Stonewall DFL is, and always has been, part of the DFL Party. It
was originally formed around 1977-78 as a caucus to work for equal rights
for G/L people within the DFL party. (B or T were unknown or unrecognized
at that time.)
This organization was strictly designed to work within the
elections process, and within the DFL party. There were other
organizations around working for gay rights within society at large, like
Mn Committee for Gay Rights, FREE at the U of M campus, GLCAC, etc. The
people who started Stonewall DFL wanted an organization within the party
itself, since they felt that was one place where significant difference
could be made in the public arena.
Less than 3 years later, at a Spring 1980 meeting, the DFL Party
formally recognized them as an official caucus, with the right to use "DFL"
as part of their name. And we are still part of the DFL Party. Almost the
first thing in our Constitution
(http://www.stonewalldfl.org/legal/constitution.htm) Article I, Section 2
says "Membership is open to all persons who . . . support the constitution
and Principles of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota."
So we've never "given up our independence to subordinate itself to
the DFL"! In fact, we think it's more the other way around -- we've
changed the attitude inside the DFL toward GLBT people. (But I don't think
I'd claim to have "subordinated" the DFL. :) Nowadays, DFL delegates &
voters generally will not support candidates who do not believe in equality
for GLBT people, any more than they would support racist or anti-women
candidates. Those candidates go to other parties for endorsement.
So now we often find that ALL the DFL candidates have good
positions on GLBT issues, and if we endorse, it has to be on other
issues. For example, in the Mpls School Board convention, all the
candidates had acceptable positions on GLBT issues, and Stonewall DFL did
not endorse before the Convention. But all 4 of the endorsed candidates,
plus Jonathan Palmer who came in fifth, had Stonewall DFL Board members or
former Board members on their campaign committee. We've found that we have
the most influence on GLBT issues by being on the inside of the campaigns,
working to elect good people to office.
>Brian are you sure that the Stonewall Caucus is "part of the DFL"?
>Has there been a formal action by the State DFL to do so? More
>importantly has the Stonewall Caucus decided to give up its
>independence to subordinate itself to the DFL? I had always
>thought of the Caucus as an independent organization made up
>of DFLers. Not being a party insider, though a Democrat, I might
>be wrong. If you could , supply us with a little documentation.
>
>Some other Stonewall folks chime in on this. Are you an
>independent organization to support Gay issues, or are you just an
>arm of the DFL?
>
>Jim Graham, Ventura Village
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