by: Pam Spaulding
Sun Mar 28, 2010 at 16:01:59 PM EDT
... there has been a genuine interest by Marshall and her rival Democrats (including Cal Cunningham and Ken Lewis in courting the LGBT vote. And not just behind closed doors or fundraising campaigns, but by clearly and publicly discussing positions on the issues.
For the LGBT community and our fight for civil rights at the federal level, this is a significant development with Senate control in the balance -- North Carolina is definitely fighting ground for moving a progressive agenda forward. With an Obama win here in NC, the state has been trending Blue for some time now, with more of the state's population living in urban and suburban areas than rural ones, and the many transplants to the area are solid Democrats, along with the large minority population activated with the last election. My city, Durham, is in fact a majority minority city, and any serious candidate for the U.S. Senate has to win here. Overall, the Triangle is a critical area to cultivate solid support. The primary here is on May 4, so they are almost on the home stretch -- and each Dem wants our vote.
From Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and issues about U.S. policy and human rights abroad, Marshall is ready to take your questions. Her campaign web site addresses a couple right off the bat ...
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/15688/blend-liveblog-democrat-for-nc-us-senate-elaine-marshall-430-pm-et