Be Part of the Process in 2016! You Could be a Delegate

Could you be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2016?

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced earlier this year that their 2016 Presidential Nominating Convention will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the week of July 25, 2016.

Now that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have officially declared their candidacy to be the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Presidency in 2016 and a cabal of neo-cons, tea partiers, climate change deniers, transphobes, failed industrialists, and religious fascists have openly declared for the Republican side, now is the time to prepare to get involved in the process.

I cannot speak for the Republican Party (RNC), but the Democratic Party has had and will be seeking transgender Americans to serve as official delegates and credentialed participants (Alternates, Committee Members and Pages) at their nominating convention.

Jane Fee

The first out transgender delegate was Jane Fee from Minnesota In 2000. In the ensuing years 2004, 2008, 2012, transgender participation has grown. In 2012 we were 14 official trans participants (delegates, alternates and committee members) with credentials, excluding transgender staffers and volunteers in the total.

In 2004 I was a Delegate joining a handful of transgender women from NJ, NY, PA, GA and TX as part of a credentialed delegation at the DNC convention in Boston, Massachusetts. Although we were welcomed by many, acceptance and recognition was far from universal and although we organized for a voice, transgender rights were excluded from the Convention Platform, whereas a Gay and Lesbian non discrimination plank was included. The Kerry campaign was not helpful. It was disappointing but I realized that there were no transgender DNC members and no transgender members on the Platform Committee so how educated were they? Did leadership know any “out” trans people? We did find a Platform committee member who spoke eloquently and passionately on our behalf, but he was in the minority. He did, however, leave a lasting impression and the die was cast for future inclusion

The DNC as a big tent party gave trans people and our allies opportunities to advocate for transgender inclusion, we took advantage and the first win was on August 19, 2006, when the Democratic National Committee, meeting in Chicago, adopted the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2008 Convention which included the LGBT and Disabled Communities in the Delegate Selection Process and committed to their inclusion in State and National Party activities. The wording was “LGBT” and not just “Gay and Lesbian” as originally proposed, only because of our direct positive engagement at the prior DNC meeting in New Orleans.

By 2008 we had developed many contacts within the Party hierarchy and the leadership of the DNC. All candidates were in favor of transgender non-discrimination and we had a trans member on the Platform Committee. Although we were still a very small minority, we had a growing voice and increasing recognition. We had reached the ears of several in leadership; a distinct improvement over 2004.

President Obama held the first ever LGBT Pride reception in June 2009 with several trans people present including transgender members of the Administration staff, the time was ripe for more change. President Obama picked Governor Tim Kaine as the new DNC Party Chair and he was encouraged to name a trans person as one of his 75 At-Large picks for membership in the DNC.

Babs

In August of 2009, in Austin Texas, I was confirmed as the first transgender member of the DNC, but much more important was a change in the By-Laws and Charter that was unanimously passed literally minutes before my vote. “Gender Identity” was added to the non-discrimination policy and full inclusion policy within party affairs. The same language was later added to the rules and non-discrimination policy for selecting Convention delegates.

The door has been opened. We have been under-represented and some of us complain that we lack civil rights and respect. Opportunity knocks now for a chance to be a part of the solution instead of complaining about the problems.

In 2016, there will be approximately 5500 official delegates, alternates, committee members and pages attending the DNC Convention. If transgender Americans represent ½ of 1% of the Democratic Party’s electorate, that should translate to 28 participants or twice what we had in 2012. If Trans Americans represent 10% of LGBT voters, that should translate to over 50 official participants.

The DNC LGBT Caucus chair was looking for 500 LGBT Delegates.

So what is stopping us? Perhaps we have not legally changed our name? That is actually okay. In 2004 I attended the Convention publicly as Barbra Casbar. It was not until 2007 that I legally changed my name to Barbra Casbar Siperstein. Other trans delegates have served as their A.K.A. names as well.

It is a wonderful opportunity to put your best foot forward, learn first hand, meet and educate and also party! It’s exciting and empowering to be part of making history. Priceless!

If you don’t belong to a LGBT Democratic club or group or a Stonewall Democratic club, a Democratic State or county LGBT Caucus please contact them and join. If you are part of a local or state group engage them or engage the Presidential candidate’s campaign. Stonewall U.S. has been working with several state committees to raise the LGBT participation goals in their affirmative action plans. The “T” is included in LGBT, but if we don’t apply, we can’t expect to get in!

Sean Meloy

The DNC recently (May 2015) hired Sean Meloy as Director of LGBT Engagement. He has already been reaching out to LGBT political and advocacy groups.

Stonewall Democrats U.S. will be working to enhance LGBT participation in the Party and the Convention. (On Facebook.)

Already a brand new group of transgender Americans is organizing for Hillary.

The DNC Summer meeting will be in Minneapolis, MN, on August 27-29, 2015. At our recent Executive Committee Meeting, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced that it would be a “meet the candidates meeting” meaning (based on the experience of 2007) that all announced candidates will be present, will address the DNC membership and guests in open session and then later will be available to meet the members and registered guests one on one.

The LGBT Caucus will be meeting in Minneapolis and interested LGBT guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.

I will post updates from time to time and encourage all to participate — it’s civics live!

Tags: Democratic Party, Democrats, DNC, featured, politics, Transgender

Category: Transgender Politics