Some forms of media bias I can appreciate. For example, someone at The Washington Post got carried away in the Aug. 21 issue with color photos of Jamaican sprinting champion Usain Bolt, which grace the front page, the cover of the sports section, and two inside pages. A straight co-worker of mine reacted to a sumptuous crotch-and-abs shot inside the sports section by laughing and saying, “Now that one is just gratuitous pandering.” Thank goodness for that.
A lot of media bias falls into this eyes-of-the-beholder category. Subjective judgments inevitably feed decisions on which stories to run, what to emphasize, what angle to take, whom to quote. It is more problematic when journalists, perhaps due to excessive chumminess with the political establishment, develop a herd instinct and ignore stories that conflict with prevailing narratives.
In this interview Kevin Jennings talk about why it so important that LGBT voters get engaged in the campaign to elect Barack Obama. Jennings is the founder of Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network
and is the co-chair of the campaign’s LGBT Finance Committee.
This past week was historic for the nation as Sen. Obama become the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. With all eyes glued to the happenings in Denver, you may have missed some of the great recent posts. So, here is a quick recap of the best that LGBT for Obama had to offer in the last week
Our friend Joe Sudbay of AmericaBlog spent a few minutes talking with Arizona State Representative Kyrsten Sinema about John McCain’s record on LGBT civil rights. Let’s just say that Rep. Sinema is not impressed.
Rep. Sinema helped to defeat the proposed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment in Arizona in 2006.
McCain is on record as supporting the proposed anti-gay marriage amendments that will be on the ballot in Arizona, California and Florida.
Sen. Obama is on record as opposing each of these divisive and harmful anti-gay amendments.
In his history speech last night accepting the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama included the following line recognizing the LGBT community as a vital part of the American family.
I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.
The Human Rights Campaign just released this amazing video of LGBT people who have known Sen. Obama over the years talking about the experiences in working with and getting to know Sen. Obama and Michelle.
Last night I wept as I watched the Democratic Party nominate Barack Obama for President of the Alan_convention United States. All those trials and tribulations of the 1960’s in the struggle for freedom seem to have new meaning and new purpose. As Democrats we should be bursting with pride, as Americans we should celebrate our progress and as human beings we should all stand a little taller.
-Senator Clinton certainly wowed the Convention on Tuesday night and proved that she is committed to the Democratic Party and its principles. In a powerfully delivered speech she stuck to her journey while making a powerful case for supporting Barack Obama. Her supporters must be extremely proud and the party is very grateful. I believe her best line of the evening was:
Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years. Those are the reasons I ran for president, and those are the reasons I support Barack Obama for president. I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear that Del Martin had passed. Del committed her life to fighting discrimination and promoting equality. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her spouse Phyllis Lyon, and all those who were touched by her life.
For more on Sen. Obama’s response to Martin’s passing, visit the Obama campaign website.
I walked into the convention hall today, on my way to the LGBT Caucus (and on my way to pick up a credential to get me into the Pepsi Center today), when I saw San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. After what he did in San Francisco, and what came of it on the California Supreme Court, I couldn’t just pass him by. (It didn’t hurt that he was taller and more handsome in person than he is in his pictures.) I had to stop and thank him.
I told him, I was just on my way to the LGBT caucus and that just wanted to stop and thank him. To which he responded “Thank you!” One of his aides overheard me say where I was going, and invited me to walk with them since they were going to the LGBT caucus too.
And then we stepped into the hall, and heard the announcement that Del Martin just passed away. She died quietly, surrounded by her family and friends. There was a gasp, and a moment of stunned silence.
And as I thought about Del, I realized that before she died she got to do something that perhaps she never thought she would: after 55 years together, she got to marry the woman she loved. Something Gavin Newsom helped happen, and something that some people with deep-pockets want to keep us from doing.
