, 2007 12:27 PM
April 19, 2007
McCain: No on Hate Crimes Bill
The Brody File has received word this morning from John McCain's presidential campaign that he DOES NOT support the current Hate Crimes bill in front of the Congress right now. The bill adds sexual orientation to the list of groups that would be included under federal prosecution of hate crimes. Of course, conservative groups who are against the bill don't want to see homosexuals become victims of hate crimes. However, they believe that this bill will threaten religious conservatives free speech because if they speak out against homosexuality, they may be accused of a hate crime.
Here's what Senator McCain's campaign told me today:
"Senator McCain supports the strongest possible prosecution and penalties for all those who commit violent crimes no matter what the intent, and believes that all victims of violent crime should have their cases treated with equal urgency under the law. He does not support federal legislation to assert federal jurisdiction over crimes that are rightfully under the jurisdiction of state criminal justice systems that are perfectly capable of dealing with these violent criminal acts. Moreover, federalization would delay justice by litigating such heinous crimes through federal courts that are already overburdened."
I noticed that he didn't mention free speech or sexual orientation anywhere. My follow up question to the McCain camp was...
Posted on April 19, 2007 11:33 AM
April 17, 2007
U.S. should tell Iraq to stop persecution of gays
by Deb Price
Militias warn Iraqi families they will be murdered if they don't hand over or kill their gay relatives. An Iraqi family pays ransom for the return of a gay man, only to learn later that his mutilated body has been found. An Iraqi father is released without being tried for hanging his gay son to defend the family's "honor." Secretive religious "courts" try, sentence and execute gays. In Baghdad, a store owner and four barbers are kidnapped or vanish because of their sexual orientation.
Each of these charges of gay Iraqis having their human rights horribly -- often fatally -- violated is in a U.S. State Department report issued last month or in assessments by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.
"Attacks on homosexuals and intolerance of homosexual practices have long existed yet they have escalated in the past year," the U.N. report noted in January. "The current environment of impunity and lawlessness invites a heightened level of insecurity for homosexuals in Iraq. Armed Islamic groups and militias have been known to be particularly hostile toward homosexuals, frequently and openly engaging in violent campaigns against them."
These accounts of anti-gay brutality echo news reports and charges made by Iraqi gays living in exile and international gay and lesbian human rights groups. Yet, the Iraqi government's initial response to the U.N.'s report in January was to criticize it, rather than anti-gay violence, according to the Associated Press:..
Posted on April 17, 2007 12:03 PM
April 16, 2007
Our Prejudices, Ourselves
by HARVEY FIERSTEIN
AMERICA is watching Don Imus’s self-immolation in a state of shock and awe. And I’m watching America with wry amusement.
Since I’m a second-class citizen — a gay man — my seats for the ballgame of American discourse are way back in the bleachers. I don’t have to wait long for a shock jock or stand-up comedian to slip up with hateful epithets aimed at me and mine. Hate speak against homosexuals is as commonplace as spam. It’s daily traffic for those who profess themselves to be regular Joes, men of God, public servants who live off my tax dollars, as well as any number of celebrities.
In fact, I get a good chuckle whenever someone refers to “the media” as an agent of “the gay agenda.” There are entire channels, like Spike TV, that couldn’t fill an hour of programming if required to remove their sexist and homophobic content. We’ve got a president and a large part of Congress willing to change the Constitution so they can deprive of us our rights because they feel we are not “normal.”
So I’m used to catching foul balls up here in the cheap seats. What I am really enjoying is watching the rest of you act as if you had no idea that prejudice was alive and well in your hearts and minds.
For the past two decades political correctness has been derided as a surrender to thin-skinned, humorless, uptight oversensitive sissies. Well, you anti-politically correct people have won the battle, and we’re all now feasting on the spoils of your victory. During the last few months alone we’ve had a few comedians spout racism, a basketball coach put forth anti-Semitism and several high-profile spoutings of anti-gay epithets...
Posted on April 16, 2007 12:30 PM
April 13, 2007
2008 Presidential Candidates: Empty campaign promises?
2008 hopefuls pledge support for civil unions, but ignore issue of federal marriage benefits
By LOU CHIBBARO JR , Washington Blade
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) told several hundred gay activists in Washington last month that while she supports civil unions instead of marriage for same-sex couples, she wants to “change laws and change hearts” to enable those couples to enjoy the same rights and benefits that come with marriage.
“It is wrong that so many people are unable to care for those they love, to leave them their homes and belongings, to insure they can see a doctor, to visit them in the hospital when they are sick,” Clinton said in a March 2 speech before the Human Rights Campaign’s annual winter meeting.
“These are fundamental rights and we will continue to push until they are equally available,” she said.
But Clinton, who is running for president, and other presidential candidates who support civil unions instead of gay marriage, including Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), have yet to say how they would make such rights and benefits available to same-sex couples under federal law.
Legal experts note that the federal government provides more than 1,200 benefits and rights for married couples, including Social Security survivor benefits and joint tax filings. Under federal law, none of these rights and benefits are available for people in civil unions or other forms of same-sex relationships because the existing law doesn’t recognize such relationships. As far as the federal government is concerned, members of same-sex relationships are classified as “unmarried” or “single...”
Posted on April 13, 2007 7:52 PM
April 9, 2007
Unofficial Petition to Recall Gibbons
It costs quite a lot of money to have a recall election. A petition has been started to see if there is enough interest in pursuing this avenue. You may access this unofficial petition at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/748805536
Let us hear from you.
Posted on April 9, 2007 12:08 PM | Comments (0)
April 3, 2007
UCLA researcher mines data to make gays visible
by Deb Price
If you want to begin to understand the influence of data miner Gary Gates, go to the Google search engine and type in "65,000 + gay." Oodles and oodles of news stories, press releases and commentaries will pop up, citing 65,000 as the estimated number of gay men and lesbians now serving in the U.S. military.
That's just one of the powerful numbers Gates has calculated by weaving together results from the growing volume of surveys that include a gay question or two.
We gay people have always sensed that we're everywhere, but we've lacked the numbers to prove it. Now, as a senior research at the Williams Institute, a progressive think tank at the University of California at Los Angeles, Gates is filling in the blanks.
Gates loves having given the nation a solid number to chew on as Congress gets ready to reconsider the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on gays serving openly in the military. But his pet number right now is 3,000.
That's the annual number of gay people who don't re-enlist because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and it includes the 600 who get booted out. With the military needing about 18,400 more people a year, Gates' 3,000 number means that just lifting the ban would get the Pentagon nearly one-sixth of the way to its target.
"The 65,000 number is the most extreme example of my making visible an invisible group," says Gates, stressing the difficulty of counting people ordered to remain silent. "But, in military circles," he adds, "the 3,000 figure gets more attention. We can say, 'Because of this single policy, you are losing 3,000 already trained and seasoned people who could really help you with your recruitment problem.' That's a big deal."...
Posted on April 3, 2007 11:14 AM
March 22, 2007
Why I Love Elizabeth Edwards
bogged by Linda Milazzo
I love Elizabeth Edwards. Which is odd, since I've never met her.
When it comes to celebrity, I'm not much impressed. In fact, I find the whole concept of idolization abhorrent. More like insane. But when it comes to Elizabeth Edwards, I'll relinquish a bit of my 'sanity' and let awe take command over me.
Elizabeth is an anomaly. She's that rare public person who can take center stage and yet remain REAL. She's unaffected by fame. Impervious to admiration. Strong in the face of catastrophe and humble in the face of success.
Not long ago I watched an event on C-SPAN where Elizabeth Edwards discussed her book, "Saving Graces." Elizabeth gave a detailed account of her recovery from grieving the death of her teenage son, Wade. She shed no tears, but the depth of her pain was palpable. She paid minor attention to despair and major attention to healing. Not as a preacher. Or authority. But as a vessel of resolve and understanding. She freed the audience from fear of discussing her child by explaining how his essence is honored whenever they mention his name. She explained that avoiding discussing him was like erasing him and that he should never be erased. A simple lesson, but profound.
Elizabeth was neither morbid nor self-pitying. She was inspiring. She talked of the "grief" website she frequented and the anonymous chat friends with whom she battled back from devastation.
And she talked of her husband, John...
Posted on March 22, 2007 3:29 PM
March 13, 2007
McCain Backs ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
At a forum in New York on Thursday, Senator John McCain was asked a number of questions on myriad issues. While his position on the troop buildup is well known, he talked about a few other issues related to conservatives’ concerns about his candidacy.
Asked about the military’s policy toward gays, the Clinton-era “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy, Mr. McCain, the Republican from Arizona, said:
“I recently had a conversation with some other military leaders on this issue and their point to me was ‘It’s working, so leave it alone. Generally, overall, it’s working.’ I don’t think there’s any doubt that there are evolving attitudes in America about many issues, including this one, but every military leader that I talk to, I say ‘Should we change it?’ They say, ‘It’s working.’ And right now we’ve got the best military we’ve ever had - the most professional, best trained, equipped and the bravest. And so I think it’s logical to leave this issue alone. I really do.”
Another Republican in the field, Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts who had once advocated allowing gays to serve openly in the military, said last month there was no need to change the policy now. He, too, said it was working well...
Posted on March 13, 2007 6:39 PM
How Netroots Killed The Nevada Fox Debate
By: Ryan Grim, The Politico
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had been under weeks of pressure from liberal bloggers and MoveOn.org members angry about a scheduled Democratic debate co-sponsored by Fox News.
By last Thursday, Reid was ready to hear the rabble-rousers out.
In a 20-minute conference call, a group of bloggers told Reid an uprising was brewing over the decision by the Nevada State Democratic Party to partner with Fox for the August debate in Reno. Among the bloggers, some were national -- Matt Stoller of MyDD, Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of DailyKos -- and some were local -- Hugh Jackson of the Las Vegas Gleaner.
In the call, Reid explained that he had been focused on the Iraq war debate the past few weeks and didn’t seem to have closely followed the controversy over the Fox sponsorship. (When the debate was announced last month, Reid called it “great news for Nevada” and declared himself “happy.”)
Stoller said the bloggers told Reid that the issue was spoiling his popularity with the party’s Netroots: his DailyKos straw poll approval rating, they told him, had gone from the mid-80s to around 40 percent recently...
Posted on March 13, 2007 5:24 PM
March 8, 2007
Faggot
by Andrew Sullivan
I watched Ann Coulter last night in the gayest way I could. I was on a stairmaster at a gym, slack-jawed at her proud defense of calling someone a "faggot" on the same stage as presidential candidates and as an icon of today's conservative movement. The way in which Fox News and Sean Hannity and, even more repulsively, Pat Cadell, shilled for her was a new low for Fox, I think - and for what remains of decent conservatism. "We're all friends here," Hannity chuckled at the end. Yes, they were. And no faggots were on the show to defend themselves. That's fair and balanced.
I'm not going to breathe more oxygen into this story except to say a couple of things that need saying. Coulter has an actual argument in self-defense and it's worth addressing. Her argument is that it was a joke and that since it was directed at a straight man, it wasn't homophobic. It was, in her words, a "school-yard taunt," directed at a straight man, meaning a "wuss" and a "sissy". Why would gays care? She is "pro-gay," after all. Apart from backing a party that wants to strip gay couples of all legal rights by amending the federal constitution, kick them out of the military where they are putting their lives on the line, put them into "reparative therapy" to "cure" them, keep it legal to fire them in many states, and refusing to include them in hate crime laws, Coulter is very pro-gay. As evidence of how pro-gay she is, check out all the gay men and women in America now defending her.
Her defense...
Posted on March 8, 2007 11:35 AM
March 7, 2007
Democrats Seek a Rocky Mountain High
blogged by Ken Rudin, NPR
The Democrats have picked Denver for their 2008 national convention. They've also added Nevada to the schedule of early presidential-nominating contests, squeezing it in just after Iowa and just before New Hampshire. And guess where the first '08 candidate forum will be held? In Carson City, Nev., next Wednesday (Feb. 21). You know what? I betcha the Democrats are trying to tell us something.
Actually, voters in parts of the Rocky Mountain West have been telling us something for the past couple of election cycles, sending more and more Democrats into office. In 2004, voters ended 16 years of Republican rule in Montana by electing a Democrat, Brian Schweitzer, as governor. In Colorado that same year, voters replaced a retiring GOP senator and congressman with the brothers Salazar (Ken and John, respectively). The trend continued in 2006, with Democratic gains that included a House seat and the governorship in Colorado, and a Senate seat in Montana.
That's all well and good. But is it a logical leap to say that the region is up for grabs in next year's battle for the White House?
Posted on March 7, 2007 1:30 PM
March 4, 2007
Blade should cut Anderson Cooper some slack about "Coming Out as Gay"
Re blog posts in Washington Blade : “Anderson Cooper’s hypocrisy” and “Editing Anderson Cooper’s sexuality” (blog posts by Kevin Naff)
Anderson Cooper is a major face of national media. He has to be considered credible by a very broad audience. He can’t get away with being out because housewives and mechanics in Kansas won’t take him seriously and his ratings will go down. Being open about non-contentious personal issues such as his brother’s suicide has next to no effect on his public credibility. But being open about being gay most definitely would.
Yes, quite ironic that Anderson would be the one to interview Kenny Chesney, which makes one wonder even more about Chesney’s sexuality.
While I understand Kevin Naff’s position about Anderson Cooper, I cut him more slack. As a journalist, he needed to question Chesney about his sexual orientation. Like Cooper, Chesney could have said he did not want to discuss the issue. There is ample evidence that the entertainment industry is homophobic and punishes openly gay celebrities (ironic, huh?). I don’t blame Cooper for being quiet about it. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way the world is.
Posted on March 4, 2007 8:25 AM
February 26, 2007
A MUST READ: Fear & Loathing in the Las Vegas Political Jungle
BEWARE! There's danger and political duplicity in the desert: It's time for a Revoutlion in the Nevada State AND Clark County Democratic Party!
-- a guest post by our own citizen activist and Nevadan, veteran Johnathan L. Abbinett
There is a new urban jungle political war being waged in Nevada, largely in Las Vegas and Clark County and political animals of every type are actively seeking to build alliances, destroy their old and new enemies, gain new territories and consolidate their personal power; sadly, regardless of the real needs of the common citizens.
Recently, the Nevada State Democratic Party got caught by surprise in the national spotlight and the sights of the netroots activists over the Party's decision to “partner” with the FOX News, the infamous faux Republican political propaganda media machine. This quickly led to many progressives on DailyKOS (and other well known websites) to ask “Is the Nevada State Democratic Party NUTS?” Read on for the important back story...
Posted on February 26, 2007 11:14 AM
February 4, 2007
Editing CNN's Anderson Cooper's sexual orientation
A trusty Washington Blade reader e-mailed an interesting tidbit to me today. It seems there’s been a debate raging over at Wikipedia about the biographical entry for openly closeted CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
The Blade and numerous other publications have written for years about Cooper’s sexual orientation. Cooper refuses to discuss his private life, even though he’s more than happy to sit for endless interviews and to be featured on magazine covers and in CNN’s ubiquitous ad campaigns promoting his show.
He told New York magazine in 2005, “You know, I understand why people might be interested. But I just don’t talk about my personal life. It’s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you're supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.”
Of course, this is completely disingenuous because...
Posted on February 4, 2007 7:26 AM
February 2, 2007
Hillary To Donors: "No Money To Anybody Else"
Hillary Clinton is personally putting out the word that she has no intention of sharing the wealth: "She's calling all the big-hitter fundraisers and saying, 'I want you to understand: NO money to anybody else. You cannot play both sides of the street,'" in the '08 presidential race, says a longtime Democratic operative who has worked for the Clintons in the past but turned down a role in the current campaign, and is so far sitting this one out.
And what's the reaction been? "People don't like it, but they're afraid of her." Yet the far more palpable fear for Democrats, discussed constantly, is that she'll have so much money she'll sail to the nomination.
Posted on February 2, 2007 5:40 AM
October 22, 2005
GIBSON'S NO DEMOCRAT
Gibson gives money to Republican Congressman Porter
In 2004, Gibson gave $1000 to Republican Jon Porter in his run for Congress against local Democrat Tom Gallagher. That’s the same Jon Porter who has voted with Tom Delay 92% of the time and gave $5000 to Delay’s legal defense fund.
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Gibson endorses Republican Kenny Guinn in 1998 and 2002
Gibson supported Republican Kenny Guinn for governor in 1998, appearing at an endorsement news conference for Guinn in June 1998. Gibson’s fellow mayor, Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, was already in the race as a Democrat, but Gibson chose to support Guinn. (Las Vegas Sun, June. 25, 1998).
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Gibson Chairman of Reagan’s Nevada Organization
Mayor Gibson was named chairman of Citizens for America, a conservative group promoting President Regan's economic and defense policies. The group was formed in 1983 to ensure that Reagan's policies received support in Nevada. The organization received the full support of Nevada's Republican congressional delegation. (Review Journal, Nov 22, 1983)
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Gibson supports Republicans for Nevada Legislature
Mayor Gibson attended the July 2005 Keystone Dinner raising money for Republican Candidates for office. There is a photograph of Mayor Gibson and his fellow Republican donors in the August 2005 edition of Liberty Watch magazine. In June of 2004, Mayor Gibson gave $100 to Keystone PAC and gave thousands more through his family company, American Pacific. The Keystone PAC has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support local Republican candidates running for the Assembly and Senate. While Dina was raising money to elect Democrats to the legislature, Gibson was working to elect Republicans. Why would Mayor Gibson support an organization that is raising money to elect a Republican Legislature?
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Gibson throws fundraiser for Republican Governor Kenny Guinn
As if supporting the Republican candidate for Governor in 1998 and 2002 wasn’t enough, Mayor Gibson went on to throw a fundraiser for Guinn in 1998. Mayor Gibson was a host for a high dollar event for Guinn.
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Gibson skips 2004 Democratic Presidential Caucus
According to the Nevada State Democrat party records, Mayor Gibson did not attend the 2004 Democratic Presidential Caucus. Why would Mayor Gibson care who the Democratic Presidential nominee was? After all, he probably wouldn’t vote for them anyway.
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Gibson to run as Republican, Independent, Democrat??
Gibson the Independent?
It was reported in the Review Journal that Mayor Gibson was telling business associates that he was running as an independent. (Review Journal July 28, 2005: “Henderson mayor testing his political support”).
Gibson the Republican?
Sig Rogich tells Jon Ralston on his show “Face to Face” that he recruited Gibson to run as a Republican. So how close was Gibson to switching parties? “Pretty close” said Rogich. Rogich is a key Nevada adviser to Congressman Gibbons and was the architect of Kenny Guinn’s 1998 and 2002 victories.
Posted on October 22, 2005 1:56 PM
