At a New York City gay rights pow-wow two days before Pride, City Council Speaker Christine Qunn, Lance Bass (seated on the couch), Cleve Jones, Dustin Lance Black (leaning against the fireplace), and a couple dozen other moneyed “influentials” gathered at the West Village townhouse of banker John Connor and home decorator Steven Gambrel (pictured) for white wine and hors d’oeuvres. This pair are used to opening their home to causes. The guests were there to plot strategy about New York marriage equality and jazzercise themselves about October’s march on Washington thing. Mr. Bass offered to use his Facebook account “that has something like 500,000 fans” to generate volumes of small donations from many people. Mr. Bass’ Facebook page has fewer than 4,500 fans. David Mixner, the gay activist, told those gathered, “I don’t have much money, but I’m going to put up $5,000. So who will match me?” Three seconds passed. “Who will match that?” he repeated with emphasis. Finally, the evening’s host, Mr. Connor (who may also go by Chris), who likely paid for the wine, said he would match it. The Observer says $15,000 in donations were collected that evening, so it’s unclear who else in the room threw in the extra $5,000. Did we mention the folks were invited over for the evening for their financial and cultural influence?
UPDATE: There’s video of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s speech.
Martin
Are we supposed to be upset that they are wealthy, influential and stingy? Middle class, eager and broke? Or poor, insufferable and charitable?
Perhaps the idea that we need money for change is ironic, depressing, and telling.
Rainbow Money on the “change circuit” .. Where you too can eat sweaty cheese next to a paunchy Lance Bass! Watch Dustin do cartwheels holding his Oscar! See Elton John dance with Billy Elliot!
Captain Freedom (HRC doesn't speak for me)
Quite frankly I want more rich gays. See I’m a libertarian and I think that the more wealthy gays the better. Let’s not hate these guys for trying. They are not wizards and are not expected to win back rights for us out of thin air. We all need to work together and fight. When we leave civil rights up to a collective few we ALWAYS lose. Quite frankly I want to see more gays having high class parties as long as the HRC isn’t invited.
Money is good but its not enough. We need IDEAS!
Look at the NOH8 campaign. Undoubtedly the most successful campaign ploy since Prop 8. Then you have the Courage Campaign ads. We need to stop pressuring politicians in backrooms.
The reason healthcare is getting ahead is because of Sicko. Was the movie inaccurate? YES. Did it get people interested in healthcare again? YES!
We need to take our fight directly to the people. We need 50 state ad campaigns showing LGBT families and the damage done by these Christian Race Amendments!
j
@Captain Freedom (HRC doesn’t speak for me): I think that’s the point. If they tried this probably wouldn’t be here. It’s the fact that in a room of the most wealthy and influencial gays, who were meant to be gathering to generate “ideas” spent all their time drinking and doing nothing. The fact that only one other person matched it in a room full of wealthy people is telling. $5,000 is pocket change. This march will not be a success.
Todd
It’s becoming harder and harder to read this sight. And I’m not sure when you got that chip on your shoulder. I’ve been reading for quite some time, and always enjoyed it, but it seems as if the content here has curdled. Like an old carton of milk from 1996.
Mark
I don’t judge people by how much they donate to charity.
jerrycarlin
I looked at the pictures and one word came to mind. Poseurs.
Captain Freedom (HRC doesn't speak for me)
@j: I agree. The march will be a miserable failure. Cleve Jones has long since past his prime. He is utterly tone deaf to reality. He is illiterate when it comes to Facebook and New Media. His organizational skills of this march are a total embarrassment.
Quite frankly I think this goes back to the Old Gay establishment of Harvey Milk imitators clashing with the urban youth 21st Century LGBT movement which has far louder support and with mainstream figures like Meghan McCain, Pete Wentz and Bill Maher. We need to stop relying on Cleve Jones and the 1980s establishment and understand that 95% of people under 30 are unfamiliar with them and don’t identify with them.
Movement Guy
@Captain Freedom (HRC doesn’t speak for me):
I think Jones has a storied history that should be honored. That said, I do think March is a terrible idea, and it has come across as disorganized and, frankly, pointless.
But, I don’t know if that is the reason for such a lackluster response to this event (not that $15,000 is anything to sneeze at). I suspect two things are at play here. 1) Jones, Mixner et al have been directly attacking the Democratic Party in an overwhelmingly DNC city. That probably cost them a lot of attendees, which equals lost many. 2) The economy, while showing signs of recovery, is still in the toilet. It’s hitting every single fundraising effort. And, frankly, the No on 8 campaign losing has soured a lot of people on these big campaigns.
TANK
They didn’t get where they were being generous. I do judge people by how much they give to charity, however. Harshly.
jonny
is there any point to this other than the random, scattershot, passive-aggressive bitching you level every week at this largely-imaginary clique? jesus, i can feel the bitterness seeping through my screen. lance bass has fewer than 4,500 fans? PWNED! “only” $15,000 dollars generated? scandal! white wine and hors d’oeuvres? those filthy queens.
Cam
A March taht is taking months to plan just seems so…..and I hate to sound like a soudbite from the movie “Heathers” or “Mean Girls” but it just sounds so Two Decades Ago. I mean after the Prop 8 fiasco, one woman on Facebook managed to arrange a series of nationwide protests in just a few days.
Forrest
Gee Dustin could have volunteered to reenact his tape. Auction off a partner /insert condom\that would have stimulated the crowd
The Gay Numbers
Libertarian has nothing to do with a lack of a willingness to donate. What a bizare concept. Libertarian has to do with governmental action. Not private action. Wow- the ignorance here sometimes is stunning.
strumpetwindsock
@The Gay Numbers:
Were you talking to Captain Freedom or to one of the responses to him?
The one side of libertarianism is smaller government, but the other is replacing it with private action. If no one antes up then the whole thing falls a part.
An old friend of mine with whom I had many arguments said he supported libertarian free enterprise because in an ideal world the rich SHOULD be philanthropists and help the poor, not be required to do so by the state.
Me…. I’m not a libertarian, especially when it comes to the economy.
But that is a pretty small amount of money to raise from such a wealthy group of people. Was that even bigger than their bar tab?
Gnarls
Queerty is doing a great job because they take positions (some quite insincerely) because it fuels this wicked discussions among a small group of opinionated queens. If you want a blog without opinions, go to towleroad, remember this one has an agenda, andy has “tendencies”.
Shannon
@Movement Guy: Hat tip to my fellow Libertarian. I thought I was the only one in here…
M Shane
The sensability which says that we should act like spoiled children and deny help to the DNC because they aren’t pushing mariage through is just cheap silliness. The fact is that Civil Unions havea great likelihood of being the status quo; marriage is not going to happen on a national level; DADT etc. should be taken care of in time. Help will come sooner if we show a willingness to show empowerment and wisdom.
M Shane
Since we’re not too happy with the Democrats prioritizing of our issues and it is braindead to even imagine that the right will be of any help ever and the country is going to be forced to move with the rest of the world, perhaps we should put our minds and muscle behind the (Dem ) Socialist party.
Clearly Americans are beginning to wize up, even given our lack of an educational system, and put the torch to Corporate monopoly and the dedemocratization of our political system. Gays are one of the powerful disenfranchized groups, so perhaps we should be imaginative and be at the birthing of the politics orf tomorrow
Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace
It’s time New York. Iowa beat you out, and so did New England, by supporting (civil) marriage.
Cheers, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut
I’m busy officiating for couples who are coming to CT to wed from around the country…It’s time America.
Are you listening Mr Obama? DOMA? DADT? hmmm….
The Artist
Wow! White gay males bitchin’ about Obama….AGAIN! Leave the man alone.
Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace
It’s time NY. In the meantime you can always come to CT to wed.
Cheers, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut, USA.