New Draft Democratic Platform Omits Mention of Gays and Lesbians*

Trajan, its because rights are rights. The same reason most of America supports gay and lesbian rights.

An injury to one is an injury to all.

Do gays/lesbians have any strong
feelings about abortion rights legislation? And if so, why?

Hey! GBLT..... words...JUST WORDS!
We know we're included....RIGHT?

As a long time gay supporter of Hillary Clinton I do agree that we have to put aside these petty differences and make sure JM does not win in November. Let's go Obama - but I would be happier if you had a Clinton on the ticket.

As usual the republicans are criticizing something NOT done that they would have criticized if it HAD been done. Hypocrite neo-cons.

I agree with this. It shows that the Democratic Party understands that this is a basic civil rights struggle. Makes alot of sense.

Most Americans agree - this affects rights like hospital visitation, insurance, wills, etc. It is about time we stopped denying basic rights to some people because of who they fell in love with.

All families mean whatever the definition of all families is. Just like the definition of marriage. ....between one woman and one man. What we ain't being told WILL hurt us!

be smart hello

It's rather obvious that "All Families" includes gay and lesbian families.

What a non-issue.

@dl: "it is a small semantic tweak in my opinion..."

It's an acknowledgement that segments of their target demographics separate on the issue of homosexuality regardless of the marriage issue. Obama needs the black vote to remain solidly in his corner. If you watch the televised church sermons on cable in the South, you will find out that homosexuality is broadly and openly condemmed in many of these congregations. Obama has been pulling to the center and his coalitions weaken visibly as he does that.

Given the blue collar vote that he has to wrest from the Clinton's, this issue is a divisive one for his base. Best to reword it, wink and nudge, and hope the LGBT community is realistic about the need to win given the paucity of support they would receive from the other party where evangelicals are a dominating force.

Again, the danger to Obama is not from the right but from within his own camp.

first of all obama is trying to win so the loons from the right wont take office and take more than gay privalage from us

Reverend Obama has just engineered the crafting of the platform into a sermon.

Let's have Donnie McClurkin sing the national anthem, too!

No, the good Reverend Obama will not be getting this Democrat's vote.

Keep up the good work, Jake. Anytime that the press begins to expose the foibles and flip-flops of the Obama team, as Obama now exercises his exclusive direction over the Democratic Party, his backers begin to whine and bear their teeth. Anything he does or says is defended by rote, by party members that have thrown thought to the wind.

This headline could be 'McCain leaves GOP hate platform intact', but it isn't. I wonder why?

As "one of those people" I am not concerned with the words but with the deeds. I am not happy about either of these men on this issue. I am beginning to see a pattern develope with the "change" guy though, win at all cost. I am not cynical, paroniod, or stupid, but now I think all the Clinton supporters that feel distrustfull of Obama and party leadership may have a valid point. McCain is not any better, but at least I'll see the train coming at me instead of being blind-sided.

And, so, once again, the platform-writers have clearly and unistakably shown that language is indeed a sword that cuts both ways. Are the Dems attempting to neutralize a divisive issue by silencing the "love that dare not speak its name," or are they taking the LGBT community for granted, assuming that only policy wonks read the platform? Either interpretation leaves the impression that the Dems would rather face "more important" issues and leave loyal supporters out in the cold, once again.

Talk about speaking out of both sides of your mouth! Will the real B0 / Dem Party stand up? And what do you really stand for? Hopefully, we don't have to find out after it is too late!

"I don't think the use of "all families" is vague at all -- it says what it says."
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Anybody who thinks that all "gay" sex -- or any other kind -- is an act of family formation is woefully misinformed about prevailing "gay" practices: one need look no further than the outing of Larry Craig.

Besides, having decreed an Ozzie-and-Harriett scenario for the black underclass -- for whom the collection of "gay" spousal-benefits from corporate and government employments is not such a concern -- it's hardly surprising that the "Democrats", under the new Noah's Ark decree threateningly underlined by the unlikely "he strayed" destruction of the Edwardses, should adopt don't-ask/don't-tell/don't-mention-it as its new view of, er, sex.

"Removing gay and lesbian from this, is not right."
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JUST WORDS: making political people mouth "gay-lesbian-transgender-whatever-community" was getting unwieldy.

How do you like "change", SO far?

So much for the \'big tent\' myth the democrats try to promote.