What a perfect day to announce the collapse of Equality Across America’s infrastructure. On the day we’ll all be concerning ourselves with the outcomes in Maine, Washington, and Kalamazoo, the organization behind the National Equality March has collapsed — and doesn’t even know if it has a future.
Co-directors Kip Williams and Robin McGehee (above, on L and R), who just a few short weeks ago took the stage in front of thousands to ream out Barney Frank, have resigned. How come? Something about “finances” and “organization.” Namely, the lack thereof?
The pair are making their exits a time many expected EAA would, having wrapped up the National Equality March, be moving full speed ahead on federal gay rights legislation. Instead, EAA is on life support.
Even Cleve Jones doesn’t know if EAA will survive. “We’re still not sure this is a viable organization,” he tells The Bilerco Project. “It’s still not clear to me that EAA is going to happen yet. There needs to be a working group to take EAA forward. I’ll be inviting [the March’s] steering committee and executive committee members to participate.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Sadly, none of this is terribly surprising to Queerty.
When we asked organizers in September, before the march, what would happen to EAA after the big event, Williams told us those questions “just haven’t been answered yet.” At the time, there was a loose-knit plan to turn EAA into a democratic grassroots organization that would assist other activist groups in the nation’s Congressional districts. But there was no structure for that to happen.
There still isn’t.
For Williams, leaving is a financial decision: Having been paid $9,000 for three months of work, he’s moving on to something that can pay the bills: “I worked on the march for less than minimum wage and without health insurance.” (Williams gave notice two weeks ago; McGehee, the day before Halloween.)
So who’s in charge? That’d be Tanner Efinger (pictured above, center), the babyfaced “Postcards to the President” creator, who’s been named interim project director. And his new gig has critics complaining it’s his friendship with Jones that got him selected leader — and Williams and McGehee “forced out.” (Indeed, the two camps are in disagreement about what EAA’s strategy should be moving forward.)
Then again, EAA doesn’t even have bylaws or a mission statement, so at this point it’s a group of like-minded individuals plotting their next step. Wait, is that what it means to be grassroots?
Lady Ga-Gasp
It was about the march. Somehow its refreshing to me to see an ad-hoc group form plan and execute something as moving and empowering as that march, and then… fade away. One could argue that the alternative is organizations that calcify and become more about their own infrastructure than the issues the purport to lobby for. If you look decades down the line, many civil rights organizations have become caricatures of their former selves, with back room internal shenanigans replacing any real grass roots energy.
thomas johnson
Wasn’t it just last Friday that Mark Reed was telling us that EAA was the NEW HRC…they had the money, power, staff….blah blah blah?
Cam
I always assumed that it was a one off organization to organize the March and make a statement with it. I had no idea they were trying to start a new organization.
Miguel
Clearly, this is Queerty-commenter Brian’s doing. He sabotaged the whole organization by spreading the malicious rumor that the whole march was only about angry demonstrations and demands. If it weren’t for nay-sayers like Brian and Barney, all of those people who got inspired by the march would have gone right back home and gotten involved. And without Brian and Barney, Cleve would have been able to give them something to do. Something they could believe in. Shame on you, Brian!
That’s how it works, right?
Brian
Well, before the NEM organizers and EAA advocates run and hide, I think it’s important to list their accomplishments:
Chance
November 1-8 is their Week of Initiative. Is this the initiative?
Andrew
$50 million wasted.
If 100,000 people traveled to DC for the “historic” effort, they must have spent at least $500 each. That’s $50 million. Yeah, you have to count that. Many people went out of their way to participate and you could make the argument that the money they spent would have been better invested in other efforts.
We had been sold on the idea that this was an effort to “rally the troops” and create a “National Network” of effective (angry) activists. Even HRC spends less than $50 million a year.
Nice job, Cleve.
The biggest problem with colossal failures like this is that they create disappointment and frustration for those who saw hope in the effort. There was never a real strategy or plan and the whole affair was predicated on the juvenile belief that you simply have to “make angry demands” to create equality. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Good Luck to Kip and Robin. Please remember as you explore future endeavors, “math” is always better than Kool-Aid.
Josh
Quitting – the “new” initiative.
Jason NC
From Bilerco, Cleve’s Words:
Jones, however, argued that it was still too early to discuss paid leadership positions with the new organization. The group still has no formal bylaws, a budget, mission statement or organizational structure. March committee members only agreed to help until the event; Jones and Efinger are currently polling them to see who wants to continue as part of a new group.
“None of this has been decided,” Jones said. “The steps just haven’t been taken.
“And what about the big picture? Do we want to create a new national organization? Would it be helpful or hurtful? Will it bring us together or further divide us? These things need to be thoughtfully decided.”
Wait, none of this was even considered BEFORE the formation of this “movement.” WTF?
Mark NYC
Well, it’s nice to see that the future of our equal rights are now in the hands of Cleve’s “personal assistant.” Uhmm, what else is in Tanner’s hands? Nevermind.
Cam
I still think that the march was a good lessong to people like Barney Frank that he may want to keep in mind that if he pushes too far things like a fundraiser boycott or the march can happen. At a minimum I think it helped to keep the politicians supposedly advocating for us on a bit more on their toes…..and it was great to watch Fox News try to defend the fact that they bitched and moaned that the Tea Party didn’t get more coverage, saying that a march of that size showed a new national movement, while they then ignored a march that was even greater in size.
Cam
Brian and Mark NYC LOL!!!!!!! nice!
Josh
@ Andrew #7:
Thank-you for pointing out that the National Equality March was a waste of $50 million. Barney was right, too. The NEM and EAA were a big mistake. At least HRC wastes less than $50 million.
Josh
And where are the flood of responses from all the hundreds of thousands of Marchers? Or, was that bs, too?
A nonny mouse
Great. The fate of a new national grassroots movement is now in the hands of someone who openly said in his speech at the March that his finances are in a shambles. Just great.
Cam
No. 13 · Josh said….
@ Andrew #7:
Thank-you for pointing out that the National Equality March was a waste of $50 million. Barney was right, too. The NEM and EAA were a big mistake. At least HRC wastes less than $50 million.
________________________________________________
And how was Barney right? HRC spent over 300 million and over 10 years to try to push through Hate Crimes. Barney Frank said that it wasn’t the right time, yet after boycotting his fundraiser, suddenly gay federal employees got thrown a bone and Barney said he would introduce legislation. After the March Hate crimes passed. A show of strength is never a waste of time. Relying on people like Barney Frank who are only interested in their own power base is.
Joel
The notion that Hate Crimes passed because of the March is a claim, not a fact. The actual political work that went into that measure is well known to those who understand the difference between a shindig on the Mall and real political activism.
To what information do you point in making this statement, besides your own assumptions made from whole cloth? Did the measure not already have the requisite votes in either chamber? Were any add’l needed votes obtained specifically by the March? If you believe so, name those Members. Was the President inclined NOT to sign the measure, and only did so because of the March? If you believe so, what information leads you to this observation?
It’s time for some political maturity here. And God knows the NEM and EAA don’t have it.
Vo Dong Cung
To Andrew (7),
Please think about the money they raised from. From where? From who? Why are they trying to hide it?
People may think, that fun came from China or North Korea…. to make a deal later if they win the election. For exemple, they will pass some laws about the trade that already unbalance and not good for US, or secretely sell US hight tech documents as you seen before.
I don’t realy know, if the fun are illegal, the election result will be strike down or not. I only see they are buying the law by unkown finance sources, not vote for the law. That’s US democracy? Democratic system create the major groups to destroy human right of other? also destroy constitution of the country?
Beaware of the religious invasion and take control the country.
Kurt
Just like Sarah palin. Quitters.
glennmcgahee
Time to let the grown-ups take over. Sorry, but poetry readings on the National Stage are just not gonna get us anywhere. We had to yell and scream and lie down in the streets while our brothers were dying all around us and the President refused to acknowlege the crisis. We didn’t get this far without a struggle. Stop asking and start demanding.
A nonny mouse
Derek Washington has just put on his Facebook page that he has resigned his post on the executive committee as well, and will post on his blog about it tomorrow.
Kropotkin
This how reflects how difficult the “national strategy” is. It really takes some professional people who have a strong, viable and flexible organization. So far no one in the community has been able to be that effective in influencing Congress. And whoever plays on that level is likely to get co-opted by the goals of the democratic party and their own penchant for black-tie dinners (like the HRC).
State organizations and local activism has always brought the goods, national lobbying has gotten us what….a hate crimes bill that has taken over a decade to pass and some protections for federal employees, that’s about it.
I don’t know why a bunch of people want to go for a all national push when it has had a proven track record of either complete failure or progress that moves at a glacial speed.
Cam
No. 17 · Joel said…
The notion that Hate Crimes passed because of the March is a claim, not a fact. The actual political work that went into that measure is well known to those who understand the difference between a shindig on the Mall and real political activism.
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All I’ve seen is HRC spending 300 million and not getting much movement, I then saw activists spring up recently, and Marriage has passed in several states and Hate crimes gets passed. If HRC was left alone, from past behavior they wouldn’t have held Congresses feet to the fire and would have let them off the hook. Please don’t try to pretend that you are some insider that understands the system. A whole lot of us on here live in DC and have seen what really goes on. If there is no pressure then there is no action. Our 300 million would have been much better spent if we’d given it to a real lobbying firm, one of the big K Street firms that all the other organizations use. For 300 million bucks Aiken Gump or Alcalde and Fay could have had ENDA passed, DADT and DOMA revoked and gay marriage recognized on a federal level. That is their job, unlike HRC if one of the big firms got no results for 15 years they would have gone out of business.
Joel
That’s a lot of rhetoric, but not one word of insightful evidence that Hate Crimes passed because of the march. I don’t pretend “to be some insider,” but after working on the Hill for over 7 years, I did see dailly that what LBJ said is true: above all, the most important skill was simply knowing how to count. So, Cam, what was the count before the march was even suggested, what was the final count, and for which votes are you suggesting the march made a difference? The votes are all tallied by name, and there’s a legislative history here. Tell us something more than the Hate Crimes passed because of pressure, and because you say so. Pressure from the march? How so, exactly? Until we hear specifics, it’s just a vague claim, not political analysis.
Cam
Joel,
You work on the Hill? As somebody who lives in DC, you know that that isn’t necesarily a guarentee you know what you are talking about. You could be a staff assistant, you could be a Leg Rep on the Small business committee, you could be an assistant council on the House Admin committee, you could be a fellow on Commerce etc… none of those would put you in the daily workings of what ended up happening with Hate Crimes…..So you feel you have a complete knowledge of what ended up passing it? Fine, you have access to the names and feel that all of that was tallied before the march? Ok, then head into Thomas etc… and pull out YOUR list of the names of people who had committed to voting before hand. After all, the amendment wasn’t attached, cloture wasn’t voted on with regard to the Defense Auth bill until after the March. You said “The actual political work that went into that measure is well known to those who understand the difference between a shindig on the Mall and real political activism.” OK since the rest of the information according to you is so suspect, where is YOUR backing for YOUR beliefs? What I see is some results after some political activism. What I’ve seem previously was year after year after year groups like HRC demanding money, with no results and saying if we just gave more and more that there would be results. Once again, if you REALLY work on the Hill, and if you REALLY know how things work, then you also know that one of the K Street firms, if given the 300 million that HRC has spent over the years on buying a palatial new office building and staff salaries, would have most lilkely had far better luck passing our issues. Those firms already have relationships with congress, THOSE firms don’t need to beg for an audience with members as they are full of former members with Floor privilages who can get there and advocate right as votes are being discussed.
Cam
No. 22 · Kropotkin
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Amen!
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
….and Queerty is the Incubus presiding over all Gay Downfalls with crystal-meth snarky grins! The March will go down in History!
Joel
Cam: As was clear from my grammar, I formerly worked on the Hill, not currently. I was there for seven years, and I was involved and closely observant of gay issues.
It’s clear you’re agitated, and want to make this about you and me, instead of about the issue being discussed. Well, that’s a page out of the angry GOP healthcare town hall playbook, and I’m not game for the ad hominem route.
YOU made the claim: that Hate Crimes passed BECAUSE OF the march, and now when pressed can offer not one shred of information to support that claim. In fact:
– With a House passage 281-146 and Senate by 68-29, there is no respectable argument that the march contributed to victory. There was no gap to fill, they passed comfortably, the NEM did not save the day.
– Hate Crimes was attached to the defense auth. by the Senate way back in July, as they’d done in years past, and the vote you reference was another wide spread, no gap saved in a Hail Mary pass by NEM.
– There is not one credible report or indication, anywhere, that Obama was disinclined to sign, leaving the march to change an already supportive mind there.
Everyone from Ted Kennedy to, yes, HRC, worked for years to pass Hate Crimes. The march, which has now been proven a hollow and immature organization with no plans for everything it promised, a failed endeavor, did not pass Hate Crimes.
Josh
The National Equality March and Equality Across America were non-starters. It’s a shame that money was wasted, but it can serve as a lesson for everyone.
What’s next?
Mark Reed
Like any new organization, we are just experiencing some minor changes. Some people are leaving because we couldn’t agree on their salaries – they were excessive. It became a job for them and not something they were really passionate about.
But, we are charging forward. EAA is the future of activism and we won’t back down. We have already created a compelling track record. If you were involved, you would feel the excitement. Cleve has some more ideas and we’ll begin promoting them soon.
The hundreds of thousands of people that marched on Washington changed history.
More to come.
Joel
Excessive salaries, when you have no funds, no board, no organization to speak of?
We’ve just seen what EAA is about, post march, and it appears to be spin.
Precisely what they accused HRC of.
Mark Reed
We have the money. The young guys just didn’t have the business sense. We’ll keep making history. People should give us the money, not HRC. We get results.
Joel
Oh really?
“We’re still not sure this is a viable organization,” Jones said. “It’s still not clear to me that EAA is going to happen yet.”
The group still has no formal bylaws, a budget, mission statement or organizational structure. “None of this has been decided,” Jones said. “The steps just haven’t been taken.”
Daniel
http://www.actonprinciples.org
is the next logical step since it keeps everyone in the community informed about what actually has to be done to get equality in federal laws (which also keeps HRC in its toes).
Daniel
oops… “on its toes.”
Johnson
ActOnPrinciples is as defunct at EqualityAcrossAmerica. The Dallas Principles were simply a list of goals – big deal. Act On Principles is just another Blog, except they don’t have any activity.
We just lost Maine. There is no LGBT Movement. It’s a shame.
Joel
Heard a lot from the march organizers about “feeling empowered.”
Tell it to Maine.
Kropotkin
“We just lost Maine. There is no LGBT Movement. It’s a shame.”
I’m as disappointed as you are, but geez, that’s a bit of a overreaction isn’t it?
Remember Colorado and Oregon in ’92 and how desperate we where to hold those off? They were going to basically make it legal to discriminate against gays in both states and that just coming off of the AIDS crisis, it couldn’t have been much worse for the LGBT community. But we fought back and won. We’ve had our backs up against the wall before, this is a bump in the road to total equality.
No Wonder
Oh gee. Now Queerty is unsurprised that Equality Across America is falling apart, but a month ago Queerty was falling all over itself to cheerlead the pointless and counterproductive Equality march on Washington. Queerty, who do you think you’re kidding?
spindoc
Typical B.S. rather than wondering how we can improve gay rights, and what if anything the march contributed, and if it is worth expanding you get a bunch of HRC mouthpieces and former Hillrats on here trying to say that having a large group of people show up in Washington did nothing. Joel can keep trying to say whatever he wants, but any push for gay rights should be a good thing, and attacking somebody for doing something showed that those people are just like Barney Frank…i.e. more interested in having their side win the battle, then having gay rights win the war. It’s just sad to see a bunch of salivating gay cannibals salivating at the thought of feasting on the body of something that was fighting for their rights.
Cam
No. 28 · Joel said….
Cam: As was clear from my grammar, I formerly worked on the Hill, not currently. I was there for seven years, and I was involved and closely observant of gay issues.
YOU made the claim: that Hate Crimes passed BECAUSE OF the march, and now when pressed can offer not one shred of information to support that claim. In fact:
– Hate Crimes was attached to the defense auth. by the Senate way back in July, as they’d done in years past, and the vote you reference was another wide spread, no gap saved in a Hail Mary pass by NEM.
– There is not one credible report or indication, anywhere, that Obama was disinclined to sign, leaving the march to change an already supportive mind there.
Everyone from Ted Kennedy to, yes, HRC, worked for years to pass Hate Crimes. The march, which has now been proven a hollow and immature organization with no plans for everything it promised, a failed endeavor, did not pass Hate Crimes.
___________________________-
Joel, you are right, I mixed up the timelines…the hate crimes bill was ADDED after grass roots activists started boycotting the Barney Frank Headed DNC fundraiser, it passed after the March. The fact of the matter is, you can attempt to ignore anything outside of the Washington HRC waiting game all you want, but boycotting fundraisers got attention, the march got attention. You have said it was failed, where is your evidence? I see a vote that went our way. If it was a failure I would have seen a vote that failed.
……….
Additionally, you said that you formerly worked on the Hill, for 7 years and were involved in gay rights issues. Well that would explain your rushing to the defense of HRC. ANYBODY who worked on gay rights issues on the Hill has a close relationship with HRC and likely ended up working for or with them after. Additionally, lets see, if you just recently left, then your time on the Hill, the last 7 years brought us exactly nothing in the way of gay rights advancements on the Fed level. If you were there earlier, then during your time the only changes we got was DOMA and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. So I’m sorry but I think if you look at this rationally, your way of doing things did not seem to be getting us anything. If you truly believe in gay rights, then you should be happy at ANY show of strenght, excitement and unity by the gay community. Instead, you seem to hate the organizers of the March because there is a chance they could have cut in on HRC’s gravy train of money.
Keith Kimmel
Opps, I guess Dallas isn’t gonna be the epicenter of gay rights after all.
“…trying to say that having a large group of people show up in Washington did nothing.”
Oh, make no mistake. It did accomplish something. It got the Washington’s attention. I am not anti-EAC by any means – if they can help the cause then I am all for it as I am just as pissed with Gay, Inc. as they are – but I do think some of the folks connected with it have Texas-sized egos. I think the march would have accomplished more if it were larger (yes, size matters)(a million would be nice) and lasted longer (week-long events seem to be far more visible in media) and it should have been followed up with smaller events across the nation, i.e. marches on city hall. By not following up, they wasted the momentum that was built up.
Charles Merrill
This proves that there are not millions of blue collar gays in unions to form a socialist Marxist movement. Jones, Sherry Wolf and others (Bilerico) preach that gay white men with money living behind gates in Palm Springs are their enemy. It’s an argument that goes nowhere. Non profit 101, get the wealthy guys on your side if you intend to draw a salary. If you are like MLK and Rosa Parks that were not into careerism but truly fighting for social justice, that’s a different story.
Joe
” For Williams, leaving is a financial decision: Having been paid $9,000 for three months of work, he’s moving on to something that can pay the bills: “I worked on the march for less than minimum wage and without health insurance.” ”
OK, I just did the math, and if you assumed he did 40 hrs/ week, he was paid $18.75 an hour. Even if you ramped it up to 80 hrs/week, which I find hard to believe, he would have been paid $9.38 / hr, which is still above the minimum wage.
But as someone who doesn’t have health care either, I know that’s a bitch.
Gary Lapon
I find the satisfaction above in the alleged collapse of EAA to be incredibly disturbing. Whose side are you on?
Even if you disagree with the tactics of the march, you should be happy that a new generation of activists are getting involved in the LGBT struggle and debate your views on tactics in a way that is respectful, not divisive. It’s ironic that the same people tearing apart the idea of the march and EAA are the ones talking about the supposed political immaturity of those involved with these efforts, given your smug “ha ha, see I told you so” tone.
What’s missing from all of this is the fact that the organizing for the march has lead to the creation of dozens of new grassroots formations and coalitions all around the country, drawing in significant new layers of people to the LGBT movement, people who are excited and will continue to organize.
Whether or not EAA continues to exist, and it’s too early to celebrate (again, whose side are you on!?) its death, these formations have a great potential to continue to organize and work together down the line, creating (if need be) a new national org. to represent our demand for full civil equality.
I’d write more, but the new group I’m involved in because of the National Equality March is working on a protest in response to the Maine vote, and forming a response to a recent hate crime in our area.
Cam
No. 45 · Gary Lapon
I find the satisfaction above in the alleged collapse of EAA to be incredibly disturbing. Whose side are you on?
Even if you disagree with the tactics of the march, you should be happy that a new generation of activists are getting involved in the LGBT struggle and debate your views on tactics in a way that is respectful, not divisive. It’s ironic that the same people tearing apart the idea of the march and EAA are the ones talking about the supposed political immaturity of those involved with these efforts, given your smug “ha ha, see I told you so” tone.
______________________________
Well said.
No Wonder
I’d write more, but the new group I’m involved in because of the National Equality March is working on a protest in response to the Maine vote
Gee, that will be impressive. Where the hell were you in October when the No on 1 campaign needed volunteers? I’ll tell you where: in Washington, at a circuit party on the mall. Want to protest? Go yell at the guy in the mirror.
Josh
This is EqualityAcroosAmerica’s Dallas Leader Mark Reed fighting with two other activists about who gets to lead the movement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dwxOp4www4&feature=player_embedded
The video begins with Rick Vanderslice calling Mark Reed a “piece of shit.” Then, it just gets better.
Brian
Equality Across America has failed. They should give the name to someone that might actually do something.
Cleve knows he can’t raise any money with the EEA scheme – the LGBT Community has spoken.
Josh
This is EqualityAcrossAmerica’s Mark Reed:
http://www.queerty.com/watch-the-bitchfest-between-queer-liberaction-natl-equality-march-20091105/comment-page-1/#comment-233310
It’s pathetic. It’s not surprising EEA has folded before it ever did anything.
Ben D
This article a many of the comments are garage. How dare you shit all over this new organization that is just starting a pulled off an amazing demonstration. How dare you attempt to strangle our movement. What is wrong with you??? At least give it a chance if you plan to sit on the sidelines. NO it would be better to be involved trying to help it succeed.
Lonnie
Thank God all the bitter queens come to Queerty to bitch and moan and withdraw themselves from a movement to actually change things. It’s makes the work of real activists easier. Now, we have fewer enemies to fight and the bigots now have less backup from the right wing of the lgbt movement.