Allison Herwitt, the (heterosexual) legislative director of the Human Rights Campaign, just might be the organization’s best asset. She’s the smooth operator, you see. With so many LGBT Americans, and potential HRC donors, furious with the White House and Democratic leadership over their ball dropping on everything from ENDA to DOMA to DADT, it’s very wise for HRC to start identifying with them — instead of alienating them, as it’s done in the past (read: as of yesterday), and usually whenever Joe Solmonese opens his mouth.
HRC does not traffic in is ultimatums. It does not issue lawmakers demands that if they don’t do X, then HRC will do Y. Instead, HRC is in the business and hand holding and coddling, which isn’t a terribly effective activist strategy. Its next-best tactic, then, is issuing strong words of disapproval. Sometimes it does this, but often revokes them when it’s convenient — to hilariously disastrous results.
But having told supporters — stupidly — that a DADT repeal will be done in 2010, Solmonese needs a fall back plan. Especially since each week brings less evidence it will actually happen. (Even lawmakers like Barney Frank think 2011 is a more reasonable best guess.) What happens if Congress doesn’t repeal the law this year? Well, that means Solmonese lied, and puts a huge gash in his already bleeding reputation.
So along comes Herwitt, telling DC Agenda, “I do think that there will be many LGBT Americans frustrated and disappointed if any of these [bills] don’t move. Even though we don’t have a pro-LGBT majority in the House and the Senate — this is our highest majority that we have and we need to obviously capitalize on the members that we have in the House and the Senate to pass legislation. So, in short, I do think that there will be anger in the community.”
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Of course there is a difference between “anger in the community” and “anger inside HRC.” And despite his silly statement otherwise, Solmonese and his organization don’t represent all of us. But Herwitt puts it on the record that a lack of movement from Democrats will result in a lack of movement from LGBT voters, in donations, campaigning, and lever pulling.
Do her words indicate HRC is finally listening to that pesky “blog swarm” it mostly ignored? Sort of. But more so it indicates HRC is now following the efforts of grassroots activists, rather than leading the charge.
We needn’t tell you how out of touch and irrelevant HRC has allowed itself to become. And a few words about the feelings of LGBT voters, that can’t even be described as a thinly veiled threat — because it’s not really a threat — won’t change anything.
The significance of Herwitt’s words, then, can be boiled down to just this: HRC is saying publicly what you’ve all been screaming for months. Welcome to the party. Please check your coat.c
Bill
Joe Solmonese made a salary of over $400,000.00 last year.
Our oppression keeps him living the fabulous lifestyle to which he has become accustomed.
What else needs to be said about him or this organization?
DEREK WASHINGTON
@BILL: You aint nevah lied!
Cam
HRC was one of thoese organizations where the leadership got used to NOT having to show any progress. They took all of our donations, had a few meetings with a few pro-gay politicians on the hill, then realeased statements saying that “Now isn’t a good time to push this”, and other than begging people NOT to sue in the courts for gay rights, that was it. The leadership could keep drawing HUGE salaries and not have to show ANY sucess. So since they never had to show anything, their measure of sucess got to be seeing who they could get to show up at their black tie galas.
This is obvious by virtue of the fact that it actually made news that this HRC employee thinks that there may be anger in the gay community. The fact that it is at all a big deal that they came out and said something that has been obvious for YEARS shows how out of touch they are.
Lanjier
I am glad their political IQ numbers are rising, but they have a long long way to go. Hopefully that dopamine kicks in before the opportunity for the repeals passes forever.
EricSF
I, for one, will not be donating any money or voting for anyone on the national democratic ticket in 2010 unless at least one of these bills (dadt, doma,enda, etc.). And if nothing happens by 2012, then I won’t be voting for Pres. Obama this time around. Let the chips fall where they may. It doesn’t seem we are any worse off if the Repub. win.
AndrewW
HRC is in the business of fundraising, not LGBT equality.
They have spent +$550 million on lobbying with no verifiable results. Lobbying doesn’t work for LGBT-issues, therefore HRC has no real purpose.
Solmonese knows accountability sucks because He and HRC cannot substantiate their value. That’s why they are losing donations and support from the community.
The solution to our equality isn’t as you’ve suggested “anger,” but rather an effort to get people to join us and support our full equality. We will remain a weak minority until we add to our ranks.
Cam
Can you imagine just how much their donations must have fallen for them to even come out with THIS token announcement?
AndrewW
@Cam: They have lost all credibility. This will be their last year.
Trooper
HRC is done. The Task Force is done. INEFFECTIVE organizations that do NOT know how to play hardball – too concerned about losing their White House ACCESS. Both have severely underestimated the RAGE of their ineptitude.
james
it simple Joe needs to go.. Hrc would do better to out Joe’s sorry ass
AndrewW
@james: Why is HRC valuable with or without Joe? What have they accomplished?
Trystaire
Joe is not HRC’s problem. Joe is HRC’s fundraiser-in-chief. He’s not a real president. Sure Joe has no clue what’s going on, but the real problem at HRC is David Smith. Smith is making the decisions on lobbying and pressure and grassroots, and his ignorance is astounding. HRC would be much better without him.
AndrewW
@Trystaire: The real problem is that lobbying does NOT work for LGBT issues. It never has.
Politician’s positions on LGBT-issues are based on their own morality and that of their constituents – it is non-negotiable. You cannot change their minds with lobbying. In fact, we haven’t changed a single mind/vote in Congress during the last 30 years. During those 30 years HRC wasted $550 million on lobbying.
Unless HRC has something useful or effective to do, they should quietly shut-down. After 30 years and NO results, I think the LGBT Community finally understands that HRC has been all about fundraising, not our equality.
PADude
Took them long enough. We shut off the money tap ages ago and apparently they just figured it out.
russaustx
HRC is infatuated with HRC. They’ve got a good thing going—they’ll make a few changes to keep their jobs, but it won’t be enough. Joe needs to go and he needs to take most of the HRC leadership with him. For the good of the cause. Please do what’s right, Joe. Give notice and then get a job somewhere else. In the meanwhile the rest of us need to speak with our checkbooks and give our support to some local LGBT organization that is held accountable.
Steve
HRC needs a change of leadership, and a change of strategy.
Talking to a congressman does not change his vote on any of our issues. Never has, and never will, unless we first get the support of 51% of his/her constituents.
Talking to a judge often does get a desirable outcome. Previous civil rights issues have been won in court first, then in congress.
Talking to a neighbor often does get a desirable outcome. That’s how you get the support of congressional constituents.
A “grass-roots” campaign is the winning strategy. The gay community seems to be doing that without HRC, or perhaps in spite of HRC.
Some amount of talking to congressmen can be helpful, to point out to the congressmen that their constituents now support our issues.
Talking to church leaders, as part of a grass-roots campaign, is likely to be more helpful. When a bunch of clergy say something that supports our issues, everyone listens, and the right-wing “Christians” don’t know how to react.
Basically, we need a gay version of Dr. Martin Luther King, not a suit who comes across as a lawyer. I know a few MCC preachers who could fill that role.
AxelDC
The Human Rights Champagne only cares about connecting A-list gays with gay icons and Democratic big wigs. It’s more like a country club for big city queers with a veneer of social justice to justify their existence.
Of the major progress for gay rights over the past decade, which has seen the end of sodomy laws and full marriage rights in multiple states, where was HRC on this? How can they be the “leader of the gay rights movement” when the movement is happening around them and in spite of them. If anything, HRC sucks up money and time that could be better spent on grassroots campaigns. They are stuck on this old school model of “access”, thinking that having a drink with Nancy Pelosi is the same as actual progress.
HRC’s biggest achievement was landing the President at their Annual Fundraiser, giving their A-listers a chance for some fabulous photo ops. What did the average gay person, who can’t afford the black tie event, get out of it?
I think it’s great that some DC and NYC queens got to meet the President, Martina Navratilova, Ellen DeGeneres and Elton John. How does that help a teenager in Mississippi who wants to bring her girlfriend to the prom? How does it help a Marine corporal threatened with losing his career while he’s in Afghanistan? How does it help the septuagenarian couple in Wisconsin who can’t get Federal survival benefits because of the Clinton-signed DOMA?
If you want a fantastic party, keep giving to HRC. If you want real progress, go to the myriad of other organizations who care more about the cause than the event.