Openly gay Latino mayor to endorse Barack Obama

John Duran, the openly gay and HIV positive mayor of West Hollywood, California, is set to formally endorse Senator Barack Obama for president at a press conference scheduled for tomorrow.

It's a nice counter to some of the hyperbole coming from some quarters as to Latino voters being Hillary's "ace in the hole."

Here is the press release that his office sent today:

January 8, 2008

WeHo Mayor BACKS OBAMA

John Duran, the Mayor of West Hollywood, announces his endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. Duran, a leader within the Democratic Party as well as a state-wide leader of the gay and lesbian community said: "In enthusiastically supporting Barack Obama I am backing the national voice of authenticity. Obama is the authentic long time opponent of the war in Iraq and the authenic voice for equal justice for all, including my own LGBT community.

As a civil rights attorney I appreciate that the senator spent years in the practice of civil rights in the courts and as a community organizer, and also that he was a distinguished professor of constitutional law. To have a man of the constitution follow a president who so disrespected the constitution is a true "turning of the page".

Barack Obama is rallying the nation to end Politics as usual. Politics as usual got us into Iraq. Politics as usual got us DON'T ASK DON'T TELL, a policy adopted by a democratic White House and resulting in running thousands of patriotic gays and lesbians out of our nation's armed services. Politics as usual got us DOMA, the anti-gay so-called Defense of Marriage Act signed by a democratic White House.

Politics as usual just isn't good enough for the 21st century. Senator Obama brings the excellence of leadership, the clarity of vision, and the authenticity of character that we need after the dark clouds of the Bush-Chaney regime.

(Photo from the City of West Holywood's flickr page)