Bay State Board Member Denise Simmons Elected Mayor of Cambridge

This week, Cambridge (MA) City Councilmember Denise Simmons was unanimously selected by her peers to serve as Mayor. Simmons, who is a member of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, becomes America's first African American out lesbian to serve as mayor of a city.

Simmons term as mayor follows the strong and successful term of Ken Reeves, who is also Black and gay. Reeves is also a member of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats

Bay Windows Talks About Dem Caucuses

Get thee to the Caucuses
The Bay State Stonewall Democrats are encouraging LGBT Dems to run in their local caucuses to serve as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic State Convention. The caucuses will take place across the state Feb. 2-10. For more information on the occasionally wacky delegate selection process, which varies from ward to ward, check out massdems.org or contact the state party headquarters at 617.776.2676. Bay State Stonewall Dems Co-chair Shawn Hartman acknowledged that navigating the caucuses for the first time can be daunting. "But everybody has a first time," he added. And hopefully you never forget your first time.

The catch to becoming a delegate to this year’s Democratic State Convention, which takes place this year in Lowell? The bulk of it takes place on the same day as Boston Pride, June 7. That presents an obvious challenge for LGBT convention delegates who’d also like to take in the parade, but in the bigger picture, we can’t help but wonder: Which place will be emptier, the Boston Common or the Democratic State Convention? Because believe you me, we’ve been to a couple Democratic State Conventions and given the number of LGBT Democratic activists and the state party’s longstanding commitment to LGBT causes, they’re probably the second gayest thing after a Pride event. On top of that, since the entire legislature is up for re-election this year, who’s gonna wave to the gays from the parade route if all those Democratic legislators are cooling their heels in some convention center north of Boston?

Hartman acknowledged that the conflicting events means a lot of running back and forth between Boston and Lowell for LGBT delegates/Pride-goers. But he’s confident that neither event will suffer as a result of the overlap. "I think there’s enough gay people around that we can split the difference." (1/18/2008)

Diego Sanchez of MA Name to DNC Platform Committee

Speaking of LGBT Democratic delegates, among the record number of LGBT people elected to serve on the 2008 Democratic National Convention Standing Committees is one Mr. Diego Sanchez, AIDS Action Committee’s director of public relations and external affairs. Sanchez was among seven LGBT people nominated by Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean and the first transgender person Dean has appointed to a Convention committee. Sanchez will sit on the platform committee along with openly lesbian state Rep. Patricia Todd of Alabama. The committee is being co-chaired by Gov. Deval Patrick. That bodes well for getting some attention to LGBT issues within the national Democratic Party.  ( Bay Windows 1/17/2008)

Pink delegates sought for DNC

Stonewall Democrats launched on Tuesday, December 4, "Pride in the Party," an effort to increase participation by GLBT partisans within the Democratic Party on a local, state, and national level and boost the number of pink delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which will be held August 25-28 in Denver, Colorado. The Stonewall Democrats caucus just before, from August 21-24.

"Massachusetts has a proud history of advocating inclusion of GLBT people in our delegation. This year, we set a goal to reach at least eight GLBT persons in the delegation, an increase in the number from four years ago," said Shawn Hartman, co-chairperson of the Bay State Stonewall Democrats. "I have already received e-mails and phone calls from GLBT persons across the state who, active in local Democratic politics, are interested in getting elected," which requires interested partisans to run in their congressional district for a delegate position.

A recent nationwide poll, conducted by an academic team at Hunter College, found that nine in 10 likely gay, lesbian, and bisexual voters intend to cast ballots in the Democratic primaries, with 21 percent saying that lesbian and gay rights will be the most important issue influencing their vote in 2008.  Knowledge Networks, Inc., conducted the Hunter College poll, which included 768 respondents, from Nov. 15-26.

No matter whom the Democrats or GOP nominate for president, a hefty caloric slice of the lavender electoral pie will undoubtedly cut for the Democrats on Election Day next fall. (INNewsweekly 12/9/2007)