FLORIDA GLBT DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS GROWS TO 14 CHAPTERS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2006
CONTACT:
Stephen Gaskill
954/524-0492
202/257-9298 cell
FLORIDA GLBT DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS GROWS TO 14 CHAPTERS
New Chapters Form in Republican, Conservative "Red State" Regions
Fort Lauderdale - The Florida GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) Democratic Caucus, representing the gay community for the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), has grown in the past year from 5 to 14 chapters. The growth in chapters comes in traditionally conservative, Republican areas of the state, including Tallahassee, Sarasota, Pensacola, and Polk County.
"The GLBT community is a core constituency of the Democratic Party, and we are organizing to have an impact on the 2006 election cycle," said Michael Albetta, president of the Caucus. "There are more than one million GLBT residents in Florida, and statistics show that most of them are Democrats. We can and will be the margin of victory for Democratic candidates in this tight election year."
Based on data from the 2000 US Census, the Caucus estimates there are 1.04 million GLBT residents in Florida, representing all parts of the state. While conventional wisdom states that the majority of the GLBT community is in traditionally Democratic South Florida, the Census data show that is not the case - there is a significant GLBT population in rural areas such as Alachua, Polk, Lee and Seminole Counties, among others. For a statistical analysis of where Florida's GLBT population lives, please check out http://floridaglbtdemocrats.org/documents/VotingImpact.pdf on the Caucus website.
"Our numbers show that, while our community might not be visible, we are still there," Albetta said. "If the FDP had reached out to us more in 2004, we would have made up the 80,000 vote shortfall and Senator Betty Castor would be sitting on Capitol Hill today."
Among the Caucus' newest chapters are: Capital Stonewall Democrats in Leon County (Tallahassee) and soon to be named chapters in Polk County and Escambia County (Pensacola).
They join the Caucus' existing chapters: Rainbow Democratic Club (Orlando); Dolphin Democrats (Fort Lauderdale); Democratic Lesbian and Gay Caucus of Miami-Dade County; Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Southwest Florida (Cape Coral); GLBT Democratic Caucus of Seminole County (Altamonte Springs); Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County; Hillsborough County GLBTA Democratic Caucus; Suncoast Stonewall Democrats (Sarasota); Lambda Democrats of Key West; LGBT Triangle Caucus of Alachua County; and Triangle JAX Democratic Caucus (Jacksonville). (Contact information for each of the chapters is available at www.floridaGLBTdemocrats.org).
The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus will hold its summer conference on Saturday, July 15 in Tallahassee. Among the speakers will be Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Allen Boyd (invited), local candidates and elected officials, and representatives from the National Stonewall Democrats, Democratic National Committee, and Florida Democratic Party. A full agenda will be available for public release shortly. The summer conference is open to the press.
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June 27, 2006
CONTACT:
Stephen Gaskill
954/524-0492
202/257-9298 cell
FLORIDA GLBT DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS GROWS TO 14 CHAPTERS
New Chapters Form in Republican, Conservative "Red State" Regions
Fort Lauderdale - The Florida GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) Democratic Caucus, representing the gay community for the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), has grown in the past year from 5 to 14 chapters. The growth in chapters comes in traditionally conservative, Republican areas of the state, including Tallahassee, Sarasota, Pensacola, and Polk County.
"The GLBT community is a core constituency of the Democratic Party, and we are organizing to have an impact on the 2006 election cycle," said Michael Albetta, president of the Caucus. "There are more than one million GLBT residents in Florida, and statistics show that most of them are Democrats. We can and will be the margin of victory for Democratic candidates in this tight election year."
Based on data from the 2000 US Census, the Caucus estimates there are 1.04 million GLBT residents in Florida, representing all parts of the state. While conventional wisdom states that the majority of the GLBT community is in traditionally Democratic South Florida, the Census data show that is not the case - there is a significant GLBT population in rural areas such as Alachua, Polk, Lee and Seminole Counties, among others. For a statistical analysis of where Florida's GLBT population lives, please check out http://floridaglbtdemocrats.org/documents/VotingImpact.pdf on the Caucus website.
"Our numbers show that, while our community might not be visible, we are still there," Albetta said. "If the FDP had reached out to us more in 2004, we would have made up the 80,000 vote shortfall and Senator Betty Castor would be sitting on Capitol Hill today."
Among the Caucus' newest chapters are: Capital Stonewall Democrats in Leon County (Tallahassee) and soon to be named chapters in Polk County and Escambia County (Pensacola).
They join the Caucus' existing chapters: Rainbow Democratic Club (Orlando); Dolphin Democrats (Fort Lauderdale); Democratic Lesbian and Gay Caucus of Miami-Dade County; Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Southwest Florida (Cape Coral); GLBT Democratic Caucus of Seminole County (Altamonte Springs); Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County; Hillsborough County GLBTA Democratic Caucus; Suncoast Stonewall Democrats (Sarasota); Lambda Democrats of Key West; LGBT Triangle Caucus of Alachua County; and Triangle JAX Democratic Caucus (Jacksonville). (Contact information for each of the chapters is available at www.floridaGLBTdemocrats.org).
The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus will hold its summer conference on Saturday, July 15 in Tallahassee. Among the speakers will be Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Allen Boyd (invited), local candidates and elected officials, and representatives from the National Stonewall Democrats, Democratic National Committee, and Florida Democratic Party. A full agenda will be available for public release shortly. The summer conference is open to the press.
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