Charlie's delegate T shirt from the 1992 New York Democratic National Convention
A portrait of President Franklin Roosevelt given by a member of the Roosevelt family to Charlie's mother. She grew up near Warm Springs, Georgia, and often in the area saw President Roosevelt driving his specially equipped car with controls on the steering wheel. She was a highly intelligent woman. Although raised in the South she adapted to a changing world. She accepted Charlie's gayness and our relationship. Regretfully, to be sure, but she accepted. Politically she was always right on. Her pantheon of heros: Jesus Christ, Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Jefferson Davis. Her graduation annual from U. of Georgia, 1940: every single graduate was white! Not a single Black or Asian face. Amazing. How times have changed.
Charlie with Morris Kight, a legend in gay liberation, his activism going back to the 1950's. A true hero. Photographed at the 2000 Los Angeles Democratic National Convention. Charlie's last time as a delegate. We stayed at a modest but quite adequate little hotel run by an Indian family in downtown LA, within walking distance of the venue, the Staples Center. I got to be in the hall for President Clinton's memorable and rousing speech. Democrats are always very considerate of each other, trading or loaning credentials to get on the floor. There is no experience like it, it is monumentally exciting to sit in on history being made. Or, in Charlie's case, to actually be in on making history. At that convention Al Gore was nominated for President, he chose Joseph Lieberman, Senator from Connecticut, as his Vice Presidential nominee, and for that portion of the convention Charlie got credentials for a Jewish friend. Tears flowed down his face as Lieberman got the Vice Presidential nomination. This is a great country.
Another photo from the 2000 Democratic convention in LA, Charlie with some of our women delegates. Our gay San Diego Democratic Club has been sending delegates since 1980. It is undeniably fun and exciting but also extremely important. The party gets a great deal of direction and guidance from its conventions, the platform being a major example. The party and its elected representatives in office act on the ideals expressed in the platform. It has been a long, slow process. Lots of people contributed to the present state in which gay equality has been mentioned by President Obama, and in which states are actually voting in favor of gay marriage today. Truth is, gay lib began with a riot at the Stonewall Inn in New York in 1969 when drag queens refused to accept bullying from the NYPD. Sad it takes violence but the truth is, thats all bullies understand, its all that works. But civilized politics changes laws. Responsible representation of the concepts gain public acceptance. Charlie served in both those capacities. And as a Democrat he was on the county central committee and on the state Democratic Party committee for decades.
A photo of Charles with Governor Gray Davis and Dede Alpert. Democrats are so reasonable, so sane!
Charlie's delegate T shirt from the 1992 New York Democratic National Convention
A portrait of President Franklin Roosevelt given by a member of the Roosevelt family to Charlie's mother. She grew up near Warm Springs, Georgia, and often in the area saw President Roosevelt driving his specially equipped car with controls on the steering wheel. She was a highly intelligent woman. Although raised in the South she adapted to a changing world. She accepted Charlie's gayness and our relationship. Regretfully, to be sure, but she accepted. Politically she was always right on. Her pantheon of heros: Jesus Christ, Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Jefferson Davis. Her graduation annual from U. of Georgia, 1940: every single graduate was white! Not a single Black or Asian face. Amazing. How times have changed.
Charlie with Morris Kight, a legend in gay liberation, his activism going back to the 1950's. A true hero. Photographed at the 2000 Los Angeles Democratic National Convention. Charlie's last time as a delegate. We stayed at a modest but quite adequate little hotel run by an Indian family in downtown LA, within walking distance of the venue, the Staples Center. I got to be in the hall for President Clinton's memorable and rousing speech. Democrats are always very considerate of each other, trading or loaning credentials to get on the floor. There is no experience like it, it is monumentally exciting to sit in on history being made. Or, in Charlie's case, to actually be in on making history. At that convention Al Gore was nominated for President, he chose Joseph Lieberman, Senator from Connecticut, as his Vice Presidential nominee, and for that portion of the convention Charlie got credentials for a Jewish friend. Tears flowed down his face as Lieberman got the Vice Presidential nomination. This is a great country. 
Another photo from the 2000 Democratic convention in LA, Charlie with some of our women delegates. Our gay San Diego Democratic Club has been sending delegates since 1980. It is undeniably fun and exciting but also extremely important. The party gets a great deal of direction and guidance from its conventions, the platform being a major example. The party and its elected representatives in office act on the ideals expressed in the platform. It has been a long, slow process. Lots of people contributed to the present state in which gay equality has been mentioned by President Obama, and in which states are actually voting in favor of gay marriage today. Truth is, gay lib began with a riot at the Stonewall Inn in New York in 1969 when drag queens refused to accept bullying from the NYPD. Sad it takes violence but the truth is, thats all bullies understand, its all that works. But civilized politics changes laws. Responsible representation of the concepts gain public acceptance. Charlie served in both those capacities. And as a Democrat he was on the county central committee and on the state Democratic Party committee for decades.
A photo of Charles with Governor Gray Davis and Dede Alpert. Democrats are so reasonable, so sane!
No comments:
Post a Comment