Oy! We do not envy the Democratic National Committee at the moment. Not only are they fighting what’s become an increasingly tough presidential election, but they’re about to have a full-fledged discrimination trial!
After months of discovery and mediation, talks between the DNC and Donald Hitchcock failed yesterday. For those of you not paying attention, Hitchcock once served as the DNC’s gay outreach officer, but found himself sacked soon after his boyfriend, Paul Yandura, wrote an open letter criticizing the DNC’s gay politics.
The party organ, said Yandura, simply used gays as an ATM without fully incorporating them into the party. Hitchcock claims he was fired for political revenge. He also claims the DNC paid him less and marginalized gay outreach. The DNC and Chairman Howard Dean deny these claims, of course.
The two sides have been hashing it out for months, but mediation failed yesterday. And, according to Hitchcock, he couldn’t be more upset:
I am profoundly disappointed that our final mediation attempt has failed.
Over the last 18 months, I have in good faith initiated multiple attempts to resolve this matter, including before this lawsuit was even filed.
I have always desired a resolution that was true to the facts and fair to both parties, as of today, that seems to not be possible and a trial is imminent. However, I am a loyal and committed Democrat and this election cycle is not only important to me but is of paramount importance to the country and my LGBT brothers and sisters.
After this important election, I look forward to having my day in court and having justice served.
Hitchcock lawyer Lynne Bernabei seems to blame the DNC and their legal team, writing in a letter yesterday, “Although we have participated in over six separate efforts at settlement, the defendants clearly have no interest in resolving this case through mediation.” Perhaps he means “pay-off.” The DNC reportedly tried to give Hitchcock $100,000 to drop the matter. He refused.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Pretrial goes down on October 20, but the true action doesn’t begin until after the election, thankfully.
marc
Howard Dean has destroyed the DNC and we are going to loose this election because of him. I hope this guy takes them for every penny they have.
H'MO
A trial is the best outcome for the DNC. The jury is guaranteed to be 100% Democrats; gay “sympathy” will not prevail (queer or not, people get fired everyday!); hard working Democrats who have donated hard earned money to advance the party will never let their investment go to a cry baby!
DCRocket
Unfortunately looks like the DNC is being brought kicking and screaming into the 21 First Century where discrimination against the LGBT community will no longer be tolerated… especially by our own community.
I’m guessing that Hitchcock has enough evidence to convince any jury (Democrat or Republican) that something is truely afoul in the DNC Headquarters.
Kudos to his courage, Mr. Hitchcock is not doing this for himself, but for all of us.
CastleRock
Howard Dean was the beginning of the end for the DNC. After running a joke of a campagin four years ago – he has managed to run the DNC into the ground – he is a pathetic piece of shit!
reversion
All these fuckers deserve what they get. They don’t care about us nor appreciate our votes because they believe they will get them anyway.
Basically: If not the Republicans, then who? Oh right, the Democrats. As if they’re that much better. Republicans hate us openly and the Democrats hate us behind our backs.
It’s time for more parties, people.
princessjohnson
howard dean is so handsome.
that’s a bad picture!
i’m giving him and the DNC the benefit of the doubt on this one, and not only because i want to make out with mr. dean…
f*ckin gays need to grow up and cut out the drama by supporting obama.
please quit pretending that mccain will do anything for us besides protect the bank accounts and status of only the wealthiest and palest among us.
fake drama queens need to quit.
gosh!
Ricci
You must be an independent thinker. The Democrats don’t owe u any favors nor the Republicans.
John
The Democratic National Committee has its headquarters in Washington DC. District law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. And if Howard Dean or anyone else at the DNC violated local law, then they should be held accountable.
I’m sick and tired of arrogant federal bureaucrats in the “Capital Region” (Maryland, DC, and Virginia) always thinking they’re all somehow above the law. Just because you’re wearing that little American Flag lapel pin doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.
Devlin
He shoulda taken the 100K and run. Lawsuits are a total horror scene on anyone involved. Drain drain drain.
Sean S.
More than likely the guy will lose his case not on the merits, but because the courts have generally been hesitant to involve themselves too deeply into the inner workings of political parties, except when they are engaging in blatently fraudulent or corrupt actions. Especially when the guy was fairly high up; if he had been simply providing a service (like an accountant or IT or something) than he might have a chance, but I don’t see how a court can intervene in the purely political decision of a party to get rid of what amounts to a political appointee.
Wayne
Please visit my Blog about Choices……….Choice is Good® http://www.choiceisgoodtshirts.com
Mr C
Ms Hitchcock is determined to become a Millionaire and then a Log Cabin Republican.
Mark my words on this! If he gets a cute coin. She is going straight to the elitist LCR’s.
GOOD LUCK GIRL…..YOU’LL NEED IT!
seitan-on-a-stick
Even though I support Obama (now) there is so much damage done (By anti-gay posterchild Leah Daughtry) that the Log-eating in the privacy of their Cabin (with a Goat) Republicans will take out ads just to drive a nail in Howard Dean’s coffin who should have put party before lap-dog loyalty. Leah Daughtry will be back to burn our retinas and she will be the reason that Barack will lose among Gays (and white women and blue collar and latino/as and what we commonly refer to as our “Base”) By the time that McCain-Palin-Schmidt are done with Barack he will only have his 20% African-American base (Oh, and the young who historically never vote and there’s always Delaware!)
Draft Jim (FDR) Webb 2012!
Former DNCer
Donald isn’t holding out for money at all. During all 6 rounds of talks with the DNC, his number one condition was to clear himself of job performance charges. Yes, the DNC would have to admit that Leah Daughtry fired him out of homophobic bigotry because his partner was an uppity queer boy, but we all know that’s what happened already. What comes out at trial won’t embarrass Donald . . . .