Why investing in fair-minded Democrats moves us closer to LGBT equality, faster---but we still have more work to do.
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By Jon Hoadley | Contact
Jon Hoadley is Executive Director of National Stonewall Democrats.
With over 90 chapters across the country, National Stonewall Democrats is the voice for LGBT Democrats focusing on improving the Democratic Party, growing grassroots LGBT power, and educating and turning out the LGBT Community to win elections and achieve equality.
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Our community understands the importance of keeping Democrats in control of the agenda in Washington and legislatures across the country. With recent changes in leadership, we are finally working to pass legislation that positively impacts our community instead of struggling against negative legislative attacks aimed squarely at our families. As LGBT donors and advocates, this is also our time to ensure that we are positioned to shape the party which will shape our national agenda over the next decade.
You know that the record of the Democratic Party starkly contrasts with that of the Republican Party. There are exceptions, but nearly each time that a donor is presented with an opportunity to invest in a political race it is the Democratic candidate who will return an investment with equality.
Majorities matter. But to secure equality in the fastest amount of time possible, elections can't be just about electing more Democrats than Republicans. We must ensure that our efforts elect fair-minded Democrats who will champion our community in Congress, our state houses and in our town halls.
FOUR PRINCIPLES
National Stonewall Democrats is committed to four principles which we believe increasingly provide you with a quality of candidates worth your investment.
First, we work to elect fair-minded Democrats who support our community.
Second, we work to improve the Democratic Party through education and with accountability.
Third, we educate our community on the differences between Democrats and Republicans so that we have a more-informed electorate shaping our politicians.
And fourth, we nurture and grow the grassroots power of our community to produce results.
1. ELECTING FAIR-MINDED DEMOCRATS
Investing towards equality requires a commitment to supporting candidates who will advocate for the LGBT community.
To secure the outcome of a legislative agenda, we must secure the political positions of those who determine its fate. That is why National Stonewall Democrats invests in candidate relationships and why we believe that it is important for you to do so as well.
In 2006, we saw a new generation of Democratic leaders elected to Congress - many of whom stood in full commitment to allow LGBT Americans the freedom to marry, openly serve our country and work without fear of legal discrimination. In each of these cases, the positions of these progressive candidates were shaped by existing relationships with local Stonewall Democrats chapters - which we ensured were in place long before they were candidates to federal offices.
Stonewall Democrats fills a unique roll apart from other organizations because we emphasize organizing national change from the ground level. This is where our community is the strongest. This is also where your investment has the largest potential to make an impact.
Your contributions to political candidates should always be outsized by your conversations with them. Every campaign will accept your donation. The better campaigns will also value your time. Always offer your input and never be afraid to ask tough questions. Even if you do not get the answer you seek, your candidate benefits from being pressed on an issue by someone that they value.
2. IMPROVING THE PARTY
Politicians aren't solely influenced by individuals who contribute to their campaigns. Political parties hold huge sway in shaping and promoting their elected officials. How many times have we seen a "moderate" politician brow-beaten into an anti-gay vote by Republican Party brokers? Or Democrats who have been propelled to cast correct votes by principled party leaders in their districts back home?
Political parties are influential-that is why you should take an interest in investing in their improvement.
Let me give you an example of what happened in 2005, when the Democratically-controlled legislature in California was faced with a clear vote to allow same-sex couples in the state to marry. While Stonewall Democrats assisted coalition partners in lobbying individual officials on this legislation, we had also worked for nearly two years with our chapters and partners to change the platform of the California Democratic Party to stand in favor of the freedom to marry. As a result, we were able to help California Democrats issue a clear call for marriage equality while mobilizing party machinery behind that position. This provided the pressure that switched five Democratic lawmakers from opposing the legislation to casting a favorable vote.
We are seeing the same thing happen across the country. We understand that the policy of our Party is improved when greater participation of LGBT Democrats is secured in party affairs. That is why we collaboratively led a year-long effort with the Democratic National Committee LGBT Americans Caucus to change the national rules which govern the selection of delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
As a result, our Pride in the Party program (www.PrideInTheParty.org) is requiring states to meet their obligations to include LGBT Democrats in their programs. Where we had seen state Democratic Parties hostile to LGBT Democrats, we have created positive working relationships which now apply the view of LGBT Americans to discussion of state and local party policy. This is leading to improved party platforms and positions which apply additional pressure to our elected officials.
When you give to state and national Democratic parties, you have the responsibility to inquire as to what the official policy of the party is on LGBT issues. We're here to help and would be happy to provide you will that policy of your own party, as well as the language we are working to help it adopt.
It is not good enough to simply support individual candidates who can influence a legislative agenda; we must influence the institutions that provide their support.
3. EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY
When National Stonewall Democrats was formed ten years ago, there was a national need to educate our community on the differences between the political parties on LGBT issues. Just as we are vocal advocates for our community within the Democratic Party, we recognized that we must also advocate for fair-minded Democrats before our own community.
National Stonewall Democrats works with our chapters to make sure people know which politicians stand with us and who we should stand with. But for us, it's more than that. National Stonewall Democrats provides a platform for LGBT people to fully participate in the electoral debate.
Those who invest towards equality have a vital interest in ensuring that the message of pro-LGBT Democrats is heard in our community.
It is National Stonewall Democrats which is training the next generation of LGBT partisans. This year, two of our openly-gay members were elected as President and Vice-President of the Young Democrats of America - one of our nation's most effective electoral vehicles. The young people we train can be found managing Democratic campaigns, shaping opinion through nationally influential blogs, rising through Democratic Party operations and authoring pro-LGBT legislation in states across our country.
Through national trainings, mentorships, high-intensity internships, or sending young people out to assist our local chapters on real campaigns, National Stonewall Democrats makes training a new generation of Americans a priority which provides our community with results. You should too.
4. GROWING THE GRASSROOTS
The heart of National Stonewall Democrats is our local chapters. Some would call this a new model of organizing, but we recognize that nurturing grassroots action is one of the most effective vehicles for change. Ten years ago, National Stonewall Democrats realized what would become a successful trend in Democratic politics-invest locally to change politics nationally.
Stonewall members live and work in their communities. Their relationships run deep. That's why when other national organizations come into campaigns they always call our Stonewall members to help.
Breakout leaders like Rep. Patricia Todd in Alabama, Rep. Kathy Webb in Arkansas and Councilmember Evan Low in California sharpened their political skills as presidents of local Stonewall Democrats chapters. We are preparing hundreds of our members as local leaders who are already serving as local officials and community leaders in preparation for serving in higher office.
Effective organizing is about building relationships. It's hard to establish and motivate voters when the first time that they meet a representative from an organization campaign it is two weeks before the vote-and they hail from inside the Beltway. That is why we are on the ground today and why you should invest in this important infrastructure which is already demonstrating impact.
WINNING IN 2008
National Stonewall Democrats need your help to make sure that we have accountable, effective candidates. To ensure this, we also need your help to guarantee that our chapters stay trained, organized, and strong to elect more LGBT-supportive Democrats. This is work which our community needs and which a partisan, chapter based organization is uniquely positioned to accomplish.
In addition to our national activities, National Stonewall Democrats is working through our pilot program, Grow to Win, to combine targeted chapter development with electoral goals to produce specific, legislative results protecting LGBT people in their local community. Grow to Win looks at specific legislative obstacles and creates targeted electoral campaigns to achieve results. This may include replacing an anti-gay Democrat with a Democratic ally whose election could decide the future of a pending non-discrimination ordinance, or electing an allied Democrat to a current Republican-held seat crucial to a larger legislative strategy.
To effectively impact politics, we demand accountability at National Stonewall Democrats. It is a word that our staff jokes is often overused in our office as proposed project lines and drafted public statements are often returned for improvement with "Attach specific accountability" written in red ink. Yet, accountability allows us to measure our progress and provide a larger return to our investors. By holding our national office accountable with public scrutiny and internal controls, our chapters accountable with measurable goals, and our politicians accountable through our relationships and programs, we are able to deliver results
Donors seeking to create national change must also require accountability from their investments. This includes frank discussions with politicians and clear strategies from LGBT and party organizations. We believe that providing measurable results builds donor confidence and achieves tangible benefits. That is what makes National Stonewall Democrats an effective investment for those seeking to impact the political process.
Donors and Democrats face a year of great opportunity. If we capitalize early, we can make 2008 a great year for our community, our Party, and our fight for equality. That is why we urge you to support work which returns results and why we encourage you to invest quality, Democratic candidates and in the vision of National Stonewall Democrats.
