The Stonewall Democrats of Austin will be holding a Candidate Forum and Endorsement meeting on February 23rd at the Travis County Commissioner's Court (314 W. 11th St) beginning at 7:00 pm.

We will hear from candidates who have filled out our endorsement questionnaire (copies available at the meeting) and then have discussion about which candidates to endorse for the upcoming primary elections.

In order to be eligible to vote in this endorsement meeting you will need to have been a member for at least 30 days (cutoff was January 23rd). Lapsed members will be able to renew up to and including the night of the endorsement meeting. To renew online go to:

https://secure.actblue.com/page/stonewallaustindues

Rich Bailey talks LGBT and activism!

January 23rd, 2012

A longtime leader of the Stonewall Democrats, both nationally and locally, Rich Bailey has been fighting for LGBT rights his entire adult life.

He grew up a military brat, bouncing around Europe in his youth, and followed his father into the Navy after graduating from high school. But in 1982, his military stint ended abruptly when he felt the full force of official discrimination.

“They asked, I told, so I got kicked out of the Navy,” Bailey says.

Winding up in Austin, Bailey became active with the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus, worked on several Democratic campaigns, was elected to the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee representing Senate District 14, became chief of staff for Mayor Will Wynn and now works in government relations for the City of Austin. He remains a force in the Stonewall Democrats, but has decided to make some changes.

QUESTION: You are stepping down as president of Stonewall Democrats Austin next month, and in December, you ended your tenure as Secretary of the National Stonewall Democrats PAC. Why?

BAILEY: My term with Austin’s Stonewall Democrats is up in February, and I’m not seeking reelection. It’s been 25 years that I’ve been in a leadership position with LGBT issues, and I just thought it was time to step back and let others get involved. I plan to stay active and engaged, but I need to take a leadership break.

QUESTION: Stonewall Democrats support policies to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. What are you concerned with most in the coming election?

BAILEY: That depends on whether you’re looking at the national, state or local picture. Austin is a fantastic city to live in as an openly LGBT person, and that’s both fortunate and unfortunate because we have to battle apathy quite a lot. Our City Council and legislative delegations are basically good on our issues, so it’s hard sometimes to get people motivated. When you look at the larger issues of the state, it’s not to good. We work with Equality Texas to help give support to other cities to make sure that we come together to pass good legislation for the LGBT community — and defeat the bad stuff.

QUESTION: How would you grade President Obama on LGBT issues?

BAILEY: He’s done a lot of good stuff, mostly Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And he’s been good at doing things in a less visible way for folks. As much as we want to assume that every Democrat is good on all of our issues, that’s just not the case. With issues like same-sex marriage, people have deeply held beliefs, so the best you can do is try to educate folks and make them understand what the real world ramifications are. The best way to advance your cause is to personalize it. When people know gay and lesbian people, they are less likely to discriminate or tolerate discrimination.

QUESTION: What goes through your mind when you hear some of the homophobic and hateful talk from the Republican presidential candidates now?

BAILEY: I have been a little surprised, mainly that they’re bringing it up again. Mitt Romney’s record is pretty moderate as a Republican, but it’s red-meat time in the primaries, so they’re all trying to out-do each other. It’s not enough to say you’re against same-sex marriage; you have to really be against it and go extreme to be noticed above the noise.

QUESTION: How do you feel about Governor Perry, whose campaign for President has collapsed, regarding LGBT issues?

BAILEY: Perry was never really anti-gay. He was a bad vote, but he didn’t make it an issue that he ran on. Over the years, you see the steady progression of the Republican Party moving to the right, so he had to dangle that red meat in front of them for his campaign.

QUESTION: A lot of Texans, including moderate Republicans and some independents, have been embarrassed by Perry’s national exposure.

BAILEY: I always try to look for the positive in things, and hopefully this will take a lot of the shine off his armor. During the next legislative session, people may be more reluctant to bow down to whatever the Governor wants. The budget cuts during the last session were so Draconian and widespread that everybody will feel the pain, and I think that will hurt Texas Republicans in this year’s elections.

QUESTION: Finally, do you have a message for gays and lesbians in Austin who are not politically involved? What can you tell them that might inspire them to get active?

BAILEY: That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it? It’s one that, as president of the Stonewall Democrats, I have struggled with, as other club leaders have. It’s hard because people say, “But we’ve got it so good here in Austin!” So we have to ask people to look at their lives and decide if they want to improve their lives and the life of their community. If the answer is yes, they need to get involved. Get involved somehow. Be a part of the fabric of your community and make a difference.

AUSTIN – Mayor Lee Leffingwell has today joined dozens of mayors from across America in supporting the right of same-sex couples to marry by signing on to the Mayors for Freedom to Marry Pledge. The Mayors Freedom to Marry group — an effort of the national Freedom to Marry organization — aims to expand public and political support for ending discrimination in marriage.

“I’m proud to stand with the gay and lesbian community and defend their right to equal marriage,” said Mayor Leffingwell. “The tide is changing in America and I hope that by joining this loud chorus, I can play a small role in helping set us on a path to full marriage equality in our country in my lifetime.”
 
Other big city mayors to sign the pledge include Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Michael Bloomberg of New York, Michael Nutter of Philadelphia and Thomas Menino of Boston. Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who is openly gay, is the only other Texas mayor on the list.
 
Community leaders in Austin applauded Mayor Leffingwell’s decision to join the coalition. 
 
“As the first openly gay person elected to serve on the Austin City Council, I am especially appreciative of Mayor Leffingwell's leadership on this issue,” said former Council Member Randi Shade. “Mayor Leffingwell recognizes the importance of achieving marriage equality and is willing to fight for it.”
 
“Mayor Leffingwell is to be commended for his pro-equality stance with regard to the Freedom to Marry initiative,” said Rich Bailey, President of the Stonewall Democrats of Austin. “For too long we have seen the LGBT community used as a wedge issue in politics and it is refreshing, but not unexpected, for the Mayor to be supportive of the right of all consenting adults to enter into marriage.”
 
“This is a very important step in the path to equality,” said Anne Wynne, Founder of Atticus Circle. “I started Atticus Circle in 2004 in response to the trend of states constitutionally prohibiting same-gender couples from marrying and I am so happy to see my hometown standing up to achieve equality for every parent and every partnership.”
 
“I appreciate Mayor Leffingwell's endorsement of this petition along with other U.S. mayors,” said community activist Celia Israel. “It is yet another reason for all of us – not just GLBT Austinites – to be proud of our city.”
 
“Mayor Leffingwell echoes the values and beliefs of Austinites – that ALL men and women are created equal,” said Eugene Sepulveda, former co-chair of President Obama’s GLBT Leadership Council.
 
“I’ve always known Austin to be a community of respect and I am glad to see our Mayor taking the lead on this issue,” said Karen Gross, Austin Community Director for the Anti-Defamation League. “I hope other Texas mayors will follow suit and join this important effort.”
 
“Public support for marriage equality has grown in leaps and bounds in this country over the past few decades and too often, politicians refuse to catch up with the times,” said Karl-Thomas Musselman, publisher of the Burnt Orange Report. “Mayor Leffingwell is instead reflecting Austin’s values by rejecting discrimination and embracing our entire community.”
 
More information on this effort can be found at www.FreedomtoMarry.org.
 

Please join Stonewall Democrats of Austin at our monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 1st at Cafe Express (3418 N. Lamar Blvd.) beginning at 6:30 pm.

Our featured speaker will be Abby Dees, a Los Angeles based civil rights attorney turned author, speaker, and syndicated columnist. Abby wrote the book "Queer Questions, Straight Talk" to help bridge the gap between the LGBT and Straight communities.

We will also be conducting officer elections for President and Treasurer. The current President, Rich Bailey, will not be seeking another term. Current Treasurer Celia Israel is interested in seeking reelection. Nominations will be accepted from the floor.

Finally we will be holding our Candidate Forum and Endorsement meeting on February 23rd at the Travis County Commissioner's Court. In order to be eligible to vote in this endorsement meeting you will need to have been a member for at least 30 days (cutoff is January 23rd). Lapsed members will be able to renew the night of the endorsement meeting.

Below is the proposed agenda.

 

• Call to Order

 

• Introductions

 

• Treasurer’s Report

 

• Candidate Endorsement meeting: Feb 23 at TCCC – 7PM

 

• Officer Elections

 

• President
• Treasurer

 

• Guest Speaker: Abby Dees, author, syndicated columnist
  

 

• Old Business

 

• New Business

 

• Announcements

 

• Adjourn

 

Hope to see you on the 1st

Rich Bailey
President
Stonewall Democrats of Austin

While Stonewall Democrats of Austin have yet to issue any endorsements for the upcoming March Primaries, this is an LGBT specific fundraiser for a good friend of the LGBT community. The location has changed from the Austonian to the home of Dr. John Hogg and David Garza (1404 Wild Cat Hollow).

Sunday, December 4th
Noon-2:00pm

Live DJ • Mimosas • Marys • Java • Tasty Tacos • Yummy Treats

$35/person suggested donation to attend or
Join the host committee at the level of your choice:
Host $2500 / Sponsor $1000 / Supporter $500 / Friend $250

rsvp@votedoggett.com or call 512.568.5800

This Thanksgiving miracle was a great beginning to the holiday season. I’m excited to be hosting the TCDP & OFA Holiday Party at my house (1403 E. 2nd St) on December 15th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Please mark your calendars and plan to come! Together with our State House Democratic delegation and Senator Watson as our honorary hosts, we will celebrate the season and help our less fortunate neighbors at the same time. Here is a link to the invitation: https://www.facebook.com/events/215870801814573/

In that spirit, I hope you will join me in helping the homeless through donations to the Trinity Center. Located at 7th and Trinity Streets downtown, this small-budget but hard-working group was founded with funds bequeathed through the Barbara Jordan Foundation and with the guiding hands of our longtime Democratic friends, Diana and Doug Bell. The Center provides breakfast, clothing, computer training, counseling and other basic services to thousands of people every year.

You can find their donation “wish list” below, and you can either drop them off at our office at 1311 E. Sixth Street between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or bring them to the party. These are simple requests but can make the difference between life and death for people living on the streets.

*Sweatshirts/jackets
*Knit gloves/hats
*Tube socks
*Sleeping bags (new or gently used)
*Checks (made out to Trinity Center)

Andy Brown
Chair
Travis County Democratic Party

U. S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX25) sent out the following letter indicating his support for overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). 

Last week I joined a number of colleagues in filing a legal brief in support of litigation seeking to invalidate the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, as unconstitutional.  It is the first time that I have joined such an amicus brief on any subject during my years in Congress.  I am also a sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA and provide certainty for same-sex married couples in terms of Federal obligations and benefits.  As you may recall, I have previously voted in both 2004 and 2006 against a proposal that would have written DOMA-type language into the U.S. Constitution.
 
I am also sponsoring a bill to end the federal tax inequities for employer-sponsored health coverage as well as to extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to permit an employee to take up to twelve weeks of leave from work to care for a domestic partner or same-sex spouse with a serious health condition.  I have urged the IRS to provide specific guidance to ease the complexity and uncertainty surrounding LGBT taxpayers, who are married or in domestic partnerships.
 
Receiving the Bettie Naylor Lifetime Achievement Award for my longstanding support for human rights in 2008 at the HRC dinner is one of the highlights of my service in Congress.  I look forward to continued work with you to address our shared concerns. 
 
Please keep me advised of federal matters with which I may be of assistance.
 
 


                                                                     Sincerely,
                                                                     Lloyd Doggett

Together, we’ve fought hard for equal rights for LGBT Americans, and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is only one example of the progress we've achieved over the last three years. Take a look at the timeline below, outlining the actions President Obama has taken for LGBT equality since taking office, and share it with your friends.

Like all presidents, Barack Obama has enjoyed accomplishments but also made mistakes. As a presidential historian, however, I have been struck by claims being put forward by Obama’s many critics and the news media that he has accomplished little when, in fact, his presidency is easily one of the most active in history. As such, with all the misinformation circulating on talk radio, at town hall meetings, and in the blogosphere about the President, attached is a fact-checked list of some of President Obama’s initiatives.

Robert P. Watson, Ph.D.
Lynn University
October 4, 2011