Barack Obama's Campaign Names His Gay/Lesbian Supporters

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) presidential campaign becomes the latest to release an early list of prominent gay and lesbian supporters, following similar moves by the campaigns of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and former Sen. John Edwards. The renewed interest in LGBT support for the top tier Democratic presidential candidates also dovetails our recent cover story for The Advocate on LGBT issues and the Democratic presidential candidates.

Here is the list of prominent gay and lesbians supporting Barack Obama for President:

Michael Bauer, political consultant

Phil Burgess, Walgreen's pharmacy executive

Thomas Chaderjian, Stonewall Democrats

Rick Garcia, Equality Illinois

Vernita Gray, LGBT activist

Jessica Halem, Lesbian Comm. Cancer Project

Greg Harris, Illinois House of Representatives

Kevin Hauswirth, former editor, The Advocate

Robert Kohl, Chairman, Center on Halsted

Larry McKeon, former member, Illinois House

Gail Morse, attorney, partner in Jenner & Block

Mary F. Morten, former LGBT liaison to Mayor Richard M. Daley

Ed Mullen, attorney, partner Ross, Dixon & Bell

Jim Pickett, AIDS Foundation of Chicago

Debra Shore, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago

Rev. Stan Sloan, exec. director, Chicago House

Tom Tunney, Chicago alderman

Richard Wilson, chair, National Lesbian and Gay Law Association

Lauren Verdich, political and health consultant

Of the 19 names, the vast majority are Chicago- or Illinois-based—important, because it demonstrates the candidate has significant grassroots support at home. It's also important to note that the Obama list has several notable black lesbians (Mary F. Morten and Vernita Gray) and Rick Garcia, Illinois' leading gay activist.

We spoke with Mary Morten at length for our recent article for The Advocate on the Obama and Clinton campaigns. Mary was quite excited about the prospect of a presidential candidate who not only was black, but, lived on the South Side of Chicago and understood the dynamics of race, gender, sexuality and economics. "Barack is totally comfortable with gay people," she told The Advocate. "My partner and I have had lunch and dinner with the Obamas many times." Morten also said that she was less interested in marriage equality and more focused on "bread and butter issues like lack of access to health care and he high rates of HIV in the inner cities", as well as violence against black gay men and lesbians, such as the recent shooting of six black gay men in Chicago.

So far, Ramon Gardenhire, the political consultant and former deputy director of LGBT outreach at the Democratic National Committee, is the only prominent black gay man named to any list—that of the Edwards campaign. This could be good news, meaning that most prominent black gay men—and lesbians, for that matter—are weighing their options at this critical yet early point in the election cycle. Or, it could mean something else.

Dems Lining Up Gay Support [Wash Blade]

Some Background ...

Behind the Gay-Friendly Faces [Advocate] Clinton Names Prominent Gay Supporters [R20]
Edwards Shows Off His Gay Supporters [Towleroad] The Advocate: Clinton vs Obama [R20] Memo to Mr. Geffen: Get Over It [R20] Good for the Democrats, Bad for Gays [WaBlade] I Want My Gay DNC [Keith Boykin] The Latest Talking Point [R20] Hillary's Senate Opponent Uses the "L-Word" [R20]

Comments

[C. Baptiste-Williams]

Maybe I am just a little slow but what is the point of releasing these names?

To me I could careless who is supporting who... my vote doesn't follow others especially a list of people I have never heard of other than Ramon and only cause we have mutual friends.

I would rather have a list of their stance on the issues.

[madprofessah]

It's a time-honored tradition of releasing endorsers from particular communities to particular communities to let them know the candidate has a level of support from the "who's who."

I'm more curious as to why Rod thinks that more Black Gay and Lesbian leaders haven't appeared on these lists?

[Bernard]

Perhaps six degrees of separation applies and somehow someone somewhere will be able to make a connection, but I'm less than impressed by the "local" nature of his list. Those of us not from Chicago or Illinois are left wondering, "who are they and why should we care?"

He needs broader support geographically.

[Courtney B.]

Are we nitpicking here?

Barack's list is really no different than Hillary Clinton's list, which was stacked extra heavy with New York City or Washington names. The main difference, of course, as Rod noted, was that there were two or three black lesbians on the Obama list.

Edwards is the only candidate who has revealed a broad-based LGBT endorsement list. Plus, he had a gay black man on his list.

[John]

WHAT (!?) is the LGBT community in Illinois smoking? Hello?!
Barack Obama has made it unequivocally clear that on matters of 'fundamental' civil rights he would establish a public policy in accordance with his religious beliefs and therefore deny them their civil rights solely in the name of religion. This is not an inference but a boldly and repeatedly stated promise!

While all presidential candidates would deny marriage equality in favor of civil unions not one candidate or lawmaker has provided even one legal reason for that position. However, a distinction with a very real and very important difference, is that Barack Obama is the ONLY (let me spell that out, the O.N.L.Y.) one to explicitly and repeatedly state that he would deny this right ONLY for reason of his religious beliefs.

Don't ask this so called civil rights lawyer for legal reasons. It is axiomatic (that's legal talk for a no-brainer) that if religious beliefs are the only rationale for denying civil rights then the First Amendment is violated. When so many people demonstrate such encyclopedic ignorance of the bedrock principals of their own Constitution there is reason for cynicism.

And NO ONE has shown the courage to ask this so called civil rights lawyer on what legal basis he has the audacity to violate the First Amendment (Separation of Church and State) for the illicit purpose of denying 'fundamental' civil rights (due process and equal protection) guarantied under the Fourteenth Amendment. This from a so called civil rights lawyer?! Gimmie a break! See Internet article "Untangling Barack Obama's audacious mumbo jumbo" by retired attorney John P. Mortimer at http://ebar.com/common/inc/article_print.php?sec=guest_op&article=73 .

And, oh yes, those who have been paying attention know all to well about the phoney Advocate "poll" where Obama's clones could vote in true Chicago style: Early and often! And we can't help but notice that the poll mysteriously ended the moment a few in the know readers began tell the truth. Witness the all around rape of the First Amendment.