Source: Denver Post, KTKA TV, Washington Blade, Gay People's Chronicle, Associated Press
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick are both scheduled to speak this weekend during a pre-convention meeting of the Stonewall Democrats in Denver.

358 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender delegates began to descend on Denver Thursday. Stonewall Democrats welcomed many of them to a four-day meeting prior to the opening Monday of the Democrat's National Convention at which Barack Obama will become the party's official nominee for president and Delaware Senator Joe Biden will become the vice-presidential nominee.

Stonewall Democrats, which has more than 90 local chapters,  is a national organization of LGBT and allied Democrats. Stonewall Democrats works to elect more pro-equality Democrats and to improve the Democratic Party on issues important to the LGBT community.

Since Thursday, Stonewall has been holding a four-day "boot camp" of sorts for gay delegates and LGBT Democratic supporters, Denver Post reports. The conference has given delegates and Stonewall leaders in various states a chance to hone their Democratic convention and fall election strategies.

Sebelius, who will address the group during a dinner meeting tonight, was one of several names widely thought to be on the "short list" of candidates that Obama was considering for vice-president before Biden's selection was announced in a 3 am text message today.

Speculation about the Kansas governor taking a spot on the ticket raised her national profile considerably during the past month or so while the Obama campaign successfully orchestrated a "Waiting for Godot" routine for the beltway press who were forced to speculate on the running mate without significant hints from the campaign.

No matter where Sebelius week went last week, she was the talk of the town in Topeka and throughout Kansas as speculation over Obama's running mate continued, Topeka's KTKA reported.

Her speech Saturday night before Stonewall Democrats will be the first in which she hasn't had to deflect questions about her possible place on the Obama ticket.

Sebelius and Patrick are two of the bigger names to address the conference.

Last year, Sebelius signed an executive order adding sexual orientation to state nondiscrimination policies.

Massachusetts Gov. Patrick, who will address the Stonewall meeting during a Sunday lunch-time gathering, has been a vocal supporter of the state's marriage equality law. Last month, he signed a bill that allows out-of-state gay and lesbian couples to be granted marriage licenses in the state.

The Stonewall Democrats has also scheduled a reception Sunday with Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was murdered in 1998 and whose name is attached to the hate crimes legislation pending in Congress.

After the convention starts on Monday, Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) gay caucus is also scheduled to meet Monday and Wednesday to discuss gay-related issues, Washington Blade reports.

Rick Stafford, chair of the DNC gay caucus, told the Blade that the caucuses were "kind of a celebration of our community." The caucuses make the gay community more visible and show it has “a very valuable part in the nominating process and we have a seat at the table.”

"It also will be a time for us to celebrate some of the victories we had ... over the past four years," he said.

Stafford said the caucuses would also highlight the inclusion of gay-related items in the Democratic platform, which will be given final approval during the convention.

Stonewall Democrats explained last week to reporters that the delegates and other LGBT advocates in Denver will also work hard to make the most of the convention and come up with strategies to help the Democratic Party succeed in state and local races.

The 358 delegates represent the largest number of out LGBT members to participate in a major-party national convention, up from 282 in 2004. The effort to find and encourage gay voters was a strategic move on behalf of the Democratic convention's 50-state, all-inclusiveness strategy.

A special program called "Pride in the Party" was formed in order to identify more LGBT participants and gay participants of color. All but two states -- Nebraska and North Dakota -- will send an out LGBT delegate or official to Denver, the Denver Post reports.

"At every breakfast and caucus meeting, we'll (have) a delegate in that room," said Stafford. "One of the goals is not only to celebrate, but to focus that we are the messengers of a pro-equality message and send our message to our candidate."

"I think a lot of delegates, especially LGBT delegates, are looking at how they can use the convention effectively," John Marble, spokesman for the Stonewall Democrats, told the Denver Post before the meeting started. "If we do this right, we can really use this as an organizing convention."

Using the convention "effectively" means talking about issues of importance to the gay community at large, and gathering support to defeat anti-gay-rights legislation in three states, Florida, California and Arizona, along with making sure there's "strong language" in the national Democratic platform against LGBT discrimination.

The platform calls for an end to discrimination based on gender identity and a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military. Unlike the 2004 platform, the 2008 document does not mention the words "gay" or "lesbian", Washington Blade reports.

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), an out lesbian member of Congress who was heavily involved in creating early drafts of the platform, explained that the committees working on it made a conscious choice to use more descriptive language that models the wording used in legislation, Gay People's Chronicle reports.

"Most of the wordsmithing," said Baldwin, "was done purposefully to make the clearest policy statements possible."

"There was never any discussion to keep the word ‘gay’ out of the platform or any reluctance to say the word," said openly lesbian Alabama legislator Patricia Todd, who also worked on the draft.

The 2004 platform does refer to "gay" and "lesbian."

Obama has expressed support for federal anti-discrimination and hate-crime laws and has said that he would, if elected, repeal the military's ban on gays, known as "Don't ask, don't tell."

Under the section titled "A More Perfect Union," the proposed party platform says, "Democrats will fight to end discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and disability in every corner of our country, because that’s the America we believe in."

Both Obama and GOP candidate John McCain have said they oppose gay marriage but support civil unions.

A section of  the proposed Democratic Party platform addresses the issue obliquely: "We support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation, and support equal responsibility, benefits, and protections. We will enact a comprehensive bipartisan employment non-discrimination act. We oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and all attempts to use this issue to divide us."

But Obama and the Democratic Party are hardly a panacea for the gay community, explains Kate Burns told the Denver Post.

Burns made headlines in Denver and in the national gay press when she and her partner Sheila Schroeder staged a sit-in after being denied a marriage license from the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office last February. They were found guilty of trespassing and had to pay a fine and perform community service.

"I am supportive of Obama and will vote for him, but I'm also disappointed that Democrats feel that we're not at a point where we can be honest about what we truly feel is equal," she said. "The mainstream channels of political action move very slowly, and the support (Obama) is showing is considered radical to many people. "

Still, she says that nonviolent resistance, along with grassroots efforts such as going door to door, will do the most to change attitudes toward gay marriage.

"I think the more people that are willing to participate in (politics) as an out LGBT person, the better," Burns said. "I think it's tragic that we have to continue fighting over this when there so many other things we could be working on that could bring food to our tables, improve our educational system and stop the war, to stop people from dying."

A number of other LGBT public events are also scheduled for convention week, Washington Blade reports.

On Monday, Human Rights Campaign, the National Black Justice Coalition, and other organizations will host a reception for gay people of color.

Reps. Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin will host a luncheon for gay delegates on Tuesday. HRC and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund also will participate in the event.

On the same day, HRC will host the Rock to Win Concert. Featured performers include Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and Margaret Cho.

And on Wednesday, HRC will host a panel discussion on gay issues titled “LGBT Issues in 2008: What a Difference Four Years Makes.” Panelists include Celinda Lake, a political strategist; Arizona state Del. Kyrsten Sinema (D), who is bisexual; and Jonathan Capehart, a gay writer for the Washington Post.

Source: Gays arrive to push anti-bias agenda | Denver Post 
All eyes on Denver as Dems seek unity | Washington Blade
Dem convention has more LGBT delegates, better platform | Gay People's Chronicle
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius Kicks Off Convention Week With Gay & Lesbian Address | Denver Post 
VP Watch: Business as usual until Obama breaks silence | KTKA TV
Sebelius addresses gay Democratic group | Associated Press via KWCH TV