ANYTHING BUT conventional.

GAY DELEGATES TO THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SAY THE LOS ANGELES EVENT IS THE MOST INCLUSIVE EVER

As David W. White attends the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles August 14-17, he's doing more than represent Alabama in the presidential nominating process. As the state's first openly gay delegate, White also is helping create what is the largest-ever contingent of openly gay delegates to a U.S. political convention.

The road to the convention wasn't easy for the 41-year-old Birmingham native, who works for a health insurance company by day and heads the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama, a statewide group, in his spare and unpaid time. Democratic Party politics are far more conservative in the South than in the rest of the nation, and the convoluted world of

Out spoken

These openly gay delegates will join more than 200 other gays in Los Angeles, choosing convention delegates favors those with the most contacts, money, and support within the party.

So White drew strength from gay men and lesbians, calling in favors from activists and spending $500 of his own money to place ads in gay papers and at bars. The result was a second-place finish in a field of 12, garnering just enough votes to lock up a seat at the convention, a place in Alabama history, and a little celebrity as well.

"Every newspaper in the state has covered me," White says, incredulous at the media attention and his relatively easy acceptance within the Democratic rank and file. "I expected to get something negative, but the comments I get are, `Well, the party was trying to be diverse, and now they're even more diverse.' But when I walk onto the convention floor with a rainbow flag, there might be a different reaction."

Possibly, but if there is, White will have some place to look for support. In 1976, the first year gays tried to caucus at the Democratic convention, only three people showed up, according to Jean O'Leary, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee's newly recognized Gay and Lesbian Caucus. This year more than 200 of the convention's 5,000 delegates are openly gay and will partake in everything the convention has to offer--great networking opportunities, face time with influential party leaders, and a few good parties as well. "We're everywhere," O'Leary says.

There are one-third more gay delegates this year than in 1996, much of that increase due to the DNC's decision to ask states to beef up the number of gay delegates. "We are committed to making this convention look like America," says Mark Spengler, head of gay and lesbian outreach for the DNC, which worked with gay groups such as the National Stonewall Democratic Federation to recruit gay delegates. "We had great success, even in states that have never sent a gay delegate before," says Stonewall leader Mike Colby.

States that adopted the voluntary diversity goals met or exceeded expectations, while a host of states that did not partake in the program, such as Alabama, Kansas, and Nebraska, are nevertheless sending gay delegates for the first time, Colby says.

Gay delegates will serve on every key panel at the convention, including the most prestigious, the platform drafting committee. That move proved pivotal as well, considering that the 2000 Democratic Party platform will include more gay-friendly language than any major party platform in history. The lone gay member of the 15-person drafting panel, former Seattle city council member Tina Podlodowski, helped expand the 1996 platform, which called for the passage of legislation to end workplace discrimination against gays, to one that also calls for an expanded hate-crimes bill. In addition, the platform now includes language saying Democrats support the full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in American life.

"That is probably the most significant line we pushed out of the committee," Podlodowski says. It allows the platform to be interpreted as supportive of many goals, such as civil unions, adoption, or an all-out repeal of the military ban--all stances Democratic presidential contender and current vice president Al Gore has taken--but ones that still divide the party. Activists who had hoped for more specific gay rights language may push to amend the platform before its adoption at the convention, Colby says.

For many party elders, however, the platform change is a good one and signifies the differences between Democrats and Republicans. "If people watch the convention and pay attention to what Democrats say, they'll see it really is the party of inclusion," says Rick Trombly, an openly gay state senator from New Hampshire, whose delegation this year is more than 20% gay.

Today, party conventions are perceived on TV to be little more than pep rallies for presidential candidates, but for delegates, there is often a lot more going on behind the scenes. Sue Cowell, former cochair of New York's Empire State Pride Agenda, notes that conventions can be a great opportunity for activists to learn about important contests at the congressional and state levels. At the 1996 convention, she says, many gay delegates had no idea who Loretta Sanchez was but went to hear her speak after learning she was challenging antigay representative Bob Dornan (R-Calif.). "It was a fire-and-brimstone speech," Cowell says, "and as soon as it was over, people were pulling out their checkbooks." This year Sanchez returns to the convention as a two-term incumbent.

Delegates also will be wearing many different hats while in Los Angeles. Jane Fee, cofounder of the transgender rights group It's Time, America, says she will not only focus on gender issues while at the convention but also talk about other concerns core to the party's success. "Veterans' benefits are near and dear to my heart," says the Minnesotan, who fought in World War II. "Being 73 years old, I have very strong feelings about Social Security and medicare too."

In addition, the convention will give delegates the opportunity to meet, discuss strategies, and build support for new ideas and movements. Gloria Nieto is hoping to raise visibility for her newly formed group, All Colors Together for Gore, which she says is dedicated to reminding Democrats that the gay population is not just made up of white middle-class activists. "We can't lose sight of the fact that many GLBT folks are not going to be at the convention, and we need to represent them," the Santa Fe, N.M., native says. "We want to elevate the names of locations of where [gay people of color] live and what we're doing and that we too are supportive of the president."

White calls such activism "pressing the flesh," and he hopes to do it with his governor, Democrat Don Siegelman. "I'm looking forward to being able to shake [his] hand ... ask him a question or two, and help him come to the realization that were big supporters of the Democratic Party and that it's time to start acknowledging us."

Ghent is a reporter for the National Journal.