While the least politically savvy members of the GLBT community may not know who Howard Dean is by name, if reminded that he is the former Governor of Vermont they quickly associate him with that state’s groundbreaking civil unions law, which surpasses even California’s own domestic partners legislation.

A frontrunner in the pool of nine candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination in the 2004 presidential election, Dean made a stop at Trolley Barn Park, in the heart of University Heights, to drum up support for his campaign.

“Every so often, someone comes along and inspires you, makes you feel like what you say does count,” City Councilmember Toni Atkins said, introducing Dean at the rally, “Someone who is articulate and passionate. Someone that’s not afraid to stand up and say what regular Americans like you and I believe. That’s the kind of leadership we want in Washington, D.C.”

Close to 500 people attended the early morning rally to hear Dean speak on topics such as education reform, health care reform, the environment and even foreign policy.

“This President divides us by race,” Dean said, addressing his supporters. “He divides us by gender, by attacking a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. He divides us by sexual orientation when he puts his arm around [Senator] Rick Santorum, who equates gay people to child molesters. He even divides by religion with his faith-based initiative, which gives some religions a big advantage and others no advantage whatsoever.”

While Dean has been outspoken about his support of federally recognized civil unions, he did not address that issue during the rally, heavily attended by members of the GLBT community.

Dean outlined his campaign, focusing on his number one priority of balancing the budget, and questioned the tax cuts President Bush promised the nation — and their ramifications.

“What this president is doing is giving tax cuts to zillionaires and people who don’t need the money,” Dean said. “What this president is doing is de-funding the federal government and taking money out of social security, Medicare and even education. People who are paying for tax cuts … are middle class property taxpayers who are having to go into their pockets and replace all of the service cuts that this president made in our healthcare and education system.”

Dean also focused on the country’s health care crisis — pointing out that America is one of the few modernized countries that does not have guaranteed health care for the entire population — saying that we need to ask the president, “Why it is that Americans are second class citizens in the world? The British have it, the French, the Germans, the Italians, the Israelis, the Canadians, the Japanese, the Costa Ricans have health insurance for everybody.… Why can’t we?”

Dean wrapped up the 30-minute rally by saying that, unlike other candidates who will stand up and say that they are going to fight to solve their problems, it is up to each and every person to get involved.

“You are the troops in this movement,” Dean concluded. “The truth is you have the power to change this country.”