Democrats Smash Record Number of LGBT Delegates

September 4th, 2012 2:29 PM

Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade reported the National Stonewall Democrats have identified 470 "openly LGBT delegates" out of 5,963 delegates expected in Charlotte today. That's almost eight percent of the total, but Stonewall Democrats executive director Jerame Davis said “We’re finally getting to the point where we get closer to appropriate measure of representation as compared to the population at large, although we’re not quite to that point." The pro-gay Williams Institute estimated this year that four percent of the adult population is "LGBT."

Later, the group updated its count to 486 delegates, or 8.15 percent of the total. The count is up from 277 delegates at the 2008 convention in Denver.

Add alternate delegates and party committee members, and the group counts 530 LGBT “participants,” including 11 transgenders (seven delegates, one alternate, three committee members.) Three states are sending LGBT delegates for the first time: Alaska, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

These delegates might make trouble on the floor. The gay site "Truth Wins Out" reports Will Kohler of Back2Stonewall called last week for all LGBT convention delegates and "equality supporters" to protest during Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s prayer this Thursday:

Perhaps one day the DNC will learn that the lack of integrity and strength within its own party is the reason that many do not turn out to vote and cannot stand behind a party that does not have the verisimilitude and balls to stand up for its own convictions and platform.

There will be over 500 LGBT delegates at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and unless the DNC rescinds Cardinal Dolan’s invitation and replaces him with a more suitable religious leader I call upon EVERY ONE of them and LGBT journalists, bloggers and straight allies to protest during Dolan’s prayer. Stand up and turn your backs, walk out, or shout out. Let Dolan know that he and his anti-gay bigotry is unwelcomed and also let the DNC know that we will not take this slight lightly.
 
Enough is enough!