Democratic
Convention Holds Promise for LGBT Community

As the crowd at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver begins cheering for itself and its candidates, LGBT delegates' applause will be heard louder than ever. A solid 8% of the total delegate population has self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, with that number expected to increase once all of the delegates arrive.

Of the more than 4,400 delegates at the convention, more than 370 of them are openly LGBT (up from 275 in 2004), according to the National Stonewall Democrats. Those delegates represent 48 states, up from 42 in 2004. The states sending gay delegates to the convention for the first time: Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota and Tennessee.

The Advocate news team will be filing news, video, and blog reports from the convention -- and from the gay and lesbian caucus -- throughout the week. Check Advocate.com for the latest updates. (Cathy Markes, The Advocate)