Kucinich to speak at Boston Pride celebration

[eridani]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2004

Contact: Chris Ortman, [phone], [e-mail]

Congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has accepted an invitation from the Boston Pride steering committee to speak this Saturday, June 12th, at the annual celebration promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

Kucinich, whose long-shot candidacy has been picking up steam in the past several weeks, is scheduled to speak at about 1 p.m., following Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Immediately afterwards, he will be available to the news media to discuss his plans leading up to next month’s Democratic Convention. Interviews will be near the platform located at the intersection of Boylston and Charles.

Kucinich was invited to Boston Pride because of his adamant support of equal rights for the LGBT community, and most recently his support of the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling allowing marriage licenses to be granted to same-sex couples. Because of the landmark ruling, event organizers are expecting a larger-than-usual crowd this year.

After the ruling last March, Kucinich placed an open letter to Massachusetts voters in the Boston Globe, applauding the decision saying: “The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirmed that the state constitution holds same-sex couples equal in the eyes of the law. They got it right because we’re talking about ‘civil’ rights and about the rights and responsibilities provided by civil marriage.”

On the eve of the granting of the first legally-recognized same-sex marriage licenses in Cambridge, Kucinich celebrated the decision, but emphasized the need to go further. “The laws of Massachusetts will now apply equally to all loving and committed partners who enter into a civil marriage,” he said. “What those laws do not do, and what they cannot do, is extend the comparable federal protections and rights to those same partners. That is the next step a giant step that many of the political ‘leaders’ in our nation have not shown the courage to take.”

As part of a larger effort to influence the Democratic Party platform on several key issues, the Kucinich campaign is collecting signatures to petition the Democratic Party to make support of equal rights for all couples a part of the Democratic Party platform.
The Kucinich campaign is going all the way to the Democratic Convention and is currently organizing events surrounding the convention including workshops, street actions, a peace vigil, and a Progressive Convention.

[MaggieSwanson]

1. Go Dennis!

Thanks for posting this, eridani

:toast:

[goodhue]

2. excellent!

There is a DK fundraiser beforehand at the DoubleTree.

http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.php

[goodhue]

3. fundraiser has now been rescheduled until after rally n/t

[eridani]

4. A report from an attendee

Hi Kucitizens,


Claudette and I had a whirlwind trip to Boston yesterday. We arrived in time to follow the Parade and actually walk along beside it and catch all of the beautiful floats which were full of costumed people dancing to great disco songs. The whole town was like a party with balloons and everyone wearing shiny baubled necklaces and waving the red, white, and rainbow flags. It was huge and exciting. We missed Dennis' speech at 1 pm but the Kucinich supporters said you couldn't hear him. He appeared on the Jumbotron, a huge TV, and they think the crowds may have heard him, but those close could not.

We made our way to the fundraiser at the Doubletree Hotel and it was very nice-maybe 75-85 people seated around round tableclothed tables, with bagels, croissants, juices, coffee, teas and pastries available. Dennis came and greeted everyone and I must say, he looked very tired. I was feeling concerned but after the introductions when he began to speak, he got better. The tired look disappeared and he gave us a wonderful speech. He began with, "I'm not George Bush. But neither is anyone in this room and neither are about 200 billion other people. So just not being George Bush is not enough."

He said he learned alot from campaigning and going where no other candidates have been,(the rest of the primary election states). He said he learned by speaking with the people that there's many people who do not want this war. He also said there's an acceptance of a Department of Peace growing in the nation and that even some of his fellow congressmen have come up to him and said they have been approached by their constituents about the Department of Peace so the awareness of the need for such an organization is spreading and we have the power to make that happen.

He also said that he learned that "If you never quit, then you can never lose. You just keep on going and you do not lose. Like even after the convention, we have to keep this dream going. The world is a mess like one of the speakers had just said. We cannot continue in this fashion."

He said many other wonderful things and he's very excited about the convention. He will be inside the convention with his delegates, (now up to 60 and still counting) delivering our messages to the Democratic Party. His, "ours", is the only campaign with an organization in place, with 2000 supporters coming who will be working during that convention to tell the Party that we have to stand for something.

During my moment with Dennis, I thanked him for the drums he brought back from Montana on his website. You should check out the Native American video on www.kucinich.us. Dennis is the only one who leaves no one out. That's why I'm a Kucitizen!!!!!!!

Tim Carpenter was happy to see Vermonters show up and said to give everyone his greetings. Dot Maver was also there and said hello as well as the Boston Campaign Staff who are very busy around Boston attending meetings of all of the different political groups.

They don't know how many signatures they have as yet, because they need someone to do data entry so they can computerize the list. They were asking for volunteers for that.

So that's my report back. Hope you are all doing well.

Peace,

M.

[goodhue]

5. great report

great quote . . .
"If you never quit, then you can never lose. You just keep on going and you do not lose."