DFIA Takes Pride In Gay Pride Celebrations







Their
first meeting and already, they are like two peas in a pod: DFIA
Co-founder Dr. Alta Price, M.D. of Bettendorf (left) and DFIA Founding
Member Darrell Lewis of Clear Lake, at the Gay Pride Celebration in
Iowa City, June 19th.
[Can you tell Alta is wearing her Lyre, Liar, Pants on Fire shirt? And
right above the pants on fire, there is a small Blog for Iowa button.]

Over
recent weeks Gay Pride Celebrations have been held all across the
country.  This coming weekend is the biggest weekend of all
commemorating the New York City Stonewall Riots that set in motion the modern day movement for non-discrimination of gays.



Democracy
for Iowa members (good Dean Democrats) have been volunteering with the
Democratic National Committee and the Kerry Campaign to help staff
booths at Gay Pride events in Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids,
Kansas City and Omaha for the last three weekends.  Helping in
Iowa City was co-founder of Democracy for Iowa, Dr. Alta Price,
M.D.  Helping in Des Moines was Christina Butts. 
Unfortunately, the names of some others who helped have been lost in
booth coordinator and DFIA Founding Member Darrell Lewis' boxes of
materials.  Darrell will be helping again this weekend in
Minneapolis and over the 4th of July will be doing outreach in Michigan
to the gay community.  The very large Kerry banner with the gay
rainbow symbol on it that the DNC loaned us to be used in Iowa has now
been donated to us to use permanently and Darrell says anyone who wants
to use it in the future should contact him.



Around
3,000 people were “stickered” with “out loud for Kerry” and standard
Kerry stickers.  Over 500 signatures were secured on the Margaret
Cho petition opposing the federal gay marriage amendment. 
Hundreds of Kerry v. Bush brochures were distributed.  Hundreds of
Kerry signs were distributed.  The Iowa Dean volunteers have
informed the DNC/Kerry Campaigns, “we have completely run out of
materials…HELP…send more.”  The DNC paid for the booths in
Iowa City and Cedar Rapids and provided materials for all the
events.  Darrell provided booth space through his business in
Omaha and Kansas City.  The Des Moines booth was provided by Polk
County Democrats.



In Iowa City, congressional candidate Dave Franker
spent time at the booth and DFIA members distributed literature for
Dave as well.  Dave Leshtz, an Iowa Dean Delegate (although he is
not gay) stopped by the booth in Iowa City and chatted.  Funny
thing, how all these Dean Democrats seem to show up where the action is
and the work needs to be done.  Although Darrell and Alta have
been long acquainted online and through DFA and DFIA, they had not
previously met each other in person.  Iowa City was their first
meeting.  Those two “over 50” Dean Democrats chuckle when people
would talk about Dean supporters being so young, but then again, as
Darrell says, Alta doesn't look her age.



Darrell
reports that while the gay community is almost totally behind Kerry,
there still remains strong sentiments for Howard Dean.  Dean was
the clear favorite of the Iowa Gay and Lesbian community. 
Additionally, there are a significant number of persons in the gay
community who indicated their support for Ralph Nader, primarily
because of Kerry's support for the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment in Massachusetts.