New Jersey Stonewall Democrats

The Rules and Bylaws Committee of the DNC unanimously approved an amendment that will expand LGBT participation in party affairs and in the delegate selection process for national conventions. The work of our DNC members Rick Stafford and Ray Buckley, our Board Secretary Rick Boylan and the deft leadership of CA DNC member Garry Shay turned a potentially adversarial and divisive conflict with some of our strongest supporters into an even stronger alliance as we move forward.

One of the very quiet changes was the official renaming of the Gay & Lesbian Caucus to the LGBT Caucus, and amending the original wording of the proposed new rule from "gay and lesbian" to "LGBT". This I felt was extremely important and reflected the desire of Democrats to be inclusive and work together.

The sticky issue was whether to include LGBT and people with disabilities under the Affirmative Action goals. Rule 6A deals specifically with groups deemed to have been subject to historic discrimination in voting. LGBT and people with disabilities didn't really fall under that specific designation. Instead, a new rule (7) was proposed and approved unanimously by the committee.

Part of the rule reads "The National and State Parties shall adopt and implement 'Inclusion Programs' in order to achieve full participation of members of these and other groups in the delegate selection process and in all party affairs, as indicated by their presence in the Democratic electorate."

I emphasize: "achieve full participation of members"

States must adopt and implement an inclusion plan (which may be the same as their Affirmative Action Plan)
The plan must be designed to achieve full participation (not just assist or encourage)
Full participation is equated with presence in the Democratic electorate - and an acknowledgement of prior under-representation is implicit.
Explicitly states that goals may be employed. (This has been a bone of contention in some states which claimed the rules did not specifically allow goals)
Presidential candidates must state what steps they will take to encourage full participation and report that to the Rules and Bylaws Committee and State Parties.
Presidential candidates must use best efforts at each level
State Parties shall certify to the Rules and Bylaws Committee whether presidential candidates have complied.

So to summarize, it doesn't mandate specific numeric goals but it green lights them. This will nudge the 33 states which have not implemented or fulfilled goals for inclusion into action. Presidential candidates are charged with including LGBT people in their slates.

For sure, this is the first step in a multi-part process in electing LGBT delegates but it is a significant one. The previous language included a mere admonishment for "priority of consideration" - which many states and candidates just ignored. This new rule has weight and it has teeth and in the estimation of National Stonewall's Co-Chair Stephen Driscoll, it "will result in the election of 50% more LGBT delegates than in 2004."

Here in New Jersey we had a "goal" of 3 out of 128 voting delegates, 145 including alternates. We have to show the NJ Democrats that the LGBT community represents at least 10% of the Democratic vote and we expect to "earn" 10% of the delegates. I would expect the LGBT NJ delegates to quadruple in 2008!

This stresses the need for hard work on the local and statewide NJ level.

Opportunity knocks... Carpe Diem.... See you in Atlantic City!

Barbra "Babs" Casbar
President - New Jersey Stonewall Democrats
Board - National Stonewall Democrats