Gay activists air
complaints with eight senators

A group of more than 20 leaders of prominent gay rights groups met with eight Democratic senators at a closed-door meeting in Washington earlier this month. The Washington Blade reported Wednesday that the activists were critical of the Democrats' position on same-sex marriage and other issues. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton organized the Capitol Hill meeting as chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. The discussion focused on what gay groups see as an inconsistent message from Democrats regarding important issues for gay people. In addition to marriage equality, other topics discussed included hate crimes, "don't ask, don't tell," and the Ryan White Act. Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese told the Blade, "The conversation was more about the message and how to talk about the issues. I think that everyone in that room was committed to us on the issues." The gay leaders reportedly urged Democrats to speak out more forcefully against injustice toward gays and lesbians. In addition to Senator Clinton, the meeting reportedly included minority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Barack Obama of Illinois, and five other Democratic senators. (Sirius OutQ News)