Phil Attey is the gay activist in Washington D.C. behind ChurchOuting.org, the project that threatened to use crowd-sourcing to out gay Catholic priests if the Washington archdiocese made good on plans to eliminate social services if D.C.’s gay marriage law passed. (It did.) With the website, Attey, who once worked for the Human Rights Campaign and is now a social media consultant, was following a new way of thinking about activism and securing LGBT equality, popularized by Mike Rogers, who makes outing anti-gay gay politicians a sport. So why is Attey suddenly thinking there’s no room to change how capital-a Activism works — and dumping on Dan Choi’s White House stunt?
“It’s a shame that our community needs to be educated about the political process and they don’t get it,” Attey told a reporter after HRC’s rally in D.C. on Thursday, which Choi hijacked. “They don’t understand that Congress needs to be moved on this issue and that people across the country have the power to do that. And if they’re going to get them to yell and scream at the president, we’re going to fail, we’re going to lose.”
This is a curious way of thinking from a man who is also bucking status quo with ChurchOuting.org. At its core, Attey’s website is a threat: Unless D.C.’s Catholics get in line, they’ll be exposed. (To be sure, ChurchOuting.org says it doesn’t want to out priests, but it’s willing to.) To use his own words, you might say that it’s Attey who doesn’t “understand that the Catholic Church needs to be moved on this issue and that people across the country have the power to do that. And if they’re going to get them to yell and scream at the archdiocese, we’re going to fail, and we’re going to lose.” See how that works? Institutions, whether faith- or political-based, don’t change just because you ask them nicely.
Like Attey of Choi, there are critics of Attey’s website (which doesn’t appear to be online anymore, but is available via Google’s cache). Its mission: “This is a campaign to collect information about closeted gay Catholic priests, as well as heterosexual Catholic priests who secretly engage in romantic or sexual affairs, yet are unwilling to speak out against the church leadership’s antigay political campaigns. Once a story is verified, we will be contacting the priests involved to help them make the right choices. It is our hope that NO Catholic Priest is outed because of this campaign, rather that we can use knowledge of the truth of their lives to combat the hypocrisy of their silence.”
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One might say that Choi’s mission, and that of GetEqual.org, is to do something similar: To move beyond the failed efforts of HRC and local groups and do something experimental. Attey himself calls the site “like an intervention, with the tough love and support you need. Consider this a spiritual intervention.” Perhaps Choi and Get Equal’s efforts should be considered a legislative intervention. Or at the very least, an activist intervention.
But if Attey’s project is so in line with conventional activism, as he claims Choi’s efforts should be, why didn’t HRC create it? Why didn’t HRC voice support for it? Because: It was too renegade, too outside the lines, and too far beyond HRC’s emphasis on lobbying lawmakers. Attey himself recognized an opening in activism that wasn’t being filled, and which, theoretically, could have proved successful.
So too have Choi and Get Equal, and yet Attey is already denouncing their efforts as too far-fetched. Which is funny, because long before activist leaders tried to get scared lawmakers in Washington to enact equality, there were folks engaged in sit-ins, bus boycotts, and good old fashioned marches. But those were too radical, weren’t they?
[photo via]
Ogre Magi
Well, anything that hurts Catholic priests is A-OK in my book!
John
It is the kind of activism exhibited by Dan Choi and Get Equal that has the power to wake people up across the country and get them to change minds of politicians. The first anti-war protests during the Vietnam era were not big. However, they grew and gained a show of power that ultimately changed the course of politics (Lyndon Johnson declined a run for reelection). It takes time to move mountains and the time to start if now!
AndrewW
Queerty fails to make a legitimate comparison of Attey’s activism and that of Choi and GetEqual.
Both groups have as their action “making demands.” But, ChurchOuting also has a very real threat: outing closeted Catholic priests.
What THREAT does GetEqual have? Volume? What are the consequences when LGBT demands are not met? If we are ignored, as has been the case for decades, what’s next? Violence? When Blacks had “non-violent” marches in the 60s thousands carried baseball bats. The “picture” was threatening. Our country at the time was terrified about riots and violence. That was a THREAT. What’s our threat?
That is the big problem with GetEqual and its predecessors, EqualityAcrossAmerica, JoinTheImpact, EqualityNetowrk and on and on and on.
Demands without threats are like opinions without solutions – they may garner some attention, but they don’t provide any results.
Attey points out the obvious: we need the support of our fellow citizens to be successful. We need people to join us. Demands don’t inspire or encourage people to join us – not with a legitimate threat.
nlsngrc
As I noted elsewhere, HRC was exploting DADT at the expense of a TV comedian and her show on Bravo, and any criticisms or ad hominem attacks being generated toward GET EQUAL, Lt. Dan Choi, and Capt. Paintrangelo are being done for the purpose of trying to draw attention from that fact.
nlsngrc
@nlsngrc:
Boy my comment is all screwed up.
It should read, As I noted elsewhere, HRC was exploting DADT at the expense of a TV comedian and her show on Bravo, and any criticisms or ad hominem attacks being generated toward GET EQUAL, Lt. Dan Choi, and Capt. Paintrangelo are being done for the purpose of trying to draw attention AWAY from that fact.
I guess Phil Attey’s too busy preventing others from impeding on his territory, he’s forgotten whose side he’s on.
JB
While I am not entirely on board with Attey’s criticism of Choi, I do not think you succeed in making the comparison between his efforts and those of Get Equal, particularly with respect to their targets. The Catholic Church and the American political system are very different institutions. One is despotism, the other, at least in theory, is a democracy.
leanleft
I think Attey’s point is that Choi et all are misplacing their ire at the President and not Congress which ultimately must repeal DADT.
I see his point. Yes, we need to put pressure on our allies. But why aren’t they chaining themselves to the minority leader’s office or that of republican moderates.
Republicans- (in for Virginia for example, have made major gains by hiding their extreme views from the public until in office- then going all anti-gay). It might be helpful to also remind folks that Republicans continue to support these terrible policies in record numbers- that they are not moderate by any means.
AndrewW
@leanleft:
GetEqual simply wants to make demands. That’s useless without a threat. These publicity stunts got only limited attention and no real results.
GetEqual will need to come up with a real threat, if they want their demands to be effective or even taken seriously.
jeffree
@AndrewW: What actions do you believe Lt. Choi should of taken? Please list & explain.
until u can do that youre just a TROLL
say *hi* to Brian NYC 4 me please:: if u arent the same person then U 2 need to hook up & start ur own anti organiization & maybe have sum s€x becuz that will calm u 2 down!
jeffree
If Phil Attey took down his website does this mean he stopped fighting or that it didnt work?? in either case, what result did he acomplish & so why is he qualified 2 criticise Lt. Choi & the Pietrangello guy who’s rank i’m forgetting? Sorry.
to only *play nice* works in a play ground maybe, but this is politics not kickball!!!!
AB
Phil Attey is self important and pompous. He criticizes all bloggers and grassroots activists who dare not work with HRC or Gay INC and repeatedly demands activists “lobby” Congress. The only thing that will shut Phil Attey up is black or latino cock.
AndrewW
@jeffree: The GetEqual’s actions didn’t accomplish anything. Thankfully, they were largely unnoticed by the media.
Lt. Choi handcuffing himself to the White House didn’t have an effect on anyone except the half a dozen people with him and the DC Park Police.
Harassing Nancy Pelosi want change any votes in the Congress and it won’t change any minds in America. That’s what counts.
Jefferson Davis
((Waving at Phil Attey/Brian NYC/Andrew W/Etc))
How’s thatobbying working out for you on DADT guys? Do you need some kneepads for your lobbyist friends at HRC?
Jadis
What he is doing is not hacktivism. Hacktivism is actual cyberwarfare. It’s something I’ve thought about in the past because it would be unbelievably effective. I’ve never been able to bring myself, though, stupid lousy conscience.
Keith Kimmel
Oh, the irony. What a bunch of bullshit.
Jefferson Davis
Phil Attey is a blowhard and an HRC capo. Phil’s former “roommate” Michael Crawford is a black version of the same brown nose, ass kissing “HRC is the bestest” and BFFs with HRC. They want everyone to join HRC and their different gay groups for “lobby days”. Yea that is working out so well right?
jeffree
@AndrewW: Let me repeat the question. What do you & Brian NYC suggest should be done to get DADT overturned??
All we hear from u & your sockpuppetts is how u r *against* this & *against* that. That is Not A WINNING strategy AndrewW! It’s a sign of autism tho’ ! Really.
Please start explaining your ideas OR stop trolling! U were banned on at least one other website, but didnt learn your lesson did ya?
grayyoung
i am in the military. dan chois actions are much more severe than civil disobedience here. is the full point of what we are arguing for that members of the military are more mature than what radical conservatives are saying. choi just gave so much fodder to the crazy right wing conspiracy who will use him to show that “gays in the military cant be trusted and will be out of line with military good order and discipline.” seriously, that is the exact line in the law that bans homosexuals. that it would be bad for good order and discipline to have homosexuals in the military. wait, so being out of good order and discipline and chaining yourself to the whitehouse fence in a MILITARY uniform is how we make the case that we should be allowed to openly serve. great, choi, you prolly just derailed this singlehandedly.
AB
@grayyoung: Do gay men often refer to themselves in the first and third person as “homosexuals”. And you are in “the military” in what branch? Usually that’s the first identification one says. And never addressing Lt. Choi by rank? Srsly?
Oh and AndrewW, please make sure your sock puppets spell “Whitehouse” differently, m’kay? And I seriously doubt one man’s non-officially sanctioned actions, which you say were so irrelevant, will “singlehandedly derail” the entire DADT repeal. Surely you’re not suggesting the 200 members of the House and dozen senators who are sponsoring DADT repeal … will turn their backs on thousands of enlisted men and women because of ONE man’;s solo actions?
GTFO silly queen
Case
GetEqual should be making serious threats.
Stonewall could just be a little affair in comparison.
I love straight people,but they’re not giving us what should already be ours.
Phil Attey
Dear Queerty:
If you ever took the time to ask me the strategy behind the ChurchOuting.org project (and the important things that came out of it) — or why I am highly critical of the way Dan Choi and GetEqual hijacked the efforts of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Servicemembers United, and the Human Rights to use Kathy Griffin’s star power to push people across the country to call their Members of Congress and demand an immediate repeal of DADT, you’d understand why both these efforts are important.
But you don’t.
You’ve written about me twice and haven’t called me once. What’r you afraid to pick up the phone … or email … or Facebook message me.
And I’ll go further … why aren’t YOU doing more to encourage your readers to use their voices as citizens to demand their elected representaives in Congress repeal DADT? Why did you choose, the day of SLDN’s big annual lobby day (which I participated in … and you didn’t), to instead ignore asking your readers to CALL CONGRESS: 202.224.3121 and add their voices to those of us visiting the Congressional offices?
WHY?
I’m always open to talking with anyone in our community who wants to stop being a victim and start being an strong voice for equality.
Reality check: less than 5% of the people who attend Pride Events every year, every contact (call, email, write) their Members of Congress — or give anything to any of our national political groups.
I’m use Facebook every day to hammer the need for civic engagement on LGBT issues. What’r you doing? Seriously … what’r you doing?
Ask yourself that before you ever criticize me again.
Yours in the united stand for equality,
+ Phil
AndrewW
@Phil Attey: Calls, emails and even lobbying (by HRC) hasn’t changed a single vote in the US Congress.
GetEqual persuaded Dan Choi to try the publicity stunt hoping that attention would lead to some changed minds/votes. We have plenty of attention – we need something that WILL change minds/votes. Stunts or these very dramatic public demands don’t persuade anyone because there is not THREAT attached.
Sooner or later we need to understand that we need to change minds, because that’s the only thing that will change any votes in the US Congress. Members of Congress rely on polls, not class, emails, lobbying or ill-conceived publicity stunts.
If GetEqual believes these stunts were helpful, they need to say HOW. So far, they’ve only said they were “successful,” but didn’t provide any substance. Perhaps, their intention was just to get publicity so they can raise funds. But, I don’t believe there is ANY evidence that these stunts produced any positive results.
GetEqual has a responsibility to demonstrate HOW they are successful or helpful – otherwise they won’t raise any money.
Phil Attey
I just reread my above post. Sorry for the typos.
And if anyone wants help understanding where we are in repealing DADT .. and what Members of Congress our front line activists have identified as needing constituent pressure, contact me on Facebook.
Don’t look here. Queerty isn’t the place to go for real political insight. Maybe someday it will be, but right now it’s more Britney Spears … less Tammy Baldwin.
Yours in the united stand for equality,
+ Phil
Phil Attey
Andrew –
Phone calls to Congress was what gave us DADT. (not ours … but Pat Robertson’s viewers) so don’t tell me they aren’t important. Go back and look at the Washington Post archives from 1993 and you’ll see the power in phone calls to Congress. Robertson’s minions shut down the Capitol Hill and White House switchboards for a complete week.
And I challenge GetEqual (as I did today with Robin Magehee who I ran into at the Immigration Equality Rally) to use direct action wisely to apply pressure on the targeted Senators and House Members we need on board. Work with our lobbying effort … not against it.
My issues with the Dan Choi stunt wasn’t that it was too radical (as the editors of this blog insist)it was that it wasn’t smart … or coordinated.
Hey, I’m all for having GetEqual on the morning of the BIG March INTO Congress lobby day pull off a media stunt that would shake the nation — no direct action group has ever shut down Congress, the way the WTO protesters shut down the the WTO meetings in Seattle. (Netflix: Battle in Seattle) I’m all for having our community shut down business in Congress with phone calls the way Pat Robertson did in 1993.
But I’m not for having one group in our movement show complete disrespect to every other group in our movement, as GetEqual showed on Thursday. That rally wasn’t just HRC. If you look at the video from it, it was SLDN, Servicemembers United and HRC … the three most important organizations we have fighting to repeal the DADT law.
Lastly, I’m not going to continue this discussion here. If you want to contact me, shoot me a message on Facebook.
Yours in the united stand for equality,
+ Phil
AndrewW
@Phil Attey: Are you kidding? We got DADT from existing Anti-gay Members of Congress. Phone calls didn’t change their minds and neither will ours.
A Representative or Senator bases their position on LGBT-issues on their own personal beliefs and those of their constituents. During the last 40 years not a single member of Congress changed their mind as a result of either phone calls OR lobbying.
During those 40 years only 5 Senators changed their minds about DOMA and one – Senator Chris Dodd credited “changing society” and he’s from a State that is only 45% Anti-gay. The other four Senators simply said “DOMA was a States’ issue.”
If you truly believe that either phone calls or lobbying changes Politicians minds, provide some evidence.
Btw, Queerty is a good place to have these conversations because they do not censor comments and they initiate a lot of necessary debate.
Phil Attey
Andrew –
I was on the front lines in 1993. Don’t tell me what happened. I was there. If you want an example of how phone calls affect legislation, you have no further to look than DADT. Were you involved then? We’re you lobbying Congress? Have you ever talked with Barney Frank or Gerry Studs about what they had to deal with in Congress at the time?
Further… what’s your full name? Are you a real person (a volunteer activist like me) or are you a paid pawn of this FOR PROFIT blog?
Readers want to know.
And this is the last time I’m commenting on this blog until the editors call me.
Yours in the united stand for equality,
+ Phil
terrwill
Wake up and smell the very stale coffee!! If the women in the 1900’s and Blacks in the 1950’s had stuck to “gentle persuasion” voter booths would still be minature mens clubs and you wouldn’t see a black past row 20 on a bus. Until groups start to take action that upsets the status quo that things begin to change. You start scaring the bejuzus out of all the closeted Gay priests (its like all of them) you are suddenly going to see a whole lot less of them standing on the puplit spewing their poo at the Gays from their mouths when they most likely had a cock in the same mouth the night before. When the blacks started confronting all the good ‘old boys things started changing. How many of those same repugnatican representives are self hating fags ala Roy ASSburn. Start putting serious pressure that their cock sucking is going to be on the pages of the local paper and suddenly instead of the standard ASSburn reply that he is following the “desires of his constituants” they are going to start finding some Gays in their community that “need their voices heard also”……..
Phil Attey
Andrew –
I was on the front lines in 1993. Don’t tell me what happened. I was there. If you want an example of how phone calls affect legislation, you have no further to look than DADT. Were you involved then? Were you lobbying Congress like I was? Have you ever talked with Barney Frank or Gerry Studs about what they had to deal with as the only two openly gay Members of Congress at the time?
Further… what’s your full name? Are you a real person (a volunteer activist like me) or are you a paid pawn of this FOR PROFIT blog?
Readers want to know, “AndrewW”.
And this is the last time I’m commenting on this blog until the editors call me.
Yours in the united stand for equality,
+ Phil
AndrewW
@Phil Attey: I’m not taking your “word” for anything Phil and nobody should take my “word” for anything. This is about accountability for tactics, strategies and organizations.
I asked you to provide evidence. YOU are the one promoting phone calls, emails and even these publicity stunts from GetEqual, so YOU have an obligation to provide some proof that they are effective. I’m not asking anyone to waste their time and I’m not advocating anything but honest, objective accountability.
Organizations like HRC take millions in donations and they need to show us that they are effective – otherwise those resources should be used elsewhere. GetEqual’s dramatic publicity stunts have consequences, too. They must provide evidence that they are effective. Fresh evidence, not history lessons (because the world has changed) and not endorsements from the David Mixners of the world (of course a lobbyist SAYS lobbying works). Mixner doesn’t have a plan to win our equality and says that frequently on his website. Like others, he simply says “try everything” and “one of these days” we’ll get there. That’s tired, old bull-shit.
Queerty Editors don’t need to speak to you or to me. People who are seeking our money or our participation should be talking to Queerty and every other LGBT media source and PROVIDING EVIDENCE that their tactics, methods and strategies are effective.
LGBT Equality isn’t a crap shoot. For too many years we have all been advised and told what to do. Well, now we want to see some evidence. That includes you.
We ALL have an obligation to figure out HOW to actually WIN. I’m spending my time and money to do so. That effort requires that we all embrace accountability and, at the very least, we insist on finding out what actually works. Not what “makes us feel good or useful,” but what really contributes to our victory.
You’re welcome.
jeffree
@AndrewW: @Phil Attey:
I have honest questions 4 both of you. AndrewW (aka Brian NYC): despite multiple attempts on my part 2 get a response, u fail to offer better suggestions 2 help end DADT. Do u or do u NOT have better suggestions?!!? Make them concrete & doable!
@Phil A. What do u suggest that we here in the real world do 2 repeal DADT, DOMA & enact ENDA? i want to see our rights protected but so far i’m not 2 clear on your action plan!! Please advise on what steps ,must b taken so i/we know what to do.
thank you both.
jeff
Joel
I wholeheartedly feel what Choi and Petriangelo did was important, esp. for the optics, and simultaneously have immense respect for what Phil does every single day for us.
AndrewW: you are DEAD WRONG that constituent input to Members of Congress doesn’t work. You are DEAD WRONG to sit back on your hands and pout. You can praise Dan Choi all you want, and I’ll join you, but I implore you to also join Phil’s efforts at increasing our voices aimed squarely at elected officials, esp. at critical junctures.
Phil was there, and I worked on the Hill for seven years (and did a ton of work aimed at the Hill in the years since). I know that the personal calls, emails, letters, and postcards work.
Do you really need to be convinced of this, after watching, most recently, a narrow minority of Americans go to the health care town hall meetings and absolutely strip the gears off of full health care reform?
Get off the comment threads and call your elected officials.
Someone else is right now, and you don’t like what they have in mind for you.
AndrewW
@Joel: It is incredibly naive to compare LGBT issues to the debate over Healthcare Reform. Anti-gay positions are based on morality. Members of Congress have for the last 40 years consistently voted based on the majority opinion of their constituents. They know that information because of POLLING, not because of calls, emails and letters. It’s to easy to rig the system with phone calls (redial button) and I couldn’t find a single congressional office that kept a “tally” of calls, faxes or emails.
Last week a staffer in Pelosi’s office confirmed they “don’t even listen to voice mail messages” because “they don’t have the staff or the time.
Engaging in publicity stunts doesn’t change any minds or votes. If you have actual evidence that it does – provide it. Just because you or David Mixner says “it works” isn’t enough. If you believe it does, you must have some evidence. Endorsement is not evidence.
Joel
You’re about as productive to chat with as a teabagger, THERE is your connection, hon. Good luck with your plan to pout and do nothing, AndrewW.
Cam
No. 21 · Phil Attey
Dear Queerty:
If you ever took the time to ask me the strategy behind the ChurchOuting.org project (and the important things that came out of it) — or why I am highly critical of the way Dan Choi and GetEqual hijacked the efforts of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Servicemembers United, and the Human Rights to use Kathy Griffin’s star power to push people across the country to call their Members of Congress and demand an immediate repeal of DADT, you’d understand why both these efforts are important.
_________________________________-
That is how out of touch HRC is….they actually think that Kathy Griffin is going to get loads of media attention. The ONLY time the mainstream has taken notice of her was when she said “Suck it Jesus” a few years ago. Lt. Choi has been on every major news show in the country, they know him, they like him, and he got very widespread and very sypathetic coverage from them while Griffin being in DC got absolutly none. But to HRC, ANYBODY that has been on TV makes them swoon and giggle like school girls. Next rally they will probably have Tara Reid or some other has-been and all the HRC staffers will be lining up to get pictures with her while not caring two shakes about our rights.
Cam
No. 24 · Phil Attey
Andrew –
Phone calls to Congress was what gave us DADT. (not ours … but Pat Robertson’s viewers) so don’t tell me they aren’t important.
_____________________-
No, Sam Nunn, and your Pal Barney Frank were what gave us DADT.
Cam
No. 28 · Phil Attey
And this is the last time I’m commenting on this blog until the editors call me.
_______________________________
Isn’t this the typical condescending attitude that HRC and it’s hacks exibit? WE know better, you must call us or I refuse to answer your questions…how DARE the unwashed massive of gaydom question us. Call, make an appointment, and if you’ve donated over $25,000 in the last 6 months we will have one of our interns come to the waiting room and hand you a flyer. Thanks Phil for remindings us just how out of touch HRC and you all are.
jeffree
@AndrewW: You continue to ignore my request that you propose alternative concrete ideas. That means you just like to say NO NO NO and that you just troll. It’s so easy to be against things but FOR nothing isnt it??
jeffree
@Cam: Gosh! Phil declines 2 explain himself (hmmm, why did he call off the outing of the priests??? What better ideas did he have than Lt. Choi?? No response….) & AndrewW continues 2 critique anyone and everything with out any BETTER ideas ever!
Thats just two idiots being COWARDS!
AndrewW
@jeffree: The issue is accountability. Those individuals engaging in a tactic and their organizations MUST provide some rationale as to their effectiveness. This article is about GetEqual and their publicity stunts – THEY need to provide evidence.
If I propose an idea or strategy to benefit the LGBT community it will be my turn to be held accountable. The difference is, I will substantiate anything I suggest as an idea, tactic or strategy.
Welcome to accountability. The good news is GetEqual will be posting their reasons why they think demanding will benefit our community. That should be before Wednesday.
AndrewW
Accountable definition
ac·count·able (? ko?unt?? b?l)
adjective
obliged to account for one’s acts; responsible
capable of being accounted for; explainable
Fortunately, before Wednesday they share their rationale for publicity stunts and “pledging to demand.” They will show us how this benefits our community and our movement.
Cam
No. 40 · AndrewW
Fortunately, before Wednesday they share their rationale for publicity stunts and “pledging to demand.” They will show us how this benefits our community and our movement.
_____________________-
which already makes them seem different than HRC which as we all know just sits there and says “give us all your money, and don’t you ask us what we’re doing with it….we know all and don’t have time to explain it to the likes of you.”
AndrewW
@Cam: I agree.
I think every organization needs to justify their actions and strategies – especially HRC.
TruthSeeker_Too
Stop giving money to HRC and instead contribute directly to candidates who publicly support LGBT equality. Until we elect officials who are truly our “fierce advocates” we will languish in the political backwaters.
The President can pick up the phone and call the 6 Senators to secure the votes needed for repeal of DADT. He won’t do that until it is politically necessary for him to do so. Stop giving gay dollars to the Democratic Party and ask our straight allies to do the same–to help send a message.
Lt. Choi is attempting to put enough pressure on the White House to do the right thing–honor Obama’s repeated promise to repeal DADT and be our fierce advocate. We should ALL be standing next to him protesting! Imagine if the HRC staff and the rest of Washington’s gay lobbyists would start spending the first hour of their day (every day) picketing for equality NOW. Think of how many hundreds/thousands of people we could have on the “front lines” sending a message to the Democratic majority that they ought to pass ENDA, and repeal DADT and DOMA.
Now is the time for us to push hard–before the November elections. To wait for justice is to miss our chance for change.