11.5%: DNC Gets Record Number Of LGBT Delegates

NBC News reports:

There is a record number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender delegates at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. And while they come from a variety of different states and backgrounds, most seem to have at least two things in common: their support for the Equality Act and their contempt for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

LGBT delegates make up 11.5 percent of all delegates at the DNC this year, and this record number is not a coincidence – it’s by design. In order to increase the number of delegates from underrepresented communities, veteran LGBT delegates established an advisory board to recruit new and qualified LGBT delegates from across the U.S. The newly appointed delegates span the LGBT spectrum and bring a variety of experience and fresh perspectives to the delegation.

Several delegates who spoke with NBC OUT, including DNC LGBT Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes, said the best way to protect LGBT citizens is the passage of the Equality Act. This bill is currently in the House and Senate and would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include discrimination protection based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

LGBT delegates made up 7.8% of the 2012 convention.