Subject: GLUD news June 1996
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 15:38:47 -0400

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

Wednesday, May 15, 1996

Contact: Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats
 Post Office Box 11311
 Salt Lake City, Utah 84147-0311
 (801)238-2526
 (800)648-9996 outside the Salt Lake City calling area
 Internet: [email-masked]
 World Wide Web: http://members.aol.com/glud/

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GLUD supporters attend Utah Democratic Primary Convention

SALT LAKE CITY - Supporters of the political-action committee Gay and Lesbian
Utah Democrats(TM) serve in at least 260 Utah Democratic Party offices
including more than 74 delegates who attended the state-party primary
convention on May 10 and 11. The number is an all-time record for the group
and reflects a 15-percent increase in offices held by its supporters since
the 1994 elections.

GLUD(TM) leaders announced the results of a seven-week biennial effort to
appoint and elect bisexual, gay and lesbian Democrats to serve as county- and
state-party officers. GLUD supporters were successful in becoming at least 74
county-convention delegates in three counties, 74 state-convention delegates,
50 voting-precinct officers, 40 county central-committee members, seven state
central-committee members, five county-party committee members, five
legislative-district officers, four state-party committee members and one
national delegate.

"The incredible growth in the Democratic Party that we've enjoyed in just
four elections shows how bisexual, gay and lesbian people in the state
believe that, despite some furtive attempts to the contrary, this party is
open to us and our work," GLUD Founder David Nelson said. "No other party in
the state can claim it has more bisexual, gay and lesbian support and
influence."

GLUD leader elected as Democratic National Convention delegate

Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats Founder David Nelson was elected on May 11 at
the Utah Democratic Primary Convention to serve in August as a delegate to
the Democratic National Convention. He's the second openly gay Democrat from
the state to serve as a national-convention delegate. Former GLUD Executive
Director Dale Sorenson was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
in 1992.

"I'm excited to help a national party and presidential campaign which is more
compassionate, more responsive and, ultimately, more successful than ever,"
Nelson said. "Our job during this campaign is to work harder, smarter and
more closely with our Democratic principles than before. We must respond to
Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh and their rhetoric of hate and
neglect by showing Americans that we're right and Republicans are wrong."

Nelson will serve as a national-convention delegate from the state's 2nd
Congressional District, and is a longtime Democratic leader and a member of
the state and national Clinton/Gore '96 campaign steering committees.

GLUD applauds Utah Democratic platform

Delegates at the Utah Democratic Primary Convention on May 10 and 11 adopted
a new party platform which expresses Democrats' opinion about several issues
and includes the encouragement of government leaders to protect against
discrimination and victimization based on sexual orientation among other
things. A convention resolution was also adopted which expresses
dissatisfaction at recent legislative and educational attempts to restrict
bisexual, gay and lesbian student groups in state public-schools.

"This platform is the latest of several documents published by the state
party since 1990 that supports us and the protection of our equal rights,"
GLUD Chair Michael Aaron said. "It stands in stark contrast to the 'no
special rights' platform which was recently adopted the state Republican
Party."

GLUD announces Utah Democratic primary-election endorsements and
recommendations

Bisexual, gay and lesbian voters at the Utah primary election on June 25 are
encouraged to support Ross Anderson for the U.S. House of Representatives in
the state 2nd Congressional District and Michael Broussard for the Salt Lake
County Commission according to Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats campaign
endorsements and recommendations.

"The most compelling reasons to vote for Ross Anderson is that his opponent,
Kelly Atkinson, vowed to vote to repeal the federal Equal Access Act which
protects the equal rights of bisexual, gay and lesbian public-school student
groups, and to vote for the federal Defense of Marriage Act which would allow
states to ignore the legal marriages of same-sex couples," GLUD Vice Chair
Amy Alleman said. "Ross would vote to keep the federal Equal Access Act and
against the federal Defense of Marriage Act."

GLUD-affilliated delegates at the Utah Democratic Primary Convention on May
10 and 11 also endorsed the re-election campaign of President Clinton and
Vice President Gore, and the campaigns of Karen L. Truman for state auditor,
Jim Bradley for state governor, Bobbie Coray and DeAnne Hanson for Democratic
National Committee member, and Cynthia Cindy Powell Abawi, Barbara Eubanks,
Norma Matheson, David Nelson and Alyx S. Pattison for Democratic National
Convention delegate. GLUD directors also recommended the campaigns of Randy
Horiuchi and Ted Wilson for Democratic National Convention delegate.

GLUD-affilliated delegates at the Salt Lake County Democratic Primary
Convention on April 20 also endorsed the campaigns of Steve Barth for state
representative, Ralph Becker for state representative, Gene Davis for state
representative, Jack Elizondo for state representative, Marc Hoenig for state
representative, David Jones for state representative, Kent Knowley for state
representative, Gary Pratt for state representative, Joyce Zabriskie for
state representative and Pete Suazo for state senator. The delegates also
voted for no endorsement of the campaigns of Loretta Baca for state
representative, Tom Vasiliou for state representative and Scott Howell for
state senator. GLUD directors also recommended the campaign of Allan Rushton
for state representative.

All GLUD endorsements and recommendations are made by a majority vote after
reviewing the public records and polling results of and interviews with
Democratic and nonpartisan candidates who are campaigning for elected party
and public office in the state.

New GLUD director appointed

Gay Utahn Allen Hose was appointed to serve as a member of the GLUD board of
directors at the group's meeting in May as part of the group's ongoing effort
to expand its work and success.

"Allen has the political experience from two states that is necessary to
continue our growth and influential success," GLUD director David Thometz
said. "His plans include a detailed analysis of the demographics of bisexual,
gay and lesbian Democrats in our key legislative districts."

GLUD is the state's largest and most powerful political-action committee that
serves as a campaign resource, legislative lobby and political-party caucus
for bisexual, gay and lesbian people, and their families and friends. For
more information about GLUD, write to Post Office Box 11311, Salt Lake City,
Utah 84147-0311 or on the Internet at [email-masked], call (801)238-2526 or
(800)648-9996, or visit the group's World Wide Web site at
http://members.aol.com/glud/.