It was a tumultuous weekend for the Democratic party - especially Hillary Clinton.

The rollercoaster started on Saturday, when DNC leaders and lawyers converged in Florida, where they hashed out a deal on whether to seat that state and Michigan’s delegates. Both states held their primaries early, thus breaking Democratic party rules. The Democratic National Committee, of course, was not pleased and threatened not to seat any delegates from those states. But, as could be predicted, they didn’t want two irate states on the loose and agreed to seat delegates, but with some penalties:
A party committee voted to seat delegations from the two states at the August nominating convention, though with only a half-vote for each delegate. The deal, reached after a sometimes raucous daylong meeting, gives Hillary Clinton a net gain of 24 delegates, a margin that’s unlikely to stall Barack Obama’s momentum toward getting the nomination. Despite the compromise and satisfaction on Florida, Clinton’s campaign remains defiant on Michigan.
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The Democratic party’s gay delegate drama has spread to the Sunshine State: …Florida Democrats have internal problems which must be solved. The final meeting to choose Florida delegates left bruised feelings when leaders of the Gay/Lesbian alliance — representatives of a huge voting bloc in South Florida — complained that they were only given half of the promised slots despite “affirmative action standards.” We’re sure Floridian gays won’t be the only ones upset over the so-called “standards.”

Disgraced Floridian Republican lawmaker Bob Allen, who resigned last year after being found guilty of soliciting gay sex and offering a cop $20 to blow him, has filed an appeal to clear his now smeared name. “We’ve got to persevere because we were right,” said the righteous Allen. Meanwhile, his wife’s trying to get into the political game by running for supervisor of elections. [WKMG and WESH]

Hillary Clinton’s “nuclear option,” which would have seen her pals on the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee push for a Florida and Michigan delegate count, has met much opposition within the party. A decision on those contentious states, which were penalized after moving their primaries forward, will likely be reached when the committee meets at the end of the month. [HuffPo]

A Florida judge ruled this afternoon that despite David Davis’ love of the confederacy, he acted inappropriately in banning students from wearing gay pride garb. [ACLU FL]

Floridian principal David Davis had some explaining to do yesterday - and he didn’t do it very well.

The improbably named educator took the stand in day one of a discrimination suit filed by 17-year old Heather Gillman, who accuses Davis and Ponce de Leon High School of violating her and others’ civil rights for prohibiting gay pride garb.

The case began to unfold last year, after Gillman and her progressive peers began designing shirts with pro-gay slogans, like “I support equal marriage rights” and “I support gay rights.”

Davis apparently did not approve, because he sent out a memo threatening suspension for students who made such fashion statements. And his reasoning gives some insight into this man’s bad social education…
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Senator Hillary Clinton wrote a letter to rival Barack Obama today pleading with him to count Michigan and Florida. Because, you know, she needs a bit of a boost to win this thing. An unfriendly excerpt: “Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.” Really, Hillary? [HuffPo]

Things may get freaky-deaky at Wilton Manor Pride in Fort Lauderdale as the homos prepare to celebrate their - wait for it - first ever nighttime event. Wild! [La Daily Musto]

Hillary Clinton seems poised to blow Barack Obama out of the electoral water.

The Senator’s campaign today confirmed a report that they plan to use their pals on the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee to validate Michigan and Florida’s previously invalidated primary counts. Those state weren’t meant to count because they broke rank and held their primaries early.

Both Clinton and Obama previously wagged their finger at those states, and Obama even yanked his name from the Michigan ballot. Now that she’s down, however, Mrs. Clinton’s hoping her allies can push her over the edge: With at least 50 percent of the Democratic Party’s 30-member Rules and Bylaws Committee committed to Clinton, her … Continued…

Florida’s young gays can breathe a little easier.

The state’s Senate yesterday passed unanimously a comprehensive, queer inclusive anti-bullying bill, which has been either years in the making. And you can be sure gay group Equality Florida’s leading lady, Nadine Smith, celebrated in epistolary style: Thanks to the thousands of messages you sent to the Florida Senate and a last minute lobbying effort in Tallahassee, Senators heard our call and brought the long overdue Anti-Bullying bill up for a vote and passed it. Governor Crist has expressed support for the bill many times in the past and it now awaits his signature.

Equality Florida’s goal has always been to provide the strongest protections … Continued…

Gay activists gathered at Florida’s state house yesterday to demand the state draw up a measure against anti-gay bullying in schools. Activist Brian Winfield remarked, “[Hate crimes] begin as bullying in our schools… We believe firmly that if we address bullying in Florida schools, we will put a serious dent in tomorrow’s hate crimes.” [365 Gay]

Social conservatives in Florida are gathering their strength to push through Amendment 2, which would prohibit judges from legalizing same-sex nuptials. Number 2 reads: “Inasmuch as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.” [Palm Beach Post]

Florida’s experiencing its own ENDA battle. The Sunshine State’s Senate last week passed a bill banning employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation. While certainly a great move forward, the House remains split on how to proceed, especially whether or not to include gender identity. The debate may be moot, however, because Florida’s legislative season ends in three weeks, which isn’t enough time to hammer out all the political differences. [Boca Raton News and Sun-Sentinel]

Susan Stanton lost her job as Largo, Florida’s city manager last year after announcing her gender reassignment surgery. Now her wife, Donna has filed for divorce. Sad. [Sun Sentinel]

Floridian politician Brian Blair’s the latest voice in the outcry against Day of Silence.

The annual event, which will be held on April 25th, commemorates queers who have lost life and limb as a result of anti-gay violence. This year’s will honor Lawrence King, the 15-year old whose classmate shot him in the head soon after King asked him to be his valentine.

Social conservatives are continuing their tradition of boycotting the event, as the American Family Association made clear with last month’s hateful radio ad. And now they’ve enlisted Blair, who’s running against an openly gay man, Kevin Beckner for Hillsborough County’s Commissioner seat. So, like a good little soldier, Blair, pictured on the left sent out an email of solidarity, which we’ve included below…
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