The Inquirer has showered a lot of love on the LGBT political power, Liberty City, lately. The group has been front and center in the First District Senate fight (endorsing Farnese), as well as with a targeted effort to get a reticent Bill Keller to sign on to an anti-discrimination bill in the House.
The latest is an article today that talks about Chelsea Clinton going where not many women (and certainly, not many daughters of a President and a Presidential candidate) have gone before... Woody's.
We love your highlights!" a man yelled from the crowd, referring to Chelsea's tresses. "Wow," she said, temporarily bumped off message, "that's something I never heard before."
At the end of an exhausting day of nonstop events, Chelsea was supposed to leave after 10 minutes. She ended up staying 25.
A few years ago, such a scene would have been unthinkable. But with an eye on the April 22 Pennsylvania Democratic primary, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are fervently courting the gay vote.
In Philadelphia, gays constitute an estimated 5 percent of voters, according to Malcolm Lazin, president of Equality Forum. That is not an inconsequential percentage in a race as tight as this one.
All cutsieness aside, from an outsiders perspective, it seems clear why Liberty City is such a powerhouse: They are organized, they vote, they are vocal and they take action. It is identity politics at its best.
It says a lot about Philadelphia politics and the effectiveness of Liberty City (and maybe something about a simple effect of how districts were drawn) that even State candidates who are normally fairly conservative socially, have been moved to pretty good LGBT-rights positions.
And within City government, we can see the change embodied by a former mayor and his successor. In 1993, Mike Nutter and John Street helped kill a domestic partnership bill. Within a few years, Nutter helped pass a bill over Street's objections. And by the time Street was done as Mayor, he too had 'seen the light.'
It is really cool to see, and it is not going away. Well-organized groups of people who vote, volunteer, donate money, knock on doors and make phone calls will continue to wield power.
Now, if they would only get rid of that Ray Murphy dude...
Now, if they would only get
Seriously. Imagine where they could be now. ;)
The other important trend to note, both in Philly and nationwide, is that issues affecting the GLBT community are increasingly important to straights (and not just straights who wished the GLBT community didn't exist). As such, groups like Liberty City have influence over a much wider swath of the progressive vote than their immediate constituency.
Just as it matters to nonlabor voters where candidates stand with unions, childless voters where candidates stand on education and parenting, working voters where candidates stand with the AARP, male voters on womens' issues, and white voters on issues affecting black, Hispanic, Asian, and immigrant communities, people care about rights for other genders. We need to jump up and shout just as loudly.
Sometimes I just don't understand you Dan
the picture is the most important part. Front page of philly.com when I woke up!
Rue saves the day
Thankfully, Rue kept Ray off my computer screen.
In all seriousness, I didn't see that. Awesome.
Next time
Ray really has to angle for the camera better.
Even with Ray . . .
Liberty City is a great organization and, in my opinion, on the front lines of the civil rights movements, which to me means equal rights for everyone, regardless of what they look like, where they come from, what they believe or what their sexuality and/or sexual preference is.
Congratulations Liberty City, and most especially Ray and Rue!
I am working to elect Larry Farnese to the General Assembly. Unless otherwise expressly stated, this and every comment or blog I post on YPP and any action I take hereon is solely attributable to me and not Farnese or Friends of Farnese