After Brad Luna and Trevor Thomas quit the Human Rights Campaign’s public relations department, it left Michael Cole (job title: “new media director”; pictured) to shush critics of the organization. Like he tried doing yesterday when news leaked that HRC had backtracked on a commitment to pay for a bus to bring gay military vets to D.C. on Veterans Lobby Day. But, what’s this? Cole completely misrepresented the situation?
This isn’t called “spin.” It is, as blogger Pam Spaulding reveals, called “lying.”
An email from HRC’s Marty Rouse — the stand-up guy who has also used electronic mail technology to write about how deceased activist Harry Wieder had an “awful body odor” — sent Tuesday night, with the subject “Cost Controls” and sent to some 10 HRC and Servicemembers United staffers, reads:
Just wanted to make sure you are all aware that HRC will not be paying for breakfast on Monday or any transportation in DC area (no buses to/from Pentagon or either hotel, no reimbursement of metro or taxis to/from hotels or elsewhere). Our understanding is that SU will be providing breakfast on Monday at SU offices for vets going to the WH or Pentagon.
Writes Spaulding:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
[The notion that the busing issue occurred “last night”] is not true, according to my source because the bus question did not just pop up anew the previous night; it was brought up in the beginning and discussed numerous times over the past two months. Only now did HRC reverse course on cutting out the bus to transport the vets to the Pentagon despite the fact that the email shows that they had certainly decided to cut it and announced this decision via email to 10 people. Note the topic of the email – “cost controls.”
Also, I was told that nine or 10 people were also present at the recent meeting at which Rouse announced the news that they were now going to add in a Tuesday evening reception at the HRC building for HRC board, steering committee, and regular members who are in DC during the Veterans Lobby Days. Now that the budget for the veterans bus has been restored as a result of the controversy that erupted, there has been talk of canceling or reframing the Tuesday evening members reception.
We already know the Human Rights Campaign actively avoids the transparency we’ve so long demanded. And now we know they misrepresent even the most trivial of facts. Cole, meanwhile, is the editor of HRC’s blog HRC Back Story. Should we expect him to be perpetuating further lies there? When HRC finally gets around to sharing what was accomplished when it spent 25 percent of 2009 at the White House, should you believe them?
You’re going to get an email from them in about 10 minutes asking you to donate money. Rest assured, it’s not going toward petrol.
Cam
Lets break this down.
1. They are supposedly a group that collects money to lobby for gay rights.
2. They would not pay for a lobbying function, i.e. paying a few hundred dollars for a bus to bring in Gay Vets, for the specific task of lobbying for gay rights.
3. They were willing to spend thousands on a reception for their own board members instead of bringing in those gay vets to lobby.
Conclusion. They are not the lobbying group that they claim to be. This is an incredibly important time on the Hill, and for them to chose throwing themselves a party, over bringing in the people who will be instrumental in lobbying this bill shows that they have no interest in lobbying for gay rights. Forget about their way (Lobbying) versus Get Equals way (Protests, civil disobedience) HRC isn’t even doing what they CLAIM is their way anymore. They are a front for money collection it would seem.
Bill
Joe Solmonese of HRC made a salary of over $400,0000.00 last year.
HRC makes $$$$$$$$$ from our oppression.
They have no interest in equality.
Joe Solmonese would be working at the fucking Clinique counter at Macy’s if not for HRC.
I wonder when LGTB Americans will wake up to this fact and stop giving their money to this organization.
But hey, Joe thanks us for his new Porsche and his summer home in the Hamptons.
I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO on to you, HRC.
fredo777
Idk, but I just received an e-mail from HRC about a Veterans Lobby Day this Tuesday to help repeal DADT.
DEREK WASHINGTON
The Firm lies!?!?
I’m shocked!
Shocked I tell you to find that lying is going on in this establishment!
Jona
After everything HRC has done and more importantly NOT done for our community, why on earth do they continue to thrive? Over and over they show their hand and are exposed for double dealing and lying and on and on. Are they so expertly and deeply entrenched in stealing gay dollars that they are bullet proof? And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Macy’s would let Joe Solmonese be a men’s room attendant let alone work at the Clinique counter.
Joe, please GO AWAY.
Bill Perdue
HRC is slowing imploding, losing staff, influence, money and clout.
It’s the inevitable outcome for a group that’s abandoned the movement to become a front group(1) for Democrats. They’re the meddling voice of Obama’s bigoted White House in the internal affairs of the LGBT movement.
By tying themselves to the fortunes of the Democrats and cluelessly trying to work within the Democrat Party HRC gave up its pretensions of being a civil rights group and substituted self-serving fundraising for activism.
Unavoidably they’re now seen for what they are – errand boys for Obama, Quisling Frank, Reid and Pelosi. That’s what happens to anyone who tarries too long in the swampy mud of the Democrat or Republican Parties.
(1)” A front organization is any entity … controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations. …”
schlukitz
@Bill Perdue:
Tell it like it is, Bill. I can’t wait to see them fall flat on their smug, smiling faces.
And to Jona, No. 5 who asked “why on earth do they continue to thrive?”
Because there are clueless gay people, just like the clueless religious suckers who keep on giving their money to the bigoted, hateful and discriminatory asshats who eschew equality and first class status for LGBT people while claiming to love us and care about us.
How else would they be able to continue to beg for membership fees and donations, if they didn’t have the “gehys” as a cause celebre?
With full social standing, full acceptance by all members of our government and fellow citizens, both HRC and the church would have no further reason for their continued abysmal and ineffectual existence.
And, it goes without saying, that there would be no love lost on our behalf for either organization.
AndrewW
@Bill Perdue: I mostly agree with your assessment, but I would add that lobbying the US Congress does not work. In 30 years HRC has had NO success changing any minds/votes in the US Congress. They are just pawns in the “political game” you describe. They promise, we pay and nothing gets done. Over and over and over, again.
Aside from the recognizable “cruising” stickers, HRC has nothing to show for the +$550 million they’ve spent.
Bill Perdue
@schlukitz: Glad to see your comment finally passed the censorship.
Jesse Helms
HRC reps continue to haunt the streets of my fair city asking if I have “a minute for Gay Rights.” I gave HRC nine YEARS of my life and approx $5,300 and all I got was food poisonning at one of the galas…….
Bill Perdue
@Jesse Helms: Too bad about that food poisoning. Sometimes it’s fatal.
Jesse Helms
@Bill Perdue: It almost was fatal. Avoid the lobster bisque at all costs.
Bill Perdue
@Jesse Helms: I wasn’t complaining.