South Carolina Equality Coalition – a Network member – sent this notice today. Congratulations!

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SCEC CELEBRATES VISIBILITY AND INCLUSION!

We prevailed! The SC Democratic Party voted yesterday to set a goal of sending at least 3 openly GLBT delegates from South Carolina to the presidential convention in 2008. Long active in political organizing in this state, gays and lesbians are now being recognized as an important constituency of the state party. The new policy sets an explicit standard of visibility and inclusion.

We owe thanks to the brave new chair of the state party, Carol Khare Fowler, and the Chair of the Charleston County Democrats, Warring Howe, who led the charge, to Wil Brown, and to the Democratic National Committee’s GLBT liaison Brian Bond for orchestrating community support for this inclusive goal.

SCEC did its part by asking you to write Chairwoman Fowler supporting inclusion. You responded with 247 emails and many letters. This really was democracy in action. The next step is creating a plan to get GLBT folks to run for delegate to the presidential convention. To be involved, contact SCEC.

SCEC is a nonpartisan non-profit which is dedicated to securing civil and human rights for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender South Carolinians.

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SCEC also invites everyone to remember Sean Kennedy at a candlelight vigil at the State House on Suday, July 1, 4-10pm. For more about Sean and efforts to memorialize him, see Melissa Moore’s story in Qnotes.