''Dean comes to Pines''

"In what is turning into a yearly trek, Howard Dean will be speaking in Fire Island Pines this weekend. The former governor of Vermont and Democratic presidential candidate will visit the home of Brandon Fradd on Saturday, July 9. His mission: to put the fire under the troops and drum up some cold cash. “We are hoping to raise a lot of money,” Dean told the Blade.

This will be the fourth year in a row Dean has made a trip to Fire Island. “It’s becoming a tradition,” Dean laughed.

Aside from a little sun and surf, Dean, who won a hard fight to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee earlier this year, wants to emphasize the importance of gay voters (and donors) to the party. “We want to underline the party’s commitment to the LGBT community, which we consider to be an important constituency of the Democratic party,” Dean said.

Damien LaVera, the national party’s spokesperson, described the Fire Island visit as part of Dean’s overall strategy to connect with Democrat activists across the country.
“This is a grassroots function,” LaVera said. “He has been to 30 states in the past five months and is working hard to rebuild the party from the grassroots up.” Dean sees a big distinction between the two major parties when it comes to gay issues.

“I think what the Republicans did in 2004 was despicable,” Dean said. “I really have strong disagreements with how the Republicans treat gay people. People are people first. We are the people party and we include everybody and proudly.” As Vermont governor, Dean signed the first state civil union bill and since has been seen by many as being especially friendly to gay causes.

“He is probably the single most gayfriendly major political figure on the national scene today,” said Ethan Geto in an e-mail. Geto served as Dean’s New York campaign director, worked nationally for him in the presidential primaries and supported him for DNC chair. The landscape has changed since 2000. Today, same-sex marriage has become the rallying cry. Dean points out that across the country a majority of Americans in poll after poll have voiced disapproval about same sex marriage. However there has been progress in gay rights.

“We have been able to make progress despite President Bush,” said Dean. “The vast majority of people in this country do not support gay marriage but they do support equal rights under the law. If I were gay I might not be satisfied with the progress, but we are making progress.”

Despite this Dean has not come out for gay marriage, something Geto has given him heat for.
“As a gay activist, I want him to support gay marriage, and have told him so,” said Geto. “The gay political contributors, activists and campaign professionals have to always keep pressing our straight allies in politics or elected office to take stronger positions in favor of dignity and equality for all Americans.”

For Geto, Dean’s return to the Pines speaks volumes about the increasing importance of gay dollars to the Democratic Party. “As the thief Willie Sutton said about why he chose to rob banks instead of other places, ‘Because that’s where the money is,’” Geto said. “It is also where many influential LGBT opinion leaders vacation, and as gays become more important in the Democratic Party coalition, it is appropriate for party leaders to include LGBT venues on their itineraries. The LGBT communities have become a vital electoral force in American politics,” Geto added. “First, gay voters are an important segment of the electorate in many key states. Second, gays and lesbians have become major contributors to political campaigns, especially to Democrats who generally have been more supportive of advancing gay rights.”

Dean said he wants people in the Pines and elsewhere to look beyond gay marriage. He believes his party can regain its majority status, but that means being willing to stand toe to toe with the GOP.

“We have a lot of work to do. We do think we have chance to take back the Senate and the House even,” said Dean. “You can’t lay down in front of the right wing and get anywhere. Finally Democrats have waken up and learned to fight. It is critical in any struggle. Say who you are and others will respect you.”-from the article in the New York Blade Online.