Prominent Dem slams party on gay rights

[William769]

Officials with the Democratic Party took notice last week when a gay former staffer from the Clinton White House, who held key positions in the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, publicly criticized his party for not taking stronger action to defend gays.

Paul Yandura, a party loyalist, sent an open letter on April 20 to gay Democratic activists charging that Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee have failed to counter efforts by Republicans to promote anti-gay ballot measures as a wedge issue to win elections.

"For many months, a number of us have made appeals to Howard Dean and party officials to care about and defend the dignity of gay and lesbian families and friends, in the same way they defend the dignity of other key constituencies," Yandura said in his letter.

"All progressives need to be asking how much has the DNC budgeted to counter the anti-gay ballot initiatives in the states," he said. "We also need to know why the DNC and our Democratic leaders continue to allow the Republicans to use our families and friends as pawns to win elections."

http://www.washblade.com/2006/4-27/news/national/dnc.cfm

[terrya]

1. This needs to be said.

I'm quite disturbed at the deafening silence from the Democratic Party on this anti-gay state ballot amendments and initiatives. I mean, it's bad enough that this party won't come out in favor of some sort of marriage equality. But to say nothing about blatantly discriminatory actions taken against us in various states...it's shameful. This should be a no-brainer for Howard Dean and the DNC. You don't offer a real alternative to the Republicans and the religious right that controls the Republican Party by not coming out against these anti-gay ballot initiatives.

[William769]

2. Me too!

I also get physically sick when I see someone on DU try to explain now is not the time for this fight. Sorry but as long as me & my brothers & sisters are not treated as equals, it's time to stand up & shout it! :mad:

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Many Democrats *favor* those bigoted measures

But because quite a few state platforms include explicit support of equal marriage and other basic civil rights for gay people, they daren't say what they really feel. In the end, they do nothing and let the overt bigots take care of business.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: No candidate of any party will get my support -- and likely, not get my vote -- until they can prove to my satisfaction that they really are willing to work for my rights. Pious platitudes, official cant not backed up by action and promising platform planks that are never acted on just won't cut it any more.

[William769]

6. For the first time in my voting history, I am also taking that stance

& let the chips fall where they may.

[xchrom]

3. the ''party'' is being silent so that it can be

interpreted as being sensitive to the sensitivities of bigots.

they are trying to ''triangulate'' the issue.{of course i resent being reduced to an ''issue''}.

like abortion should be legal but rare.

they want to seem like they are ''listening'' to the concerns of people who may very well hate us.

never mind that our votes and our dollars have been there all along.

[greekspeak]

4. Sickened but not suprised about how many Dems treat minorities

The party apparatus seems to take racial minorities for granted. Women? When was the last time you even HEARD "Equal Rights Amendment" from a Dem? Non-Christians? Well how about some nice angry rhetoric and then back to the grind. Gays? To the back of the bus. We will get to you in a few decades, when our corporate sponsors (who might get boycotted and thus give their cash elsewhere)give us the green light. I really do not think sometimes that the party is interested in staying afloat. The pukes have produced tons of manure, but the dems just don't seem to want to fertilize their fields with it. Hell, they do not seem to even want to PLANT fields.