On the bus or left on the curb?

Did you catch the Wash Blade article, DNC rejects affirmative action status for gays? It's about Dean and the party's latest dance on a proposal by the Gay & Lesbian Americans Caucus to spell out rules regarding delegate selection for the 2008 National Convention, and lo and behold, it looks like more games are being played.

The DNC is tossing a bone to try and keep queer dollars flowing into the coffers without ensuring that there will be openly gay delegates at the convention from states in the South and Midwest (whcih have not sent openly gay delegates to Democratic conventions). The party says it is concerned about the appearance of "quotas."

DNC officials instead agreed to create a new "inclusion" section to the party's delegate selection rules that recognizes the "LGBT community and people with disabilities" as underrepresented groups within the party.

"The national and state parties shall adopt and implement 'Inclusion Programs' in order to achieve the full participation of members of these and other groups in the delegate selection process and in all party affairs, as indicated by their presence in the Democratic electorate," the proposed rule says.

"As is already the practice in some states," the proposed rule says, "state parties may use goals to achieve these ends; however, in no event may such participation be accomplished by the use of quotas."

Miss Wild Thing has a few spot-on things to say that capture the shell game:

There have been numerous conversations going on behind the scenes about this change. If you read the Washington Blade article, you will see concerns about "opening the floodgates" for other constituency groups to be represented in the affirmative action. Oh no, the party of inclusion having to be more inclusive? And the even more troubling comment about finding gay African Americans so they can "two-fers." Holy shit, folks, that's pretty racist. But then if you notice all the folks commenting in the Blade article are white. As are all the heads of the national lgbt organizations except for the Black Justice Coalition.

But hey, wait a second, there is a black lesbian on the DNC. But you wouldn't know it if you didn't have the inside scoop. Why? Because she is closeted. Can't have the Presidential campaign manager be a lesbian or you might lose. Oh wait, we did lose.

So this bone that was thrown to the gay and lesbian caucus seems a little weak. To look at it on the surface seems nice. After all, we are all friends, get along nice, blah, blah, blah. But if you knew like I know how state parties operate, this isn't any good. There are no teeth in this new resolution. All bark and no bite.

Parties are supposed to be inclusive but what if they aren't? Then what happens? Doesn't say. As Donald Hitchcock says in the Blade article there are no requirements to set specific goals. And to further the problems, what about my transgender brothers and sisters? Where are they left. (Slap my head) Of course, they are just left behind.