It's no secret that more than a few gay men have harbored a crush on Hillary Clinton ever since her days as First Lady. But Chelsea is now emerging as a close runner up in her own right. It all started in Dallas, TX when she attended last-minute events at JR's and Sue Ellen's (the two gay bars in town ... for real!) with Gloria Steinem and Rob Reiner. The trio drew nearly 1,000 people total at the two events (not bad for 24 hours notice). Since then, Chelsea has really come into her own, attending Portland's Red Dress party, and a couple weeks ago she head-lined a town hall meeting organized by the Liberty City Democrats at Woody's, a local gay bar in Philly.
New York LGBT activist and Clinton supporter Jon Winkleman has volunteered for Hillary in several states and he summed up Chelsea's evolution this way: "Early in the primary she was very quiet and reserved -- never really spoke at events in Iowa and New Hampshire. When I waited on her at the Four Seasons and told her I was going to both states for her Mom, she simply gave a thumbs up but didn't really speak. But over the course of the campaign, she really found her voice and comfort level. She gets a great response from gays. And with the response she's getting, I'm suspecting that she is really enjoying us. I liked her in December. In April, I'm in love with her. As Chelsea finds her voice, she is becoming a better secret weapon for Hillary than Bill." [Emphasis added.]
Tonight, Chelsea will join Gov. Ed Rendell of PA for "his traditional pre-election LGBT pub crawl." How divine is that! They will gay-bar hop in Philly from "Bump and Woody's to Sisters and Tavern on Camac." But I hadn't thought about Chelsea's name, which she shares with "one of New York's most legendary gayborhoods."
It's so encouraging to see Hillary and now Chelsea fully out in the open with LGBTs. No homophobia there. Heart-warming. And in stark contrast to Obama.
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