LGBT Clinton supporters stand by their woman

Former President Bill Clinton famously described himself as the Comeback Kid after a stronger than expected showing in the 1992 New Hampshire primary. His wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, appears to have carried the torch as she proved the media and pundits wrong with her victories in the Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas primaries this week. Her supporters in New York were obviously elated as my article in EDGE New York proves. The main lesson to learn from this past week, however, remains the fact that the campaign on the Democratic side is far from over. Stay tuned!

As New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama continue to battle it out on the campaign trail, LGBT New Yorkers who back the former First Lady could barely contain their excitement over her victories in the Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas primaries on Tuesday.

Dirk McCall, an activist in Astoria, Queens, described Clinton’s victory as ’wonderful.’ And he added he feels it provided added momentum for her campaign going into the Pennsylvania primary on April 22 and the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

"She’s definitely making her case to the American people," McCall said.

Jeff Campagna, a member of Clinton’s LGBT Steering Committee, agreed.

"There is tremendous momentum," he said.

Jon Winkleman, a gay Clinton supporter from Woodside, Queens, handed out buttons for Clinton at gay bars in his native Rhode Island ahead of Tuesday’s vote. He also campaigned for the former First Lady in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of their respective caucuses and primary in January. Winkleman added he had little doubt Clinton would do well.

"I’m excited, but I was really confident it was going to happen," he said.

Clinton has received widespread LGBT support in New York since she announced her candidacy in Jan. 2007. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, state Sen. Tom Duane [D-Chelsea], state Assemblymembers Deborah Glick [D-Greenwich Village], Daniel O’Donnell [D-Upper West Side] and Matthew Titone [D-Staten Island], New York Trans Rights Organization director Melissa Sklarz, long-time gay activist Ethan Geto and Tonio Burgos of the Democratic National Committee’s LGBT caucus are among those who serve on Clinton’s LGBT Steering Committee. And nearly 1,000 people attended a Clinton fundraiser at the Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel in Manhattan on Jan. 25.

The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York has also endorsed the former First Lady, but some, such as Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle, have previously expressed their disappointment over Clinton’s failure to support marriage for same-sex couples. McCall was quick to defend her LGBT record.

"She has been a very strong supporter of the LGBT community," he said. "She’s always stood by the LGBT community - even in dyer straights. It’s important to continue to stand by her."

Local supporters also dismissed pundits and others - especially those in the media - who claimed Clinton’s campaign was in trouble after Obama’s string of caucus victories following Super Tuesday.

"The same thing happened in New Hampshire - everyone said she was dead and they were wrong," Stonewall Democratic Club of New York President Matthew Carlin said.

McCall agreed.

"I don’t think she was ever faltering," he said. "She was just focusing her efforts. She was focusing on the major swing states."

Campagna echoed these sentiments. He singled out Clinton’s Super Tuesday victories in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California. Campagna further argues they, combined with her wins in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday, give her campaign further momentum.

"There is tremendous energy and enthusiasm to charge into Pennsylvania," Campagna said. "A case is being made that she is the stronger candidate."

Gays Partisans Remain Engaged in Political Banter

I remain somewhat disconnected from the political back and forth between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama last week due to my vacation in the Dominican Republic, but last night's election results proved yet again this election cycle remains historic.

A number of gay sources told me today they feel LGBT voters -- especially those in Ohio and Texas -- played an important role in Clinton's victory in those two states last night. Others used their interviews as an opportunity to portray their respective candidate in a favorable light (or to criticize their opposing White House hopeful). Journalists are certainly a cynical lot, I confess the continued partisan banter among pundits and political operatives in our community provides at least this reporter with a plethora of good sound bites and story ideas about which he can write.

The Pennsylvania primary is more than six weeks away, but this historic exercise in American democracy will certainly continue as the Democrats battle it out over they hope is the best candidate to lead their party into the November general election. LGBT partisans will certainly continue their partisan brinkmanship as they make the case for their respective candidate. Let the games continue!

HIV Prevention and the Hillary Affect

Senator Hillary Clinton [D-N.Y.] finally released her long-awaited health care platform at a press conference in Iowa. The White House hopeful, who remains all too aware of the political debacle she led during her husband's first administration, appeared more nuanced as she again urged universal health care for all Americans. Her critics predictably criticized the plan as Hillary care, Part II, but a coalition of more than 100 organizations coincidentally used Clinton's announcement to urge her and other presidential candidates to address ending the epidemic in their health care platforms.

One can easily argue that continued bureaucratic wrangling -- and even neglect -- has enhanced the virus' impact in this country. People of Color in Crisis executive director Michael Roberson described this as 'genocide by neglect' in a recent interview to describe AIDS' devastating impact among communities of color in which he and his staff work. [Bushwick has one of New York City's highest rates of HIV and AIDS] The lack of local, state and federal funding for appropriate prevention and outreach efforts is another facet of this multidimensional problem while underlying poverty, racism, homophobia and even machismo add fuel to the fire. The epidemic is more than 26-years-old. It remains a devastating plague which continues to ravage entire communities and even countries around the world.

So-called special interests will obviously continue to seek to influence the policy agendas of those who seek to win the White House next November. It remains unclear as to rather this coalition of HIV prevention organizations will succeed in their mission. The problem of HIV and AIDS remains an issue which the candidates need to address much sooner than later because lives remain at stake. Let's hope Clinton and her counterparts shed light on this critically important issue.