Obama Camp Woos Gays in California

This article from the Bay Area Reporter (http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=2558) looks at efforts being made by Barack Obama to reach the gay community. Interestingly, the article notes that Obama has taken a more gay-friendly position on modifying the existing federal Defense of Marriage Act. If this analysis is correct, it may be one reason to support Obama over Clinton. While I as yet have made no decision on who I support, the dirty tricks by some of Hillary's staff and advisers is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth. Here are some highlights:

Gay supporters of Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination began voter outreach in the Castro last weekend in an effort to drum up support in advance of the state's February 5 primary. Obama, who trails Senator Hillary Clinton in several recent statewide polls, nonetheless has been closing the gap, and is in a tight race with Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire, where voters soon will cast ballots in the caucuses and primary, respectively.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who represents the Castro, is one of Obama's gay supporters. Another is Rebecca Prozan, co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. She organized a private meeting with undecided voters last week. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter Monday, December 17, Tobias Wolff, a gay man who's chair of the national LGBT policy committee for the Obama campaign, called the Illinois senator a "fighter" who will stand by his principles.

Wolff, 37, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, also noted that while he disagrees with Obama on the issue of same-sex marriage, he nonetheless believes that Obama is the better candidate. Obama, as well as the other leading Democratic candidates, support civil unions. Wolff supports marriage equality. But Wolff drew a distinction with Obama's and Clinton's position on the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Obama supports repeal of all DOMA, while Clinton is on record supporting repeal of only part of the legislation. President Bill Clinton signed DOMA into law, as well as the anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces.

On the issue of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Wolff said that Obama is on record in support of a fully inclusive ENDA that includes protections for gender identity. Wolff said that Obama was a chief co-sponsor of Illinois' Human Rights Amendment, which is fully inclusive.