So far, GetEQUAL has delivered a well-needed goose in the balls to Gay Inc. and our “fierce advocate” with local actions like chaining discharged soldiers to the White House fence, heckling the president’s speeches, and storming ENDA meetings. Their next campaign is their first national one, a May 21st protest and an ongoing LGBT boycott of ExxonMobil. But unless the GetEQUAL/Exxon campaign gets a tune up soon, the campaign’s gonna run out of gas pretty quickly.
If done well, GetEQUAL could draw a lot of well-deserved attention about ENDA by highlighting the oil giant’s horrible LGBT record. ExxonMobil has an HRC Corporate Equality Index of zero for stripping away Mobil’s gay-friendly anti-discrimination policies and domestic partner benefits in their 1999 merger.
But as of yet, the campaign isn’t even mentioned on the GetEQUAL website and even their Facebook page doesn’t contain any information about the campaign’s goals, talking points or strategies. If they provided messaging and tactical specifics such as contact info for local protest organizers, specific talking points for press, and contact information for politicians who could help pass ENDA, that could help give GetEQUAL’s campaign the effective national coverage of its smaller campaigns.
Otherwise the campaign will steer itself into a ditch without wheels or much of a driver.
How about we take this to the next level?
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SSCHIEFRSHA
May 21st is still some weeks away, I say give them chance to organize their “talking points for the press” thoroughly. If it is their success we want then we MUST let them surprise us. I’m sure it will be well organized eventually. Down with ExxonMobil!
AndrewW
GetEqual has been laughed at for all of their stunts.
The President got the whole Democratic Party to laugh at us by suggesting how “stupid” we were to be protesting our “friends.”
These stunts are a waste of money. We don’t need attention, we need results. Like Barney Frank said “these stupid, childish stunts don’t change any minds.”
Matt
@AndrewW:
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
edgyguy1426
Actually it’s HRC that’s getting laughed at. But they wrote that joke themselves. Look, AndrewW, we know you have no use for GetEqual, because every GetEqual thing you post is negative, but, they are only one arm of the movement and they’re make it their job to make sure the movement is documented in the form of images that are spread across the internet. The images of Dan chained to the WH fence, the images of Obama getting a little rattled and not basking so comfortably in the glow of our gay admiration like some Nancy Reagan or Barbara Bush looking adoringly at her husband during a stump speech. They’re the ‘squeaky wheel’ arm of the movement. Hopefully HRC is doing things behind the scene to soft talk the powers-that-be into making a move but because they’re so secretive and behind closed doors, they’re naturally suspect.
edgyguy1426
Honestly I wou;ld have never know about the Exxon thing if Queerty weren’t reporting on something that GetEqual was doing.
Jon
Yeah they need so guidance on how to do protests or actions outside of the civil disobedience which they are OK at.
greybat
There is a pre-existing boycott of Exxon/Mobil already in place for several years now. Not only did they cancel domestic partners benefits for their employees, way back in the naughts,They also are war profiteers.
Now that corporations are persons, perhaps they should be tried for treason? Aim for the pocketbook.
AndrewW
People have been boycotting Exxon Mobil for many years.
Knowing the organizers of GetEqual, this is probably more about Exxon-Mobil’s billions in profits, than HRC’s “equality index.” Socialism is the real goal of many self-described “activists.” Nothing wrong with that, but full disclosure is helpful.
Oh, and Exxon Mobil doesn’t care.
AndrewW
It begins May 14th in Dallas. They hope for “25 people at two Exxon gas station.” Wow.
The big day is the Annual Shareholder Meeting:
And on May 26, protesters will gather outside the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, where ExxonMobil shareholders will hold their annual meeting and again vote on a proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the company’s employment nondiscrimination policy.
The proposal, which has been introduced every year since 2000, was defeated last year by a margin of about 60 percent to 40 percent in a vote of shareholders.
After Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999, ExxonMobil rescinded Mobil’s LGBT employment protections and domestic partner benefits.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2010/05/07/getequals-next-target-exxonmobil/comment-page-1/#comment-26384
Queer
GetEquals messaging and tactics thus far have been a snoozefest of mainstreamism if you ask me. I’d like to see something actually radical.
Jon
@Queer: How about 200 queers cuffing themselves to the white house? Now that would be cool.
DEREK WASHINGTON
Andreww just can’t stand the fact that The Firm isn’t the only show in town. Sorry Bro, but, GetEqual is getting people paying attention whereas Gay Inc just lulled them into complacency.
Suck it up.
Btw, I had no idea about this company’s record. It goes to show that The Firm has gotten so annoying that even when they have something important to say, it’s super easy to miss it whilst dodging a “DONATE NOW” link.
AndrewW
@DEREK WASHINGTON: If you’d pay attention, you’d realize I don’t expect anything from HRC or ALL of Gay Inc. organizations. They are more interested in their salaries than our equality. I’ve been very clear.
This is about GetEqual’s publicity stunts. They didn’t get any attention pissing on our friends and now they’re trying to get people excited about attacking “big, bad oil companies.” One way or another they want to be relevant, but this won’t help.
GetEqual’s problem is they have neglected to provide any rationale for their publicity stunts. They have failed to explain how these stunts actually help us. Complaining is very easy. Figuring out how to win is very difficult. GetEqual has chosen the easy – non effective – way. It has not inspired any support and it is fading quickly. Most of their “direct actions” have gone un-noticed – for good reason.
To obtain our equality we must do the hard work of enrolling fellow citizens and getting them to stand with us and support us. Trying to get headlines telling people we’re “pissed” or “this isn’t fair” doesn’t inspire anyone.
Like Barney Frank said “these childish, immature stunts don’t change any minds.” Bitching doesn’t change any minds.
wondermann
@Jon: I agree, Queerty acts like GetEQUAL is making a huge mark. Please, they are only serious to a few, laughed at by many.
wondermann
@AndrewW: I feel you, and many others feel the same. Remember, this is Queerty.
Cam
No. 2 · AndrewW
GetEqual has been laughed at for all of their stunts.
The President got the whole Democratic Party to laugh at us by suggesting how “stupid” we were to be protesting our “friends.”
These stunts are a waste of money. We don’t need attention, we need results. Like Barney Frank said “these stupid, childish stunts don’t change any minds.”
_____________________________________
AndrewW
Origionally we were told that there would be no movement on gay rights this year. Barney Frank told us to be quiet and repeated that not much was going to be done. Suddenly we have DADT in the Armed Services committee being voted on, we had ENDA coming up and in the new immigration bill gays will be able to sponsor foreign partners. So just how is it that get equal is getting the gay community “Laughed at”? Unless of course by “Laughed at” you mean that they are no longer taking us for granted and believing that HRC and Barney Frank can keep gays from bothering them about a little thing like our civil rigts.
AndrewW
@Cam: What makes you suggest that HRC or Barney Frank said “there would be no movement on gay rights this year?” In fact, the opposite is true. Obama, HRC and Frank ALL said there would be progress and there has been.
The suggestion that GetEqual created any progress is totally without merit. This group has not garnered any support and has, thankfully, received very little media attention. I am a firm believer in accountability and I would be the first to credit these “direct actions” if there was any evidence that they helped. There is NO evidence. I don’t always agree with Barney Frank, but when he said these “childish, immature stunts are stupid and they don’t change any minds” he was being very honest and objective. We NEED to change minds. We NEED to generate support.
GetEqual and other self-proclaimed “activists” need to some reasonable rationale for these stunts. They need to complete the sentence:
We need to create media attention and make sure that everyone knows we’re upset (even our friends) because it will ___________.
Those promoting these public displays of frustration and anger have a responsibility to explain HOW they lead to support for LGBT Equality.
AndrewW
Another unnoticed publicity stunt. As was noted “Dump-the-Pump” was a stupid name and the intention was to inconvenience people and blame Exxon. It was childish and stupid.
A friend said there were “a dozen protesters” involved. That would be a record for GetATTENTION. Nobody even knew what the “Dump the Pump” signs meant. He said a few people “guessed” it was about the ruptured oil well in the Gulf.
The GetATTENTION embarrassment will end soon. It has been a waste of $500,000. Someone should have told these “children” that complaining doesn’t work. Plenty of people complain, nobody cares.
Make sure to order your “David Mixner T-Shirt” before the website goes down. It’s true. A “Mixner” T-shirt. They must have a “Dan Choi is our MLK” t-shirt, too. Just don’t press the “Donate” button – it could lead to more embarrassing stunts.
DramaQueenNYC
@Andrew you must be a BIG fan because you follow everything they do. The Only person that needs to GET ATTENTION is you. Ranting every two min. on every posting and blog site. The only thing embarrassing are people like you that sit and complain but never do a thing. Get over yourself and start doing something. You seem passionate put it to use.
EX MOBIL
Another boycott – big yawn!
Get Equal is showing itself worthless with this one. As an ex Mobil guy I ll tell you that Mobil was fantastic re: diversity. Exxon isn’t on board as we all wish but there is very little to no discrimination going on over there Get Equal.
THEY SIMPLY DO NOT TOLERATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ANYONE GET EQUAL. Can you people comprehend?
I thank them every damn day – at age 41 I am RETIRED, CASHED OUT My gay life is pretty damn great thanks to the employee stock plan and the many promotions I received over there because I was good at what I did. You re boycott Get Equal isn’t going to show a blip on the profitability of this company. Find a new project. You’ve lost all credibility with me.