Creating Caucuses with Ken Riter, DCDP LGBTQIA Caucus Chair

OMAHA , NE – The DCDP LGBTQIA Caucus is finally official. This afternoon, October 22nd 2016, we met the new, required quorum of 5 LGBTQIA Democrats, with 5 LGB people and 1 straight ally meeting to elect officers, approve a mission statement, approve a nondiscrimination statement, support a platform and adopt bylaws. We also discussed prioritizing support for challenger candidates, Jay Irwin (write-in) – Ralston School Board, Justin Wayne – LD13, and Tony Vargas – LD7. I want to thank Elena Salisbury, Ernest Vining, Chelsey Gentry-Tipton, Ford Brown and Keith Putzier for attending helping to make the meeting an outstanding success!

Officers elected were:

Caucus Chair – Ken Riter

Caucus Vice-Chair – Elena Salisbury

Caucus Secretary – Ernest Vining

Parliamentarian – Ford Brown

We are looking to fill 3 positions; Treasurer, and two Community Relations Director roles (one for gender identity and one for a queer or trans person of color) to help boost diversity participation. As the DCDP LGBTQIA Caucus grows, more positions may be created on the Executive Committee to ensure a sense of diversity and engagement.

The DCDP LGBTQIA Caucus is a Volunteer-led Grassroots Progressive LGBTQIA movement within the Douglas County Democratic Party, which focuses on ensuring the enactment of a Bold, Sensible Progressive Equality Agenda in the Democratic Party.

The Mission of the Douglas County LGBTQIA Democrats is to act as a go between for the Douglas County Democratic Party and LGBTQIA Democrats residing in Douglas County.  The Caucus will meet monthly on the second or third Saturday of the month at rotating locations. Please call Ken at 531-205-3193 for any questions you have.

Voter Lookup

OMAHA, NE – WordPress has this new Voter Info Tool where you can look up your voter information, like your polling place. Check it out! See how you like it! Consult your election official for further information. 🙂

Creating a Caucus to Protect WorkPlace Equality.

OMAHA, NE – On April 16th, 2013, a group of LGBT Democrats in Omaha met to discuss some issues that need to get done before the May 14th General City Elections. Among the topics discussed were getting LGBT people registered to vote, volunteering for the Suttle Campaign and forming an LGBT Caucus for the Douglas County Democrats to create a solid LGBT voice in the County level party.

Volunteering for the Suttle campaign is an important issue for the General City Elections on May 14th, Mayor Jim Suttle not only signed the Workplace Protections Ordinance into law, but he is also credited with getting a key swing vote to support Workplace Protections on the City Council!!!  The Suttle Campaign has many opportunities available for volunteers; canvassing, phone banking and data entry are the main ones.  You can call the campaign office at 402-933-0500 to find out more information.  The office is open from 10am-8pm Monday -Thursday, 10am-5pm on Friday and 12pm-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.   The Suttle Campaign office is located at 347 N 76th St Omaha, NE 68114, which is near 76th and Cass, behind the KwikShop there.  The Firefighters are also hard at work canvassing for Jim Suttle’s campaign, meet them this Saturday, April 20th at 10am at the FireFighters Union Hall near 60th and Grover.  Here is the FaceBook Page for their event.

Another very important topic discussed is getting voters registered.  There will be voter registration applications available at Rebel Interactive on April 21st from 3pm-6pm. Here is the FaceBook Event Page.  They are located at 1217 South 13th St, just a couple of blocks south of 13th and Pacific.  Another opportunity for voter registration applications is the Milo Bail building at UNO, on April 24th, 11am-1:30pm.  If you cannot make those events there are many other opportunities where you and your loved ones can register to vote.  You can register at any public library and at the DMV until April 26th.  You can register in person at the Douglas County Election Commission until May 3rd.  Remember the election is May14th!!

Another item discussed is forming the LGBT Caucus.  The Douglas County Democrats adopted an amendment in November 2012 that made the county level party more LGBT inclusive, as well as creating the opportunity for minority communities to create county level caucuses. The adopted changes also added a Diversity Representative to the Executive Board, allowing a potential LGBT voice in the County party’s executive body.  We need participants for the actual caucus, we must have at least 10 people agree to be a part of it.  We need people to step and run for the office of chair.  Once we have 10 members and an elected chair, we can go to the Central Committee of the Douglas County Democrats and ask for approval and certification.  We must keep 10 members in the Caucus, the chair must attend all Central Committee meetings. The chair will have a vote in the Central Committee. If the Caucus falls below its membership requirements, and/or the chair doesn’t fulfill their duties the Caucus can become decertified and we would have start over again.

The Mission of the Greater Omaha LGBT Democrats:

1. To sensitize Democratic candidates and officeholders to the political needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
2. To promote the Democrats’ message of economic justice and social progress in the LGBT community.
3. To encourage LGBT community participation in the campaigns of Democratic candidates and at all levels of the Democratic Party.
4. To facilitate the election of Democratic candidates to public office by maximizing the Democratic turnout in the LGBT community.
5. To educate voters concerning fundamental information about LGBT issues, with the purpose of encouraging them to vote for LGBT supportive candidates.

We need volunteers to help out with campaigns of LGBT friendly candidates.  We need LGBT friendly candidates in office to defend the protections we have won, and to vote for and sponsor new legislation! We are looking to bring in a county or state level chapter of the National Stonewall Democrats!!!  Until we formerly organize and elect a chair, Please contact Ken Riter at 402-686-6389 for more information.

Additional items discussed:  Getting the group to attend the Douglas County Election Commission’s Deputy Registrar classes so we can conduct official voter registration drives as well as know everything we need to know about registering to vote in Nebraska.   Organizing an event to galvanize and motivate LGBT voters with a MILK viewing is also an option discussed.  A couple of people said they would discuss the possibility with Aksarben Cinema, FilmStreams and Flixx Lounge about viewing the movie at one of those places. Additional suggestions are welcome, please call Ken at 402-686-6389 for help with any questions or suggestions you have!

Douglas County Democrats To Vote On LGBT Inclusive Measure!

OMAHA, NE – This Thursday, Nov 15th, the Douglas County Democrats will be considering an amendment to their Constitution and Bylaws, hopefully ensuring an inclusive County Level Democratic Party. The measure will include the LGBT community when it comes to electing officers in the Douglas County Democrats’ Executive Committee. The measure, if approved, will begin the creation of several County Level Caucus Organizations for 8 different identified groups, including African-American, Latino and LGBT.

I am very excited for this! I  have helped push for this since the County Convention back in June 2012. We have been hashing this out in the Inclusive Task Force Committee since July.  We have now finished a proposal that will introduced to the Central Committee for the first time. I am a member of of the Central Committee from LD9, and all 4 original committee members from LD9 have been in involved in some manner.  I’m very proud of my LD district for that involvement!  A total of 15 people were involved in the Inclusion Task Force Committee.  As fellow activist and friend, Mika Covington, says, “Great things happen when Queers step up!!”  The meeting is this Thursday, Nov 15th at 7pm at the IBEW at 8946 L Street Omaha, NE 68127 near 90th and L.

I hope this will help people understand that political parties, especially the Democratic party, will listen to us as a people.  We just have to put ourselves in a position to talk where we will be heard. Many Democrats won election because they support the LGBT community, and because they had the support of great organizations like the National Stonewall Democrats.  The creation of a county level LGBT Caucus would give us a nice stepping stone in creating a Stonewall Democrat chapter here in Omaha.

You can view the proposal here, Inclusion_Task_Force_Proposal_Presentation_Packet

Elections 2012: Landslide For Equality, Part One.

OMAHA, NE – Members of the LGBT Community running Congress made great showings in their races. LGBT incumbents and challengers who were elected to Congress this cycle! One Gay GOP candidate lost his election: Jared Polis (CO-2), David Cicilline (RI-1), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), Mark Takano (CA-41 Asian-American), Mark Pocan (WI-2 Tammy’s old seat), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9 Bisexual woman), and Tammy Baldwin (WI-Senate). It doesn’t stop there, the LGBT community helped re-elect Barack Obama and four ballot measures concerning LGBT issues passed in four states.

Mark  Takano’s election to California’s 41st Congressional District makes him the first openly gay person of color elected to the US Congress. Takano won easily with 56.4% of the vote.

Tammy Baldwin’s election to the Senate makes her the first openly LGBT person ever elected to the Senate. Baldwin won her election despite constant smears by her opponent, calling her radical liberal.  Her GOP opponent, former WI governor Tommy Thompson once said, “Tammy Baldwin is so liberal that even Nancy Pelosi has to turn left to talk to her.”  I can see why he lost.  LOL.   “I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member of the U.S. Senate, but I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference,”  Baldwin told supporters after her victory.

Mark Pocan won election to Tammy Baldwin’s former House seat, marking the first time members of the LGBT Community held a Congressional seat consecutively. It is also the first time a state has sent two representatives to Washington, DC.

The elections of 2012 are a huge victory for the LGBT Community.  The number of representatives in the US Congress almost doubled with the number reaching a record 7.  Keep your chin up for movement on issues like Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), Bi-National LGBT couples, and bullying.  The year 2012: a landmark year, a landslide for equality.