"A courtroom showdown between the Democratic National Committee and its former gay outreach director, Donald Hitchcock, is likely to occur next year. Hitchcock was fired from his DNC post in 2006, shortly after his domestic partner, Paul Yandura, wrote an open letter to gay Democrats urging them to withhold donations to the party because he felt [Chairman Howard] Dean wasn’t doing enough to combat anti-gay state ballot initiatives. Hitchcock later filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Dean and the DNC alleging, among other things, anti-gay discrimination. The DNC has denied the claims. Final efforts at mediation failed in September and a pretrial conference has been set for Jan. 5." [NY Blade]

Thing aren't looking good for the DNC. Judge Jeanette Clark this week rejected the party organ's plea for a summary judgment in Donald Hitchcock's discrimination lawsuit.

Hitchcock, you'll remember, filed the suit after the DNC sacked him as their gay outreach officer. The politico alleges that Chairman Howard Dean and company were retaliating against him and his boyfriend, Paul Yandura, who wrote a very public letter blasting the DNC's gay politics and for using gays as an ATM. The DNC denies these claims and hoped Clark would put the issue to bed. But, alas, she will not.

And what's more, Clark's taking a hard look at Dean and DNC treasurer Andy Tobias, both of whom have been accused of making defamatory statements about Hitchcock.

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Howard Dean's memory continues to fail him. The Democratic National Committee Chairman claims his organization fired Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council director Donald Hitchcock for "poor job performance," not as retaliation for his boyfriend, Paul Yandura's open letter criticizing the party's lackluster gay politics.

Taking a look at Dean's sworn deposition, however, one has to wonder whether his shady recollection says more his parsed replies. And gay Democrats should be wondering how they can stand up and save their party.

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It's a big day for Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee! Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry takes the stand today in the ongoing discrimination discovery hearings.

Donald Hitchcock's discrimination lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee takes a new turn today. A predetermined schedule ordered Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council board chair Claire Lucas to testify, but the investor refused to comply. Lawyers explained to Lucas that if she does not take the stand, she'll be found in contempt of court. The former National Stonewall Democrat director, however, continues to stand her ground. She is not being represented by DNC lawyers.

Testimony began yesterday with current homo honcho Brian Bond, who took over as executive director of the GLLC after Howard Dean and company sacked Hitchcock. Hitchcock alleges the firing came in retaliation for boyfriend Paul Yandura's criticism of the party. He also claims the DNC paid him less than his peers and has since blasted them for using gay people as an "ATM".

DNC CEO Reverend Leah Daughtry will testify on January 18.

Testimony began today in Donald Hitchcock's discrimination case against the Democratic National Committee.

Hitchcock alleges that Howard Dean and other leaders fired him in 2006 after his boyfriend, Paul Yandura, wrote an open letter criticizing the party's lackluster gay activism.

Hitchcock's replacement Brian Bond was scheduled to take the stand today. Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council board chair Claire Lucas will testify tomorrow.

Things are about to get sticky for the Democratic National Committee.

According to documents obtained by PageOneQ, a series of senior Democratic National Committee officials has been subpoenaed in an ongoing discrimination lawsuit by former LGBT outreach director Donald Hitchcock. Those ordered to provide sworn testimony include chairman Howard Dean, openly gay treasurer Andy Tobias, and Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council executive Director Brian Bond.

Hitchcock alleges that the DNC fired him after his boyfriend, political consultant Paul Yandura, wrote a scathing letter about the Democratic party's governing organization.

Hitchcock also alleges that the DNC paid him less than his peers and that Dean, Tobias and others attempted to smear his name. The DNC won't comment on the case, but Hitchcock says "I look forward shining light on the facts and discussing under oath the circumstances of my employment and unfair termination from the DNC."

See the discovery schedule, after the jump…

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A few weeks ago Paul Yandura, a former Clinton White House staffer and a once-loyalist to the Democratic Party, sent us an article published in the Washington Blade. The article was about Yandura: he encouraged gay people to stop donating money to Democrats–he apparently thinks Howard Dean, head of the DNC, sucks at his job and isn't doing enough to battle anti-gay sentiment in goverment. And he wanted to spread his message far and wide.

The problem: Yandura's partner, Donald Hitchcock, was the Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee’s Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council. Translation: Howard Dean was Donald Hitchcock's boss. A few days after that article, Dean fired Hitchcock. Boo-ya.

Everyone in Dean's camp denies he fired Hitchcock because of his BF's nasty comments, instead attributing it to "timing." Which means, of course, that Dean definitely fired Hitchcock because of his BF's nasty comments. He hired a Mr. Brian Bond for the job instead, who was then interviewed in The Advocate about the DNC's position on the fight against anti-gay marriage amendments and other assorted political conundrums. Bond's response? Political mush-mouth mumbo jumbo. Of course. In fact, the only committal answer he gave was about his partner: Bond promises his BF will keep his mouth shut.

The Democrats better get it together quick. We close our eyes and see the hologram of Princess Leia: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." Maybe we can borrow it for the upcoming elections.

Read the interview here:

The DNC's New Gay Voice [The Advocate]

And for the original article, read it in full below:

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