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MDP LGBTQ&A Caucus Dedicated to Queering 2020 DNC Convention, Sets Goals Surrounding 2020 Elections

 

On Saturday, May 4, a collection of state politicians, representatives from LGBTQ non-profits and chairs of the Michigan Democratic Party LGBTQ&A Caucus arrived at a breakfast meeting to discuss collaborative strategies to hit the ground running in getting more LGBTQ candidates into office in the months leading up to the state and national elections in November 2020. Though a variety of topics were covered, the Caucus' Chair Roland Leggett summed up the crux of the meeting well.
"This breakfast itself is really about the beginning of a conversation about how we're going to organize ourselves and our supporters to needlework the agenda that elects candidates that share our interests and our values and also supports those institutions in our community that do the work that we're focused on doing," Leggett said.
Here are some of the meeting's highlights:

A Look at MDP Delegates
First on the morning's agenda was a discussion concerning voter turnout, specifically regarding delegates, or the voters who will be responsible for choosing the nominees of each party in the primaries in advance of November 2020. Leggett said the Caucus' goal is to get as many LGBTQ people inspired to register to become delegates.
"This is a great way for folks who ask to plug in for us to say, 'Hey, there's this great opportunity for you to plug directly into the work the party is doing, to have real conversations about the way in which the things that you care about get pushed in the party,'" he said.
Also in attendance was State Rep. Jon Hoadley, who is now in his third term in the 60th House District and who has announced his campaign for Congress in the 6th Congressional District. He added that not only is voter interest important, but for there to be a diverse pool to draw from, as well.
"Every state has a delegate selection plan and they have to meet diversity goals that are articulated in their Affirmative Action programs and so we have to say when we send a final number of delegates from the state of Michigan to the national convention, that will have to include a diverse selection. … So, we have to make sure that we've recruited LGBT folks for multiple candidates and in multiple districts across the state that are also significantly diverse so at the end of this as they fill holes to make sure … they can then pull and say, 'Yes, we want either those folks elected at the district level or appointed at the state level.'" Hoadley said.
By Sept. 13 of this year, the MDP will begin implementation of the existing Affirmative Action implementation plan. To find out how to register, vote and more about the plan visit michigandems.com/mdp-bylaws/.

A Unified Front on Issues
Another pressing matter addressed was the distribution of politician-specific questionnaires, aimed specifically at gauging how candidates feel overall on LGBTQ-specific issues. Candidates normally see dozens of similar documents over the course of their campaigns issued by a variety of non-profits, political organizations and caucuses. Though the LGBTQ&A caucus has sent several of these in the past, so have other LGBTQ-specific organizations, often repeating questions on similar issues.
Leggett said that this kind of repetitive sending of questionnaires can actually result in the opposite of the intended result, leading many politicians to ignore answering questions they felt like they have answered before. That's why this year, the Caucus has decided to put forth a unified form, created in collaboration with a variety of LGBTQ-specific organizations in an effort to get more honest, thoughtful answers.
"Let's have a real conversation with candidates about where they stand on those real issues and see where they stand on those there," Leggett said, providing examples like criminal justice reform and the high rates of murder among transgender women of color. "Let's have a real conversation around where they stand. … As we know, transgender women of color are murdered at a rate that is far greater in Michigan and in in our community in general."
Currently, the questionnaires are in development and are slated to be completed by early June, far in advance of the November 2020 date.

Upcoming LGBTA&A Caucus Events
Mentioned in the meeting as well were two key events sponsored by those in attendance at the Caucus. The first, to be held on Thursday, June 6, is the Ford Globe's 25th Anniversary Dinner. This event is being put on by the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce in an effort to commemorate Ford Motor Company's Employee Resource Group for it LGBTQ and allied hourly, salaried and agency employees.
"The night will feature keynote speaker Wade Davis and Allan Gilmour will accept his Inaugural award for Outstanding Leadership in Inclusion," wrote event organizers.
Shared second at the Caucus meeting was an announcement for an evening reception to support State Rep. Hoadley's run for Congress. The evening event will be held at the Robert Kidd Gallery located at 107 Townsend St. in Biemingham. For more information about this event go online to http://actblue.com/birmingham/190620birmingham or contact [email protected].

http://dems.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dsp-official-final.pdf

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