Gay Democratic voters in New York and California support Hillary

For the first time this primary season exit polls tracked the sexual orientation of Democrats who voted in two states – New York and California.

Here in New York, seven percent of Democrats identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. They went for Hillary Clinton in a big way. She received 59% of the vote. Obama got 36% and Edwards 3%.

In California, four percent of Democrats identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual and Clinton’s margin was even larger. She took 60% of the vote while Obama grabbed 25% and Edwards 5%.

These exit poll numbers are not too different from the results of Hunter College poll conducted last November among likely LGB voters, although Obama did pick up some ground yesterday. The Hunter poll showed Clinton getting 63% of the national LGB vote to Obama’s 22% and Edwards 7%.

We’re glad the National Election Pool (a consortium formed by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and the AP) that conducts the exit polls decided we existed yesterday, at least here in New York and in California.

However, I have a news flash for the National Election Pool. We don’t just cling to the two coasts in these two states. We’re pretty much everywhere so it would have been good to have the same question asked in every state’s exit poll this primary season and with both Democrats and Republicans.

Morning Sweep

Super Tuesday came and went. Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in New York, while John McCain was the candidate of choice for NY Republicans. David Mixner writes about the historic nature of it all.

The Village Voice highlights a couple of Barack Obama's NYC-based mega volunteers, including one member of his 20-person LGBT Policy Committee.

Queerty Editor Andrew Belonsky interviews Lane Hudson and Matt Foreman on "The State of the Gay Movement," while a contributor for The Advocate questions Foreman's legacy as Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on gay and lesbian grandparents--same-sex couples who have raised children and now have grandchildren.

Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon will be featured in Kenneth Cole ads for the designer's upcoming "non-uniform thinking" advertising campaign.

Morning Sweep

Today is Super-Duper Mega Tuesday. But believe it or not, it's not the end of the race...

Hillary Clinton posted a message to LGBT Americans on OurChart.com.

Barack Obama mentioned gay people in his speech at the Meadowlands last night.

Outcome Buffalo endorses Hillary in today's primary election.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that gay and lesbian voters are divided when it comes to who they support in the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

San Francisco's mayor, the very pro-gay Gavin Newsom, claims that Barack Obama did not want to have a picture taken with him during the controversy surrounding Newsom's unilateral decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2003.

Floridians opposed to the anti-gay ballot initiative banning same-sex marriages (and even domestic partnerships) will be waging an all-out war on the amendment, which will be voted on in November.

An editorial in The New York Times supports the recent ruling by a New York State Appellate Court recognizing same-sex marriages legally performed out-of-state as fully legal in New York.

Two women in Rochester will be tried for assault as a hate crime against a lesbian couple, according to a decision yesterday by an appellate court.

Forbes Magazine's special report on the "best cities for couples" includes ample information on and relevant to LGBT people.

A bill will soon be introduced in the Maryland State Legislature that would, if passed, abolish all civil marriages and replace them with domestic partnerships, which would be available to both straight and gay couples.

Good As You has created a contest seeking the "gayest sketch" from its readers in anticipation of the season premier of Logo's Big Gay Sketch Show today.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey has reversed John Ashcroft's policies of denying the Department of Justice LGBT support group the same status as other employee groups.

Morning Sweep

A New York appellate court ruled last Friday that same-sex marriages legally performed in Canada should be treated as any other legal marriage in New York. It is unclear whether or not the case will be appealed.

The Buffalo News writes about local "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" challenger Darren Manzella, who remains on active duty even though he publicly came out.

The Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester covered the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley's screening of "Anyone and Everyone," a documentary that looks at the relationship between parents and their gay children shortly after they come out.

Kerry Eleveld at The Advocate reports that a large number (22 of 59) of of John Edwards' LGBT supporters, including David Mixner, have now pledged their support to Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton was interviewed by Logo's Jason Bellini. See the video here.

After some initial confusion early in January over a petition miscount, Floridians will be voting on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage this coming November.

Hillary or Obama? Key LGBT newspapers and bloggers across New York make their decisions

A number of New York’s leading LGBT newspapers and bloggers who have deep roots in the LGBT community have made their decisions about who they support for President. We've also uncovered the views of two who remain officially neutral, but have nevertheless shown some of their thinking about Hillary and Obama.

Here’s how it’s shaking out heading into Tuesday:

· NYC-based heavyweight newspaper Gay City News evokes John F. Kennedy in its endorsement of Barack Obama. In its print version on the page directly opposite its endorsement, Gay City News’ founding associate publisher Troy Masters cites “ideas and solutions” in writing about his support for Hillary Clinton.

· Empty Closet in Rochester hasn't endorsed, but its long-time editor Susan Jordan says the Gay City News endorsement of Obama is "troubling" and decides to post a comment on GCN's website (see comment #7). Jordan calls Tuesday's choice a “vote-for-the--lesser-of-two-evils time again.”

· NYC-based newspaper New York Blade endorses Hillary Clinton and cites experience as a factor.

· Leading national LGBT and civil rights activist David Mixner, who blogs from Sullivan County, announced his support today for Barack Obama. Mixner was once a leading LGBT supporter of John Edwards. He cites the war and the need to bring America together again for endorsing Obama.

· Libby Post, an Albany-based LGBT activist who blogs and has a syndicated column that runs in several LGBT publications, makes no endorsement but appears to favor Obama. Edwards was once her favorite.

· Blabbeando’s Andres Duque who blogs from Jackson Heights in Queens supports Obama .

Road trip to Hobart and William Smith Colleges

On Monday this week I traveled with Alan, our Executive Director, to Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in Geneva, New York. Right next to Seneca Lake, it’s a beautiful campus and a great place to get an education.

Alan’s visit and speech Monday night was sponsored by HWS’s Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning. First-year student John Monaghan, who has contributed to this blog, was the driving force behind making it all happen.

While Alan talked a lot about LGBT issues and what it means day-to-day to not have rights and responsibilities that New York gives to everyone else, his focus was just as much about how age and experience (not having it that is) should never be seen as a barrier to making a real difference on an issue a person really cares about. Alan himself is not too many years removed from the ages of HWS students so a big part of HWS having Alan there was to have a real life example on campus of someone they can easily relate to who can talk about the nuts and bolts of what it really means to “make change happen.”

This, plus next week’s Presidential Primary and the excitement everyone was feeling about the national focus on their generation and the role they’re playing in the elections, made for a great discussion.

Before the event, HWS President Mark Gearan and his wife Mary opened up their home to a smaller group of students, faculty, alumni and parents for a dinner and informal Q&A session between students and Alan.

Our thanks go to John Monaghan, President Gearan and Katie Flowers, the associate director of HWS’s Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, for having us on campus.

Go here to read the piece the Colleges posted on Alan’s talk.

Morning Sweep

A new monument in Berlin remembers the tens of thousands of gays and lesbians who died at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.

Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE) is expanding its services to Long Island's LGBT senior citizens.

Union College in Schenectady, NY is calling for submissions to an upcoming art show that will focus on themes important to the LGBT community.

The New York Sun notes that gay Republicans have quickly jumped on the John McCain bandwagon now that Rudy Giuliani has exited the race.

LA Weekly profiles Barack Obama's big gay Golden State fundraisers.