Stonewall Democrats Celebrate President Obama’s Marriage Position
President Barack Obama’s support for same gender marriage was celebrated in a rally Thursday organized by Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri. The celebration rally was held Thursday evening May 10th from 5:30 PM till 6:15 PM at MoKaBes Coffeehouse located on Arsenal at Grand.
On Wednesday the portion of President Obama’s ABC interview announcing his support for same gender marriage was released. The full interview aired on Thursday morning where the President further aligned himself with a commitment to justice and equality for all of our citizens. The Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri created a celebration rally that very afternoon attracting Congressional, state, and local elected officials, standing together with clergy and LGBT leaders applauding what Stonewall Chairperson Philip Deitch called “the strength and clear vision of our President”. The St. Louis celebration was reported to be a unique event nationally according to National Stonewall headquarters.
Stonewall Secretary Barbara Woodruff noted how President Obama is bringing us closer to the goal first anticipated when Reverend Troy Perry (founder of the world wide Metropolitan Community Church) performed the first open same gender commitment ceremony 43 years ago. She encouraged the St. Louis LGBT community to become Stonewall members as a way of showing their thanks and appreciation to a sitting President taking a bold but historically important position. Stonewall has been sponsoring a voter registration campaign and a series of candidate forums which will continue through the August 7 primary. The next meeting will be May 20th at 3 PM and will be held at Mokabes Coffeehouse. She directed the attendees to the facebook page to sign up on email list and become a member. Event photos and a summary of the comments made by each speaker will be added to the facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/groups/sdemsem
The diverse list of speakers included: Congressman Russ Carnahan; Congressman Lacy Clay’s representative Steve Engelhardt noting that Cong. Clay was in DC (with both Congressmen running against each other in the primary for the new combined district); St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed; St. Louis Alderman Shane Cohn (the only out LGBT Alderman) speaking on behalf of Missouri State Representative Jeanette Mott-Oxford who was still working in Jefferson City (the only out lesbian member of the Missouri House who is now running for the MO State Senate in District 5); Missouri State Representative Michael Colona (the only out gay member of the Missouri House and who is running in a primary race for re-election in soon to be District 80); Missouri State Representative Tishaura Jones (who is running for St. Louis Treasurer); Central Reform Congregation Rabbi Ed Harris; PROMO’s St. Louis and Southeast Missouri Regional Field Organizer Andrew Shaughnessy; Attorney Bruce Hopson immediate Past President of the St. Louis Metropolitan Bar Association (and the first openly LGBT President since its founding in 1894); HRC St. Louis Political Chair John Mancuso; and Barbara Woodruff Stonewall Secretary. Program Chair Deitch also extended greetings on behalf of two other speakers unable to make it before the program ended. They were Ed Reggi co-founder of the Show Me No Hate Marriage Bus trips to Iowa with his partner Scott Emanuel and NAACP former St. Louis President and current national Board member Harold Crompton. Several candidates for office were also in attendance and recognized including Brian Wahby (St. Louis City Democrats Chairperson who is running for St. Louis Treasurer); Michael Butler and Martin Casas (the two candidates running in the primary to represent MO District #79, Oxford’s old seat). St. Louis Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (running for St. Louis Treasurer) called the next morning to express his solidarity and regret for missing the program. Also in attendance at the celebration was staff from Obama for America.
The on line newspaper The Beacon had interviewed Deitch for their coverage of the President’s comments where he was quoted as saying: “It’s a clear statement of a position by a sitting president that justice for all means justice for all. It’s in line with where the nation is, from all the polling I’ve seen. It’s not a radical step. It’s where the country is. We’re in a country that promises equality for everyone. The constitution does not say ‘with the exception of.’ We made some mistakes when the country was formed, and we have corrected them, in terms of racial injustice and women’s rights. This is just another step toward ensuring the original vision of our country as a home for equality. This is just another opportunity to correct who we are as a country. We are a country of different religions. Everyone should be able to celebrate their own religious faith without imposing parts of it on somebody else. The clergy of many faiths would be happy to perform these marriages if they were legal.” PROMO Executive Director AJ Bockelman was also featured in the article.
www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/25015/obama_marriage_react_051012
Deitch recently took over as Chairperson of Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri when former Chairperson Representative Mott-Oxford stepped down in order to focus on her primary campaign for Missouri State Senate District 5. She is term limited to her Missouri house seat. Deitch had been one of the participants at the National Stonewall organizing convention held in Kansas City in 1999.
On Wednesday the portion of President Obama’s ABC interview announcing his support for same gender marriage was released. The full interview aired on Thursday morning where the President further aligned himself with a commitment to justice and equality for all of our citizens. The Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri created a celebration rally that very afternoon attracting Congressional, state, and local elected officials, standing together with clergy and LGBT leaders applauding what Stonewall Chairperson Philip Deitch called “the strength and clear vision of our President”. The St. Louis celebration was reported to be a unique event nationally according to National Stonewall headquarters.
Stonewall Secretary Barbara Woodruff noted how President Obama is bringing us closer to the goal first anticipated when Reverend Troy Perry (founder of the world wide Metropolitan Community Church) performed the first open same gender commitment ceremony 43 years ago. She encouraged the St. Louis LGBT community to become Stonewall members as a way of showing their thanks and appreciation to a sitting President taking a bold but historically important position. Stonewall has been sponsoring a voter registration campaign and a series of candidate forums which will continue through the August 7 primary. The next meeting will be May 20th at 3 PM and will be held at Mokabes Coffeehouse. She directed the attendees to the facebook page to sign up on email list and become a member. Event photos and a summary of the comments made by each speaker will be added to the facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/groups/sdemsem
The diverse list of speakers included: Congressman Russ Carnahan; Congressman Lacy Clay’s representative Steve Engelhardt noting that Cong. Clay was in DC (with both Congressmen running against each other in the primary for the new combined district); St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed; St. Louis Alderman Shane Cohn (the only out LGBT Alderman) speaking on behalf of Missouri State Representative Jeanette Mott-Oxford who was still working in Jefferson City (the only out lesbian member of the Missouri House who is now running for the MO State Senate in District 5); Missouri State Representative Michael Colona (the only out gay member of the Missouri House and who is running in a primary race for re-election in soon to be District 80); Missouri State Representative Tishaura Jones (who is running for St. Louis Treasurer); Central Reform Congregation Rabbi Ed Harris; PROMO’s St. Louis and Southeast Missouri Regional Field Organizer Andrew Shaughnessy; Attorney Bruce Hopson immediate Past President of the St. Louis Metropolitan Bar Association (and the first openly LGBT President since its founding in 1894); HRC St. Louis Political Chair John Mancuso; and Barbara Woodruff Stonewall Secretary. Program Chair Deitch also extended greetings on behalf of two other speakers unable to make it before the program ended. They were Ed Reggi co-founder of the Show Me No Hate Marriage Bus trips to Iowa with his partner Scott Emanuel and NAACP former St. Louis President and current national Board member Harold Crompton. Several candidates for office were also in attendance and recognized including Brian Wahby (St. Louis City Democrats Chairperson who is running for St. Louis Treasurer); Michael Butler and Martin Casas (the two candidates running in the primary to represent MO District #79, Oxford’s old seat). St. Louis Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (running for St. Louis Treasurer) called the next morning to express his solidarity and regret for missing the program. Also in attendance at the celebration was staff from Obama for America.
The on line newspaper The Beacon had interviewed Deitch for their coverage of the President’s comments where he was quoted as saying: “It’s a clear statement of a position by a sitting president that justice for all means justice for all. It’s in line with where the nation is, from all the polling I’ve seen. It’s not a radical step. It’s where the country is. We’re in a country that promises equality for everyone. The constitution does not say ‘with the exception of.’ We made some mistakes when the country was formed, and we have corrected them, in terms of racial injustice and women’s rights. This is just another step toward ensuring the original vision of our country as a home for equality. This is just another opportunity to correct who we are as a country. We are a country of different religions. Everyone should be able to celebrate their own religious faith without imposing parts of it on somebody else. The clergy of many faiths would be happy to perform these marriages if they were legal.” PROMO Executive Director AJ Bockelman was also featured in the article.
www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/25015/obama_marriage_react_051012
Deitch recently took over as Chairperson of Stonewall Democrats of Eastern Missouri when former Chairperson Representative Mott-Oxford stepped down in order to focus on her primary campaign for Missouri State Senate District 5. She is term limited to her Missouri house seat. Deitch had been one of the participants at the National Stonewall organizing convention held in Kansas City in 1999.