Since repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was a seventeen-year breeze, the Human Rights Campaign indicates it plans to mimic that strategy when it comes to passing other LGBT equality legislation, like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Which has also been … a breeze! Speaking in one of his regular noxious soundbites, HRC chief flack Fred Sainz says, “If you can fight and die for your country, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t be granted the full set of rights [that others have, including the ability to marry a same-sex partner].” And now that DADT is repealed, “Americans will deduce that on their own. We won’t have to say a thing.” As Autumn Sandeen points out, this is the equivalent of saying “we can sit back in our easy chairs and wait for equality to to occur on auto-pilot.” Don’t worry, everyone! That trans-inclusive ENDA will be here tomorrow, and the next day DOMA will be repealed, and then the Uniting American Families Act, and by New Year’s we’ll be throwing gay weddings at the White House. We won’t have to say a thing!
Does Sainz actually mean gay Americans, and the Gay Inc. trolls haphazardly crafting strategy, can sit idly back while lawmakers are willed into doing the right thing? Of course not. But his remarks — which are the remarks of the lead spokesman for “the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization” — are indicative of HRC’s institutional wiring, where mobilization and action takes a back seat to prayer and Democratic fellatio.
If you want ENDA to be another two decade battle, yeah, give these guys more money.
Daez
Oh, ffs, this by no means they plan on sitting back and doing nothing or “not saying a thing.” You have to be idiotic and insane or just really prejudiced against the HRC to read that into his comment.
What he said was that the American people will be more easily swayed due to the service of openly game members. They won’t have to say a thing to them, but they certainly will.
God, why does the gay rights movement have so many people willing to sit on their ass, criticize, and read so WILDLY between the lines?
Cam
That was their strategy with DADT. The White House said there would be nothing done, HRC supported them…remember origionally HRC sent out a memo basically telling gays to be quiet and not complain until Obama was out of office.
It was only because groups like Get Equal and the Gay Blogs were getting movement that HRC climbed on the DADT train at the last min.
They won’t do anything with regard to ENDA or DOMA unless they think it will benefit them or until somebody else starts getting movement and getting credit.
jak
Here’s the real deal. The end of DADT was bought and paid for with billions of tax giveaways to the super wealthy (Republican donors). Obama basically bought your equality in the armed forces for you. All of the loud antics of the fringe groups may have been good theater, but good old fashioned behind the scenes politicking finally did the job – just like it always does in the congress. Groups like HRC serve a valuable purpose by “playing the game”. It’s not exciting, and it does not provide instant gratification. Thereore, most of the readers here will reject this bit of “truthiness” because you don’t want to hear it.
Cam
@jak:
Thats not true. Once again, HRC backed the White House when it was said that there would be no movement on DADT. Then Pelosi forced the bill down the White House’s throat because grass roots advocates were doing sit in’s in her office. The White House inserted hurdles into the bill that HRC fully backed.
GOPers like Snow and Collins backed repeal, and stated that they would support a stand alone bill, they just didn’t want one tied to a spending bill. A Stand alone bill was introduced and passed.
HRC was very late to the party.
SteveC
HRC also opposed the court case which ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional.
Do NOT rely on HRC to campaign for your equality.
A more direct action group will be more effective.
HRC are worthless.
They either need to spell out clearly why they deserve ANY credit for the repeal of DADT (seeing as they are trying to steal credit for it) or they need to disband.
It really is that simple.
In the meantime do not send a dime to the HRC in donations.
They do not deserve it.
Pam's House
HRC can’t do anything. GetEQUAL will get ENDA, too. They just got DADT repealed, give them some time to start attacking people about ENDA.
GetEQUAL delivers. Give them your money.
Pam's House
@Cam: In February HRC mad a deal with the White House, but in May GetEqual threatened the president and then everything worked. Anybody can make a “deal,” it took GetEqual to make enough people angry to deliver repeal.
That’s why I support GetEQUAL and they support me. We make each other valuable. Give today.
Obama
@Pam’s House:
Get Equal didn’t do squat but scream at people who supported them. That’s easy. No offense but President Obama did spend two years on the campaign trail taking every punch in the book to go to Washington DC to fail on what he stand for.
Daez
@Pam’s House: GetEqual will not get ENDA in the next two years. HRC will realize that with a Republican controlled House it is next to impossible to get anything accomplished regarding social matters, and we will see a stall by the HRC for two years (at least). GetEqual will continue to beat their chests, and still get nothing accomplished. The only thing they will manage to do is piss off conservatives.
Someday, some of you will realize that Obama didn’t become President with zero experience because he doesn’t know how to play politics better than most everyone else in the country. Laws are made by a good ole’ boy and girl network of politicians and HRC knows how to play that game better than anyone else we have.
Daez
@Pam’s House: “Threatened the President” with what exactly? A lack of funding, nah because the majority of Obama’s funding didn’t come from the gays, and GetEqual has about as much control over where gay money goes as the bank does. A lack of votes, nah because true liberals will always vote Democratic and people in the middle of the aisle (the truly coveted votes) will vote for the person closest to the middle of the aisle (so siding with the gays cost more votes than not siding with them does).
justiceontherocks
@”Obama” – when you get your head out of your ass long enough to drink some more KoolAid, ponder this: unlike your fearless leader, Bill gates believed DADT was unconstitutional. That’s why it was repealed.
DADT was a “layup” compared to enacting ENDA and repealing DOMA. I see zero coming out of 1600 Pa. Avenue on either one.
Cam
@Daez:
No, if they were so good at that, they would be a valid Lobbying organization. The Oil Companies, Mining companies, Dairy Farmers etc… don’t sit back for years and do nothing, or let a massive majority go to waste in congress. They pressure their politicians and get things done. HRC sat back and did nothing until the White House’s hand was forced by grass roots pressure.
Trust me, ANY of the major lobbying firms in DC would have gotten DADT passed with HALF the budget HRC had. None of them have major lobbying expertise.