Views
Notes from the Convention
A Response to the Vermont Health Department
Notes from the Convention
by Bill Lippert
Having
recently participated as an openly-gay Vermont delegate to the Democratic
National Convention, I am more convinced than ever that the road to true
equality for LGBT Americans leads directly through the White House in
November, 2004!
As we gathered in Boston, we would also
be at the largest gathering of openly-LGBT delegates to any national political
convention in U.S. history. In July, 255 openly-gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender delegates and alternates participated.
My fellow LGBT delegates represented a rainbow
of diversity from 47 states, two territories (including an openly-gay
delegate from Guam and nine from Puerto Rico) as well as Democrats living
abroad. And the "T" in LGBT was more visible than ever, with
seven transgender delegates.
With over 500 people attending, the LGBT
Caucus had the clear, overarching goal to energize and mobilize our communities
to move forward LGBT equality, and repudiate the homophobic tactics of
the Republican Party.
Some questioned the absence of "same-sex
marriage" or "transgender equality" in the Democratic Party
Platform. Most delegates applauded the most powerfully affirmative LGBT
commitment ever made within any major party platform: "We support
full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and
seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families."
Earlier in the week, at a gathering of National
Stonewall Democrats in Providence, RI, Congressman Barney Frank outlined
the stark reality of what is at stake in this upcoming national election.
Barney condemned the Bush administration and Republican Party's attack
on LGBT families by their (failed) initiative to pass a federal constitutional
amendment to outlaw marriage equality for same-sex couples, and their
subsequent, unprecedented House-passed "court-stripping" bill
that would deny all federal courts jurisdiction to review the federal
and state Defense of Marriage Acts (DOMA).
Barney exhorted us to elect a president
who supports our LGBT community, and simultaneously "break the back
of homophobia as a tool of national political campaigning!"
Later from the convention podium in Boston,
Congressman Frank revealed on national television, "The fact is,
we who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, we do have an agenda,
and here it is..." To be free to fight for our country, like John
Kerry; to be hired for jobs based on our skills, and not fired for what
someone thinks about us; to be safe in our schools; "and, it is true,
that when two people are in love and they are willing to be morally and
legally committed to each other and financially responsible to each other,
that if they are prepared to get married, it's a good thing for the stability
of society. We believe that."
The Congressman also addressed the appeal
from Ralph Nader to our community: "With the vast differences between
the two political parties on issues important to us as gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgendered people, when Ralph Nader tells us that there is no significant
difference between the parties, he trivializes our lives!"
The LGBT caucus heard passionate words from
a dizzying list of stars and politicians, including Ben Affleck, Carole
King, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin – the only
openly lesbian member of Congress and the Vice Chair of the entire convention
– and many more.
Teresa Heinz Kerry, more than any other
caucus speaker, captured our hearts. Kerry talked about how she would
share the same joy (as that of being told that one of her children were
to be engaged) with all of her friends and family, if she were told that
one of her children were gay.
Kerry spoke of how a gay man told her in
California that he wished she was his own mother. "At least, if nothing
else," Kerry told the rapt crowd, when her husband is elected president,
"You will have a 'mom' in the White House."
John Kerry, in his closing night acceptance
speech, got the greatest roar of applause from the convention when he
addressed the Republicans' use of a homophobic federal constitutional
amendment to attack our LGBT families and divide the nation politically:
Kerry told the floor, directing his words to President Bush, "In
the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents... and let's never
misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history,
the Constitution of the United States!" The convention center roared
in approval.
During my four days at the convention, I
was proud to be a gay delegate, and a gay elected official. Night after
night, I was inspired by powerful orations from Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton,
Barak Obama, Al Sharpton, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, and nominee John Kerry.
I returned home to the Green Mountain State
tired, inspired, and determined to continue our fight for full equality.
I also remain most proud of our Vermont delegation. When given the opportunity
to cast our votes "from the great state of Vermont" on national
television, our delegation chose to appreciate both our home-grown presidential
candidate, Gov. Howard Dean, and to include visible pride in Vermont's
ground breaking work for LGBT equality "by creating, for the first
time anywhere in the country, legal rights, privileges and responsibilities
for lesbian and gay families by the passage of Civil Unions."
As LGBT people, we must now make sure we
are registered to vote, and get out to the polls. November's election
is our next critical opportunity to strike a blow at homophobia, and to
put LGBT friends and allies back in the White House. Voting will make
a difference in all of our lives.
Bill Lippert is the executive director of the Samara Foundation and
a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Hinesburg.