So listen. I’ve got no problem with anybody attacking the Mormon Church for its well-funded abuse of LGBT Americans. Because seriously, those church leaders are just terrible. But how come Human Rights Campaign chief Joe Solmonese has the time to deliver a press conference attacking LDS (that was him yesterday in Salt Lake City, delivering some 150,000 signatures on 800 pages calling on Boyd K. Packer to recant his comments), and the resources to go after groups like the National Organization for Marriage (with the website NOMExposed.org), but cannot find the balls to go after Democratic lawmakers — our supposed friends — for being unwilling to move the ball on things like ENDA? Or the president for continually letting soldiers be discharged and appealing DADT and DOMA rulings?
Solmonese is operating from the same ridiculous playbook as anyone backed into a corner: Attack an ideology instead of the actual problem. That’s what Scott Brown did in his fundraising attack on Rachel Maddow. It’s what Tony Perkins does in his attack on fighting LGBT bullying.
Rather than single out the Democrats Inc. lawmakers standing in the way of LGBT equality, Solmonese instead tugs at our emotions — all for the sake of drumming up publicity. And a donation. And you can be sure it’s just what HRC’s lead strategist David Smith wants. It’s easy to go after a guy like Packer when he says things about LGBT Americans we all agree are obviously irrational. And that’s where HRC’s brand of criticism always lands: easy targets.
Is the Mormon Church responsible for tens of thousands of gay Californians going without marriage equality? Yes, among other things. And its leaders and financial backers should be held accountable. But HRC is dumping its resources — your money — into assaults on other organizations that, like HRC, can only hope to influence legislators. Where’s all that energy when it comes to … going after legislators who need influencing?
How about we take this to the next level?
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“When [Boyd K. Packer] says things that are not true about LGBT people, we and our families suffer greatly and our lives are put at risk,” says Solmonese. That’s true. We also tend to suffer when we don’t have equal rights, Joe, so how about you find people responsible for that and hold a presser attacking them?
I would have no problem with HRC going after LDS if it did so in addition to to criticizing federal lawmakers. But Solmonese & Co. don’t do that, not when they have a “D” next to their names.
Ronbo
It’s easy to not make the right moves when your continued income depends on not making the right moves. HRC is invested in keeping the status quo. Democrats are invested in the status quo. Republicans are invested in the status quo. “Change”…my ass!
Did you notice that it was LogCabin Republicans who have been most successful at (sort of, not really) defeating DADT? I don’t love the Republicans just a wee bit less that I don’t love the Democrats. But, I’ll take a LogCabin if it get me equality.
I’m voting Green. Not to make a statement – I’m just through electing Democrats to see Democrats on their back like a turtle when they OWN the Presidency, the Senate and the House. The Republicans – they are nuckin futz.
jon
HRC is so doing something good and right here. Dems do vote for us, Mormons NEVER do. And I’m a huge GetEQUAL supporter.
Rick Gold
You’d think with millions of gays and gay dollars at his disposal, Mary Joe could get a better weave.
Jamie
@Jon: When, exactly, do dems vote for us?
Michael
That’s WordPerfect founder Bruce Bastian in the
background. Bruce, if you are reading this: you are
an amazing man who is trying to help. Stop wasting youjr
money on HRC. They take in $37 million a year and
accomplish little to nothing. There is no other interest group in Washington that takes in as much money and accomplishes as little. If HRC were representing any industry in the capital, they would have long ago been fired and replaced.
A savvy businessman won’t throw good money after bad.
Almost any gay organization or group of gay organizations would be a better choice for your charitable contributions. Even if you picked them at random out of the phone book, you would be helping more than by giving to HRC, the black hole where gay money and influence goes to die.
Thomas Johnson
Good God. With the exception of Jon, you are self-loathing cry babies. I get it loud and clear. You don’t like HRC, they don’t represent you. They can’t do anything right. Fine, take your money and give it to another organization.
Rick Gold, to go for the personal attack…you are being the bully that this community is so focused on calling out right now. I can assure you, Joe does not wear a weave. And for that reason, you are probably just a little bit jealous.
jason
Joe Solomnese is like a battered wife who keeps returning to the fists of the man who’s bashing him.
Cam
HRC needs to immidiately come out and demand that the DOJ not appeal the DADT decision and to attach them for continuing to appeal the DOMA decision, end of story.
I think it’s amazing that Boyd Packer made those comments a while ago and yet HRC picks the day after the administraion appeals their LOSS in DOMa to do this.
Lastly, as soon as the LDS church buys a table at the next black tie event, Joe will stop attacking them as well.
SFPol
Agreed. Obama’s record on gay issues is cruel and short-sighted. I’ve been giving a pass to Dems my entire voting life, but I’m done now.
HRC has no moral compass, and have played a large role in ensuring that Obama appeals DOMA and DADT policies, ENDA sits on the shelf, and the historic bond between gays and dems is breaking.
Mark
@Cam who says: “HRC needs to immidiately come out and demand that the DOJ not appeal the DADT decision and to attach them for continuing to appeal the DOMA decision, end of story.”
That’s a perfectly reasonable and moderate expectation.
Will they do it?
Will they hell!
I’ve cancelled my donations to the HRC. In these economic times, why would I waste money on a useless group like the HRC.
Mark
Obama – “yes we can, but no we won’t”.
I’ll be voting Green. Screw the Dems for screwing us over.
Mark
Valerie Jarrett – the HRC’s favourite Obama shill – has just done an interview with the Washington Post where she discusses gay bullying victim Justin Aaberg’s suicide.
She says:
“They were aware that their son was gay. They embraced him. They loved him. They supported his lifestyle choice. But yet when he left the home and he went to school he was tortured by his classmates”.
LIFESTYLY CHOICE???????????????
And this from the keynote speaker at HRC’s dinner.
I wonder what excuses the HRC will invent for her?
Tom in Lazybrook
@jon:
Dems support us? Really? Not this administration, not this president.
Obama just appealled the DOMA decision with the anti-Gays. He will reinstate DADT by appealling it.
And HRC will do NOTHING to hold him accountable. They are as big of a problem as Obama.
And I used to be a member of HRC and I gave thousands of dollars to Obama. And I’m aware that the GOP is worse. But if we never stand up for ourselves and hold the Dems accountable, the Dems will never fight for our votes.
Its no longer enough for me for the Dems to say..”the gop is worse”. Marginally so, in my opinion. So as things stands now, I’m not voting for Obama (I’ll just write in someone or something for President). And I’m not supporting HRC.
Yellow Bone
@Thomas Johnson: How much do they pay you?
Thomas Johnson
@yellow bone
Baby, you have no idea. A lot. A LOT. Kinda makes you jealous…right?
Yellow Bone
@Thomas Johnson
No. It doesn’t. I’m very happy you can sleep at night, profiting off of our pain. It really speaks about the greedy and evil human beings you and all your HRC friends are.
Ran
I’d like to see HRC become (again) more outspoken in the press. As one of our biggest support groups they have the position to defend us, and that is exactly what they did with this. They took them to task. This is a good thing. Be happy. You should be encouraging more actions like this. Write them and say we want more like this. HRC should have a comment in every article that is about us instead of the media featuring FRC and other opponents. The media should be pressured to be balanced. I don’t know, and I doubt if others do either, everything HRC does in their day. But I do know that they cannot change laws themselves and that they have been a huge lobbying apparatus for us and have helped to get our issues on the floor. Our rights will not come easy. Turning on ourselves now will only hurt our progress. We have to work together. If you thought everything would magically change overnight, you had the wrong expectations. There was no way that would or could happen. Dems are almost entirely on our side. Not supporting those who do vote “yes” for us is … self-destructive.
B
No. 12 · Mark wrote, “LIFESTYLY CHOICE???????????????” … well, you could call his decision to come out at the tender age of 13 to be a “lifestyle choice”. It was nice of his parents to be supportive when he came out instead of telling him to lie to his friends.
IMHO the school district should level with the kids and tell them point blank that, whatever their personal opinions are regarding gays, if they harass or discriminate against them, they won’t be able to get a job flipping hamburgers given anti-discrimination laws because employers don’t want to get their asses sued, and the school is going to act the same way.