Harold Ford, Jr. faces his toughest crowd in New York

Hat tip to Towleroad for the video link; video shot by David Badash.

Well, he did it. Harold Ford, Jr. spoke before the Stonewall Democrats tonight. The crowd at the New York Lesbian, Gay & Transgender Center was tough. Observers are describing it as a bad night for Ford. It was in the sense that he endured precise, grilling questions on his record and his motives. He was interrupted regularly, but considering his past positions and the build up to the event, it turned out to be a more civil affair than I expected.

The crowd wasn't interested in giving Ford a pass on anything and was clearly weighing the prospect of Ford vs the more known quantity of equality advocate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. But I can't help but think that the night was a win for everyone. Ford showed courage (some might say audacity) in facing his strongest critics and the New York GLBT community clearly communicated its anger and incredulity while still giving him a fair hearing. It's the kind of event that needs to happen more often around the country. Let's hope the dialogue continues.

-Chris Sanders