DNC Winter Meeting  ...6 of 6 >
Feb. 25, 2011--The DNC LGBT Caucus met in the Nathan Hale Room at the Marriott Wardman Park.  There was some grumbling about the room (small, in the basement) and the lack of lunch.  This meeting comes just a couple of days after President Obama instructed the U.S. Department of Justice Department to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibits federal recognition of same sex marriages, in court.  Caucus Chair Rick Stafford (MN) also noted the election of the fourth LGBT member of Congress, repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy accomplished in the lame duck session, and the announcement today of the appointment of Jeremy Bernard, an openly gay man, to be White House social secretary. 
Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, remarked that "you get DOMA out of the way and it gets a lot easier."
(Below) Steve Kerrigan, DNC convention planning director (center), and David Parker, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party (left), defend the selection of Charlotte to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention.  John A. Pérez, Speaker of the California Assembly, pointed to the state's "less than stellar" record, and said, "It is not a decision that I'm happy with."  Kerrigan and Parker responded that the Convention would help bring about changes.  Parker stated, "No one says that the transformation of the South is going to be easy."
The Caucus also heard from Michael Mitchell, executive director of National Stonewall Democrats (not pictured), who spoke of the group's Pride in the Party effort to bring more LGBT delegates to the 2012 Convention.
Jamie Citron is director of the DNC's LGBT Leadership Council.
As he had earlier in the Seniors Council, Chairman Kaine defended the selection of Charlotte.
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