Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Caucus

                                                                                                                                                                                                       July 20, 2011

Dear Fellow LGBT Caucus Members,

How does the old adage go, “the best laid plans of mice and men”? I think that phrase sets the tone well for the last 90 days for the Caucus. After having a successful election in January, we began to plan for the upcoming election cycle. Committees were formed, chairs were elected, meetings were scheduled, and then the unthinkable happened.

On June 7, 2011, Bob Bland passed away. Bob was more than just our Treasurer; he was the Cochise County Chair, served on the State Party Executive Board, and an original Stonewall, Gay Liberation Front member. Those of us who worked with him put together the history of his life of activism and outreach, and published it on our website in a matter of days. Also, we have created an award that will be granted to a young southern Arizona LGBT activist beginning April 2012 in Tucson.

In addition to the loss Bob, I accepted the resignation of our Vice-Chair Barbara McCullough-Jones on June 13^th. Barb served as Vice-Chair for the past two years, and while loosing Barb, I am proud to share with you that she accepted the Director position at Portland’s Q Center. We wish Barb all of the best in her new adventures knowing our loss is Portland’s gain.

The loss and departure has created two new openings on the Executive Board that will be up for special election at our meeting on August 20^th in Flagstaff. If you have an interest in these positions, please send your name, the position you are interested in along with a brief statement to be shared with Caucus members, to Robert Donat at robert@azlgbtdems.org. While there will not be a nominating committee, Robert will make sure all names are shared with the entire Caucus. The persons elected for Vice-Chair and Treasurer will serve out the remaining year and a half left in the term. The bylaws of the Caucus state that we “strive” for gender and regional representation. That being said, I encourage southern Arizona Democrats to step forward.

All Caucus meetings will be held at Flagstaff High School beginning at 9:30am. Specific time, map and address information will be communicated in the next 30 days. In addition to the meeting, the Caucus will be hosting a Friday night reception for all of the Caucus and State Committee Members. The reception is a fundraiser for the Caucus to help us raise funds for the “Bob Bland Young LGBT Activist Award” mentioned earlier and will include food and cocktails. While the reception will be an opportunity to celebrate Bob’s life it would also present a chance to introduce yourself to fellow Caucus and State Committee members if you are interested in running for one of our two vacancies.

If you are unable to attend, please remember there are still important political actions you can help with, including mayoral elections in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. If you have time and would like to make calls or canvas for your local candidate, please let us know and we will put you in touch with the correct people. Most importantly make sure you vote! Let your voice be heard. We look forward to seeing you in the cool pines of Flagstaff.

Sincerely                                                                                            

C.J. Carenza, Chair
AZ Democratic Party LGBT Caucus