Left Out of HRC Party in SF

Screw HRC (0.00 / 0)

Below is the text of an e-mail I sent to everyone I know following the 2006 mid-term elections. I will never, ever forgive the HRC for using donations to advance the Republican Party's control over the Senate.

I'm already getting e-mails from the Human Rights Campaign celebrating yesterday's gains and taking credit for the victory. F*@k them.

The HRC endorsed, financed, and advocated Republican Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island over Democrat Jim Whitehouse. While Chafee himself is not a bad person, his very first vote in the Senate would have been to elect Republican leadership.

With luck in MT and VA, the Dems will take the majority in the Senate by one seat. In other words, if the HRC got its way and Lincoln Chafee had won, the Senate still would be in the hands of Republican homophobes like Sam Brownback and Tom Coburn.

It's morning in America and we have a lot to celebrate. The HRC, on the other hand, does not get to claim credit for this victory. We will take a razor-thin majority in the Senate in spite of the HRC, not because of it.

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by: Be_Devine @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 15:54:31 PM UTC

HRC BOYCOTT IS SO WRONG! (0.00 / 0)

How can we punish the HRC for advancing our rights? Yes, the "T" is not included in ENDA and it should be. But these things happen incrementally and always have and always will! Were we supposed to say "No thanks, we'll wait for our rights until you are ready to give them to us?" What would have happened to civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s with that attitude? The so-called LGBT leadership in SF should be ashamed of this short-sighted strategy...it leaves our opponents laughing.

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by: pjfahey @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 18:31:20 PM UTC

Equality (8.00 / 1)

The HRC's slogan is "Working for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equal rights."  Yet HRC supports legislation that does not treat transgendered people as equal to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

Perhaps the HRC should change its slogan to "Working for gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights.  If and when politically expedient, we might do something for those trannies.  But not if it might interfere with the gays and lesbians getting their rights."

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by: Be_Devine @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 19:03:12 PM UTC

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Advancing our rights? (0.00 / 0)

As I mentioned in the post, I believe that there is a role for such an organization, but they take up far too much in resources than their value. And if they aren't going to represent the entirety of the LGBT community, then they should disclose that.

It is not as if there are not alternative organizations to give your money to this year.  There are hundreds of local, state, and national organizations fighting for the rights of the entirety of the community. Check out http://unitedenda.org for more information on those groups, but the leaders include the Equality Federation, whose members are the state-based organizations, like EQCA, that fight for LGBT rights. In terms of national lobbying, the Gay and Lesbian Task Force is committed to an inclusive ENDA, and is growing into a nice little organization. The Task Force is both effective and efficient with our resources.

Don't boycott donating money to LGBT orgs, just make sure you give to the right LGBT orgs.

I think?

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 19:14:22 PM UTC

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it isn't just T (0.00 / 0)

HRC sucks in general and really has no game outside if throwing parties.  

Twitter: @BobBrigham

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by: Bob Brigham @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 19:39:00 PM UTC

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but they have a cute sticker! (0.00 / 0)

Blue and Yellow...sooo cute.

I think?

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 20:11:38 PM UTC

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Flawed Logic, Flawed Values (0.00 / 0)

HRC is not advancing "our" rights.... it is attempting (and failing!) to advance the rights of only a portion of our community.

I have been so outraged by HRC's position on ENDA that I e-mailed them to be removed from their mailings, including a note on why I was making the request.

In a very long response touting their "efforts" on behalf of the transgender segment of our community, the correspondent made the following statement:

"The disagreement on strategies by advocates for equality should not make us question each other's commitment to the common goal of getting protection for all members of our community."

Um, but I don't remember signing up to support a cause that included forfeiting my right to think or speak my mind, nor to completely abdicate my duty to think critically.  The very suggestion that HRC leadership should be followed blindly is offensive beyond words.

By supporting this fractious legislation, and then not getting it passed, HRC has proven itself to be both morally bankrupt as well as ineffective.  

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by: Fredo @ Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 00:16:04 AM UTC

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HRC just hasn't learned (0.00 / 0)

From the Washington Blade back in 2006:

The Human Rights Campaign is defending its endorsements of Sen. Joe Lieberman, and Congresswomen Mary Bono and Cynthia McKinney, following criticism from some high-profile donors.

"A lot of these mucky mucks at HRC are hobnobbing with powerful and wealthy people, and they're starting to act like them," said Thomas Van Etten, a gay Californian who said he is planning to erase a $1 million contribution to HRC from his will.

Endorsing Mary Bono lost them $1 million then.  It pays to stand up for yourself.  

I'm union staff, but not a spokesperson for my union - all posts represent my views solely.

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by: Beth Caskie @ Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 05:01:40 AM UTC

just came from the picket (0.00 / 0)

i uploaded some photos and videos to my flickr acct. my username is utbriancl. It was a great turnout and the picket seemed to be getting a lot of attention.

I'll post something more in depth tomorrow.

I think?

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by: Brian Leubitz @ Sun Jul 27, 2008 at 00:51:23 AM UTC

63 year old lesbian dragged out of event (0.00 / 0)

What follows is what a friend wrote me late last night:

Around 7:00 I sat at table #72 (which was in the back row). I listened to Diego Sanchez's speech. During Joe Solomonese's talk I left my seat and walked towards the tables in front of me with the intent of distributing printed materials. At this point 2-3 large men accosted me. I don't remember their exact words but I quietly said that I had bought a ticket and had the right to be there. I began to place printed material on a table when I was grabbed roughly by at least 2 men (who I think were behind me). One of them put my right arm in an armlock behind my back and up and bent my right wrist with tremendous force.  I was also held by both arms  (with force enough around both upper arms that I had bruises within 20 minutes).

At some point I was knocked to the ground and dragged out of the dining area into the outer room where they lifted me to my feet but did not let go. I then said to them-"let me go I will leave (we were walking to a stairwell). They did not let go and dragged me off my feet again and down the stairs to the exit on post street."

I have huge bruises on my arms and a shoulder that feels like it was half pulled out of it's socket.  Years ago I was thrown out of the st francis by SFPD and they didn't hurt me at all. These are a company of private goons hired by Human Rights Campaign to police their event.

HRC is afraid of peoples' protests and they can't afford their donors getting information.

Can It Happen Here?

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by: janinsanfran @ Sun Jul 27, 2008 at 11:41:09 AM UTC

pictures? (0.00 / 0)

Why would anyone be surprised by HRC's actions? Only "low information LGBT activists" wouldn't know that HRC sucks at this point.

I haven't given a dime to HRC since 1996 when they endorsed corrupt New York Republican Senator ALFONSE D'AMATO over Democratic challenger CHUCK SCHUMER.

Give to THE TASK FORCE, your STATE ORG, your local LGBT Community Center and LAMBDA LEGAL.

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The Mad Professah Lectures
http://www.madprofessah.com

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by: MadProfessah @ Mon Jul 28, 2008 at 00:34:31 AM UTC

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