Pinellas County has a new political organization devoted to the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Democrats, its first chapter of the Stonewall Democrats. Organizer Rick Boylan of St. Pete Beach said the group is meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Pinellas Democratic Headquarters, 2250 First Avenue N. in St. Petersburg. (Its next meeting is Dec. 13.)
“Some of the mission is to educate our community as well as the Democratic Party,” said Boylan. “A big part of what we will be doing is to make sure we elect those candidates who do support our issues.” The Pinellas group will be the Stonewall's first in Tampa Bay, although it has chapters throughout Florida, with the nearest to Tampa Bay in Venice.
The Pinellas Stonewall Democrats join a Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee caucus group devoted to the LGBT community, as well as the Log Cabin Republicans of Tampa, who come at gay issues with a GOP slant.
For Boylan and the 20-25 participants who have attended two organizational meetings, however, the Democratic Party is the only option for LGBT voters.
“Certainly the Democratic Party has been the only political entity between the two major parties that has been responsive to and respectful of the LGBT community,” he said. “Are they perfect, no. But fortunately we’re working with a party that, on the whole, understands the importance of human rights and civil rights, fairness, equality and tolerance.”
And the Pinellas Stonewall Democrats are already politically active; they devoted their first meeting in October to joining a national fundraising drive against U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, well known for his opposition to gay-related issues. Boylan said the group raised nearly $650 in contributions to be used against Santorum’s re-election bid.

For more information on the Pinellas Stonewall Democrats chapter, you can e-mail organizers at rqboylan@gmail.com.

This article appears in Nov 30 – Dec 6, 2005.