An article in Salon last week claimed “There is a gay agenda — winning elections.” It’s a heartening look at the impact wealthy LGBT Americans had on the 2006 mid-term vote. “They turned the 2006 election into an object lesson in targeted giving that could fundamentally change the way politicians think about the consequences of taking anti-gay stances.”
PlanetOut earlier ran a piece on the impact LGBT voters had when they went to the polls to defeat a same-sex marriage ban, but also voted in favor of progressive candidates. This may have given the edge to Democrat James Webb, running a close race in Virginia, and given the Senate to the Dems.
Salon notes, however, that “the money [wealthy LGBT donors] gave to federal 527s, while considerable, was in several cases only a small portion of the millions they spent on politics in 2006, since much of their cash went to low-profile but vitally important state-level races.” Why vitally important? Kenneth Sherrill, director of Hunter College’s Center for Sexuality and Public Policy, explained “state legislatures are farm teams for the big leagues. . . . Second, and more important, state legislatures are where most of the battles for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights are being won and lost.”
In 2008, with a presidential election at stake, it may become harder to keep our eyes on state races. Yes, there are some states that are so firmly red it will be virtually impossible to gain any LGBT rights. In other states, however, the ball is still in play (with interstate issues such as those in Rhode Island/Massachusetts and Vermont/Virginia adding another layer of complexity).
November 2008 may be two years away, but elections, like children’s birthdays, seem to be here before we know it. Let’s make sure we don’t get complacent. Large sums of money may be necessary, and it’s good there are LGBT donors who can provide. Those of us without such means, however, can commit to sharing our families’ stories and changing minds, one voter at a time.
(Thanks for the sighting, Robyn!)
