I am proud to say I attended my first caucus this weekend. It was a very interesting event. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I went with the intention of supporting the democratic party. My initial reaction to the event was that it wasn’t very organized. Our precinct leader was a very soft spoken Latina who had a heavy accent. It was difficult to hear her give instructions to all who participated.
So, if you’re like me you probably asked what the heck is a caucus? I went online and found the Democratic Caucus Website’s FAQ about the caucus. It shed a lot of light on the subject. Basically it’s to see who the populous feels is the best candidate for president. There are no votes, just active participation which translates to “Move to this side if you 
like Hilary, and that side if you like Obama.” Then they count the numbers, elect delegates to represent the precinct, and then you go home. I’m leaving out all of the specifics, but it was quite enlightening. One thing that really stood out for me was when the Chairperson asked people to read the letters the candidates wrote for the caucus. One strong supporter of Sen. Obama, read his letter with such conviction and such presence that I was enthralled. It made me realize that people who participate in our election system can truly make a change. I never knew that I enjoyed the election process or politics for that matter.
The only way that Gay and Lesbians across the nation can change the system is to p
articiate. It’s amazing to me how few people were at the caucus, which got me to thinking that people are letting others dictate how they are going to live their lives. That just doesn’t seem fair. So from now on, I’m going to be actively involved in electing people who support gay and lesbian issues. If we as a group come together, our voices will be heard and change will happen. Don’t let a conservative right winged person who is active in the process shove their agenda down these politician’s throat-GET INVOLVED!
One way I’m doing this is by joining the Human Rights Campaign. This is a wonderful organization striving for equality in the GLTB community. They host social events every third Thursday of month in different locations. If you’d like to attend a free meeting and meet other gay and lesbian people in our community, please drop me a line and I’ll get you all the info you need. I look forward to making a change!
Gay Real Estate in Las Vegas Resource 
January 27, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Your decision to join the HRC is well-meaning. However, I would recommend joining another lgbt organization instead. The HRC is more interested in splashy, big money fundraisers than fighting for equality. Very few lgbt activists are HRC members, having been burned by them too many times.
However, your intentions are to be admired.
January 27, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Hey there Libhomo, I’d love to get the names of these organization. I’m willing to look at other platforms for change. The HRC was the only thing I knew. What’s else is out there. Thanks for visiting by the way. 🙂