If you are gay/supportive, it is time for new leadership. Read this:

From Firedoglake

OH. MY. GOD. People, our gay leadership in Washington is a bunch of fucking Dumbasses! This post linked above from Firedoglake has an EYE-OPENING interview with the Human Rights Campaign (the premiere/top GLBT rights group at the national level). The interview is a little long, but the obtuseness of our supposed leadership simply shines right on through. If you are gay, or just support gay issues/causes, and particularly if you are an HRC member, then I strongly urge you to read this interview. Then, let all your gay friends know about it, too. Still, I'll give you the synopsis:

1. The HRC endorsed Joe Lieberman for CT-Senate in the Democratic primary in August.
2. Lieberman's Senate record is on gay issues is "okay", but not stellar, and Ned Lamont is admittedly more supportive of GLBT rights than Lieberman on every issue. Indeed, Ned Lamont could be considered a "stellar" candidate on our issues.
3. The HRC endorsed Lieberman anyway based on his Senate record (despite the fact that Ned Lamont has no similar record for true comparison).
4. The HRC admits to a pro-incumbent bias, regardless of which candidate might be a better representative for us and our movement in congress.
5. The HRCs election "scorecards" and the way the organization gives out endorsements is via a process approved by the HRC board. Thus, it tends to be an almost a mechanical endorsement of whoever the incumbent is, if they have a "good" scorecard, without any consideration of the opposing candidate or the effect on the larger movement as a whole.

Thus did HRC endorse Joe Lieberman over a candidate who would have been much more supportive of the GLBT movement. So, in a way, our own leadership is holding us and our movement for equality back by their myopic, short-sighted view. This is unforgivable, considering what their mission in DC is supposed to be. We send money to their organization and support their events so that they can forward the cause, but they have violated their mission with this endorsement. And, this situation illuminates clearly how they can be an impediment to progress going forward. It makes me wonder whether this organization is really capable of leading us at this point.

Therefore, I call for a vote of no-confidence in their leadership and the serious consideration of the formation of a new, grassroots gay organization that will take big-picture considerations into account before making such endorsements.

If you, like me, have decided never to give money to them again and wish to cancel your membership, or if you just want to give them a piece of your mind, you may do so as follows:

Human Rights Campaign:
1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036-3278

Front Desk: 202/628-4160
TTY: 202/216-1572
Toll-Free: 800/777-4723
Membership Toll-Free: 800/727-4723
Fax: 202/347-5323

For general HRC inquiries/comments, please contact hrc@hrc.org
For membership-specific inquires/comments, please contact membership@hrc.org


After you do that, be sure and let all your gay friends know about this, too.

in Washington right now. Gay or otherwise.

Redstone

at the very least support the movement that they represented. But instead, they endorse and tell us to vote for people who are not in our movement's long-term interests.

It is appalling.

Redstone

$

Nothing can escape the Green Hole...

I don't donate to the HRC. I did a long time ago, not anymore. They are like the DLC of GLBT issues. We DEFINITELY need a more progessive lobbying organization. In 20 years, the HRC hasn't gotten us very far.

double post

but have not for a while. I did some work with one of their field organizers once, he was pretty good but on the whole they need to do some soul searching before I go back to being a donor.

Lamont has literally no record whatsoever in this regard. Lieberman actually has a terrific record in this regard. Lieberman supported a CT ENDA law back in the mid 1970's which is amazing. He has been for hate crimes legislation. He has been in favor of allowing gays in the military and civil unions. Lamont is better only on marriage and has no record at all. Will he act on this when he is elected? We can't know and for that reason endorsing Lieberman isn't out of line.

anyone with half a brain would take just the opposite position . . . it's the incumbents who have enabled BushCo's takeover of the government -- lock, stock and barrel . . .