‘In the world as it should be, we can work together to repeal laws like DOMA and ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and we can oppose divisive constitutional amendments that would strip civil rights and benefits away from LGBT Americans because discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the promise of equality,’ said Michelle Obama during remarks to a gay audience in Denver this week. (Photo by AP)
Democrats look to November after rousing convention Gay issues take backseat in Denver as delegates embrace Obama, Biden
DENVER
—
Invigorated
by
political
promises
and
impassioned
appeals,
gay
attendees
at
the
Democratic
National
Convention
this
week
rallied
around
Sen.
Barack
Obama
in
his
quest
to
win
the
White
House.
Gay
convention
delegates,
elected
officials
and
casual
observers
were
unabashedly
enthusiastic
in
their
support
for
the
Democratic
Party
and
its
presidential
nominee,
a
man
who
has
promised
to
enact
new
rights
and
protections
for
gays
at
the
federal
level.
“There’s
something
that’s
profoundly
moving
for
us
and
touches
us
to
the
core
and
says
this
is
where
we
belong,”
said
David
Alan
Harris,
a
gay
Denver
resident.
“And
here’s
a
man
who
wants
to
label
our
belonging
in
this
country
in
a
way
that’s
never
happened
before.”
Hopeful
that
the
November
elections
could
mark
an
historic
turning
point
in
the
gay
rights
movement,
gay
Democrats
like
Rep.
Barney
Frank
(D-Mass.)
talked
frequently
about
creating
change
on
the
national
level.
“This
election,”
he
said,
“if
we
are
able
to
elect
Barack
Obama
president,
pick
up
some
Senate
seats,
pick
up
some
House
seats,
we
will
have
the
majority
that
will
enable
us
to
do,
I
think,
what
we
want
to
do.”
Frank
told
a
group
of
gay
delegates
and
dignitaries
who
gathered
for
lunch
Tuesday
that
the
“gay
agenda”
could
soon
be
achieved.
“What’s
our
agenda?”
he
said
with
a
laugh.
“We
want
to
get
married,
join
the
Army
and
get
a
job.”
Speaking
at
the
same
gathering,
Michelle
Obama
won
thunderous
applause
from
gay
Democrats
when
she
told
them
“discrimination
has
no
place
in
a
nation
founded
on
the
promise
of
equality.”
The
wife
of
Barack
Obama
recalled
how
her
husband
once
rallied
neighborhood
groups
by
challenging
them
to
transform
“the
world
as
it
is”
into
“the
world
as
it
should
be.”
She
asked
gay
Democrats
to
join
that
quest,
help
her
husband
win
in
November
and
then
rejoice
together
as
the
Defense
of
Marriage
Act
is
repealed
and
other
gay
rights
advancements
are
made.
“We
can
do
it.
And
[Barack]
says
that
in
the
world
as
it
should
be
—
what
does
that
look
like?
In
the
world
as
it
should
be,
we
can
work
together
to
repeal
laws
like
DOMA
and
‘Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,’
and
we
can
oppose
divisive
constitutional
amendments
that
would
strip
civil
rights
and
benefits
away
from
LGBT
Americans
because
discrimination
has
no
place
in
a
nation
founded
on
the
promise
of
equality.”
Michelle
Obama
also
reiterated
her
husband’s
support
for
the
Employment
Non-Discrimination
Act
and
other
gay
measures
pending
in
Congress.
“The
federal
government
fully
protects
all
of
us
in
the
world
as
it
should
be,
including
LGBT
Americans,
especially
against
hate
crimes.
That’s
the
world
as
it
should
be,”
she
said.
Stopped
repeatedly
during
her
20-minute
address
by
applause
and
cheers
of
support,
Michelle
Obama
said
her
husband
has
long
fought
for
gay
civil
rights,
noting
her
husband
has
endorsed
a
complete
repeal
of
the
Defense
of
Marriage
Act,
a
stance
he
adopted
during
his
campaign
for
U.S.
Senate.
But
she
said
her
husband
cannot
foster
equality
alone,
and
challenged
gay
Democrats
to
work
with
him
“to
make
the
world
as
it
is
and
the
world
as
it
should
be
one
in
the
same.”
Gay
delegates
praised
Michelle
Obama’s
speech
for
its
supportive
message
and
genuine
delivery.
They
also
commended
her
willingness
to
address
a
gay
audience
the
day
after
she
gave
her
primetime
convention
speech.
“The
day
after
she
gave
her
big
speech
and
all
the
media
were
following
her
around,
she
came
to
an
LGBT
event,”
said
Michael
Huerta,
a
22-year-old
gay
delegate
from
New
Mexico.
“That’s
pretty
cool.”
Huerta
said
he
also
appreciated
the
political
risk
Michelle
Obama
took
by
appearing
at
the
luncheon.
“Even
though
we’re
in
the
general
election
and
the
right
is
out
to
get
her
and
her
husband,
she
still
showed
up,”
he
said.
“That
more
than
anything
is
what
impressed
me.”
GAYS
‘CRITICAL’
TO
ELECTION
Many
other
speakers
joined
Michelle
Obama
in
asking
gay
Democrats
to
recommit
themselves
to
political
engagement
at
the
national
and
local
levels.
Alice
Germond,
the
convention’s
secretary,
told
gays
at
the
LGBT
Americans
Caucus
meeting
Monday
that
their
support
could
be
key
in
deciding
whether
battleground
states
go
red
or
blue
in
November.
“You
will
make
that
critical
difference,”
she
told
the
crowd.
“That
one
percent,
that
two
percent,
that
three
percent
that
we
so
often
win
states
by
—
and
you
know
that.
And
that
one
percent,
that
two
percent,
could
well
mean
the
difference
in
target
states
all
over
this
country.
And
not
just
to
elect
Barack
Obama
and
Joe
Biden
—
and
we
will
elect
them
—
...
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