Human Rights Campaign’s past continues to bite back.
The non-profit caused a rift last year when it supported a non-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act after vowing to fight for trans inclusive measure. Even after the group apologized and promised to right its wrongs, some queer activists still aren’t feeling the HRC love.
And they’re fighting back.
As we mentioned earlier this week, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had been booked to speak at an HRC dinner tonight, but now we hear that a coalition of groups have successfully convinced him and other elected officials to boycott the event. From a press release:
Today, a coalition of queer progressive organizations will hold “The Left OUT Party: A Genderful Gayla,” an alternative to the Human Rights Campaign’s annual fundraising dinner in San Francisco… [In response to last year’s ENDA debate] several San Francisco local elected officials announced their decision to boycott the HRC fundraising dinner. Most notably, slated dinner keynote Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has decided to cancel his speech after pressure from local labor and LGBT leaders.
As a counterparty that celebrates inclusion in the LGBT community, the Left OUT Party will educate HRC gala attendees about the urgent need for an inclusive ENDA. Local heroes, including California State Assemblymember Mark Leno, San Francisco Police Commission President Theresa Sparks, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Tim Paulson from the SF Labor Council will receive “Human Rights Heroes”
awards honoring their leadership in advancing inclusive LGBT rights.
We’re sure HRC’s not pleased…
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.
crazylove
As civil rights organizations, gay groups need to realize that it’s hard to argue for inclusiveness when one argues inclusive means just for me. Whether it’s African American civil rights or immigration issues- they need to realize coalition building is a part of the job description of what they are suppose to be doing. If I could I would mail each executive at HRC a copy of the Mayor of Castro Street because that book demonstrates how you build a coalition.
CitizenGeek
It’s a pity these politicians don’t understand that the rest of the US is not as accepting as San Francisco and that the HRC has to deal with political reality in Washington.
ChristopherJ
HRC is in a tough situation, I don’t envy them.
This in-fighting can’t be good for our community… the HRC is excluding important people for the sake of expediency (is it working?) and other LBGT groups are spending their time and resources organizing against… the HRC.
DanGOP
And, with Villaraigosa pulling out of the HRC dinner over the ENDA debacle, he’s just killed his national political career in the toilet. The vast majority of the country neither knows nor cares about transgender issues, and it will take time to convince them, just as it is taking time to convince them on gay issues. It’s time to start recognizing that the reality of Washington always trumps ideals.
Grace Duncan
Villaagosa is nothing but a sleazy pol, who panders to the gays for money. Name ONE THING other than say the right words that he has done for the LBGT community. DanGOP is right. The real estate developers’ best friend just lost the governorship too. And the few weddings he has performed have all been for publicity for his own publicity. Believe it or not he has the gall to use the word ‘fidelity.’
crazylove
And on cue the apologists show up explaining how everyone else is at fault for our own lack of inclusiveness. If you want to be treated fairly, you must act fairly. It’s really that simple. Otherwise people notice the incongruity and don’t want to help you out.
crazylove
Oh- and by you- I mean organizations like HRC. I am certain there are parts of the gay community that are as selfish as the HRC was with this bill and the posters here, but all of you still are missing the point. You may personally see a difference between being gay and trangender, but you can be damn sure that the non-liberal places you are talking about- don’t see any difference. These the things you are manufacturing to justify your own prejudices.
Brendan
Having worked for a LGBT lobbying organization, my views on queer politicking sometimes skew a little more to the “moderate” side in the face of these “political realities” (i.e. waiting to challenge the federal DOMA until we make more gains on the state level). However, one thing was clear from my first interview: our organization believed that there was no point in fighting for equality and justice if you only choose to apply it selectively. The assistance of the labor movement in encouraging the boycott is appropriate, as the situation calls an old labor solidarity slogan to mind: “An Injury to One is an Injury to All.”
CitizenGeek
Crazylove,
I hear that excuse all the time but it holds no water. Transgender people are very definitely more ‘hated’ than gay people. I’m not revelling in this fact, but it is a fact. There is one single transgender elected official in the US – just one. While there are hundreds of gay elected official, even in states like Oklamhoma and Texas. Transgender people are rarely portrayed on TV, and there is one transgender actress. ENDA wouldn’t pass with transgender inclusion. All of this points to the fact that society has not gotten over the “ick factor” with transgenders, in the same way they have with gay people.
Society’s acceptance of transgender indivduals will take time, it’s a shame that Villaraigosa et al don’t understand this.
Also, there’s nothing “personal” about the idea that gender identity disorder and homosexuality are two different things. They are; sorry to brake it to you.
Charley
The mayor did the right thing and he knows it may cost him campaign contributions in future elections. His actions open up dialogue and awareness for transgender acceptance. If all beltway groups are going to walk the safe line because of the opinions from the status quo and congressional majority, then nothing gets accomplished, just more bureacracy and lack of dialogue about injustice.
CitizenGeek
Charley,
What are you talking about? LA’s mayor and all the others boycotting the HRC did nothing to secure the Congressional hearing on transgender issues recently, while the HRC did play a part in it. Your point falls flat.
crazylove
Citizen Geek
Once more- it’s about solidarity. You don’t understand how legisliation gets passed or how movements are built. Of course, trans issues aren’t the same as gay issues. I said that in my post. But you are so busy arguing you aren’t getting the point being made to you. You are going to have people mad at you that it wasn’t necessary here to piss off. Why? because there are coalitions built to achieve any goal politically. Its just stupid what HRC did. It’s that simple. THe fact we are sitting here discussing this now is proof of this.
crazylove
by the way- I also like how you people are foolish enough to believe people are more accepting of gay rights than trans stuff. Are you seriously that deluded? I suspect this is more representative of your issue with trans issues than it is representative of reality that there is some daylight in middle straight america’s mind between gay and trans. In other words, you are projecting. The reality is that most DON’T see a difference because we are all other to them.
crazylove
One other point- its not just on these issues this shit comes back to burn gay groups. In 2004, I was a part of some gay groups and a black group related to voter disenfranchisement. There is nothing connecting the one with the other. However, i tried to get the gay groups involved in the black disenfranchisement issue, and they said “it wasn’t their issue too.” They were right, but they missed hte point. It was an opportunity to open doors through solidarity. Unlike in the past if where individual gays may have served on some in some black group, I was advocating that we go in solidarity with the black group to argue for black civil rights. Why? Because the solidarity would start to build bridges that promotes future dividends by coalition building. You scratch my back. I scratch yours. Did it work? No- the gay republicans in the group said it wasn’t their issue. I resigned and said so long as the “I got my own problems” mentality pervades it will slow down progress.
CitizenGeek
Crazylove,
I know you mean well, and I admire your ideas of solidarity and standing up for what’s right. Of course transgender individuals deserves all the rights they seek, of course they do and I will do all I can to fight for that. But I will not sacrifice important, long sought gay rights in order to do that and I’m pretty sure that’s essentially what you’re asking for. The HRC decided -NOT- to put transgender on ENDA and watch it sink but instead to work with political reality in an effort to get things done and to move things forward.
This boycott is ridiculous and does nothing to strengthen the solidarity you speak of.
crazylove
Citizen
You are pretty clueless it seems about how these things work. I will once more repeat- this isn’t about the shit you keep writing. You are wrong precisely because you don’t understand legislative process or coalition building. You achieve what you want through building coalitions. Not by saying well I am going to be selfish and achieve just what I want. In terms of just self interest- your argument fails because as you can see- we don’t have an ENDA and indeed we have pissed off some vital people who could have been part of the coalition to pass it. In the 1970s, Harvey Milk supported the unions, and in return they supported his electoral efforts. that’s how real world politics works. Not- I m just going to look out for my interest and screw you. Once again its I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
Grace Duncan
Crazylove is correct. The anger should be directed at Pelosi and Frank. Frank pulled the T out of the bill and Pelosi flat out told HRC and others that if they did not support it, there would not be another bill brought up for at least 6 years. Period. Nothing. Civil rights take baby steps. Just look at how long it’s taken us to get anything since Stonewall. HRC has and is currently doing more to advance trans rights than any other organization in the country.
crazylove
Nancy Pelosi has been crap as speaker. She has no power at all. The fact is she couldn’t even prevent FISA which affects far more Americans. That bill was dead until the Blue Dogs Coalition pushed it through, and she was basically powerless to stop it. I support the Democrats because they are marginally better than the GOP, but only marginally.
Dilroy
Well he at least has more integrity than Obama since Obama is one of the many politicians who refused to meet, speak of or even shake the hand of Gavin Newsom in 2004 in spite of the rhetoric we hear from him currently.
crazylove
Because McCain is so much better. We live in a binary system of governance- the chocies re the Democrats who aren’t perfect, or the GOP which is willing to hunt us for the sport of winning the Theocons vote. Witness McCain’s shameless behavior with Dobson.
Mr C
Dilroy,
What is the fucking big deal over Newsome.
OKAY he likes the gays and had an affair on his wife with his friends wife.
Very Moral Man he is!
To be mayor of a city where Gays have a big hand in things I’d be an ally also. Once again pander, pander, pander.But it’s all good.
If he is so FABULOUS Why don’t he take it to the big dawgs and run for Senator, or congressman.
He knows it will all be over IMMEDIATELY so stay Mayor you’ll always keep a job and the love of the children (gays)!
And as far as FISA is concerned those folks have been listening to all of us already. Has anyone been contacted by the government about your personal business transactions, and or your phone sex convo’s??…….NO
So keep it moving. Not that I support this act. But 911 has changed alot of things forever and we really need to understand that.
OKAY, another scenario: then let them not do it and lets see another landmark and thousands of lives be destroyed.
We need to stop being so selfish in regards to this act(FISA).
Dilroy
What McCain does by accepting the endorsement of someone he doesn’t agree with is no different than what Obama has been doing by softening his leftist rhetroic once he won the nomination. They’re both politicians who will do or say anything to get elected. The real difference in the two dynamics is that no one online is comparing Obama to Jesus or a prophet and calling anyone who challenges him a racist.
So in spite of the calls for change, here we are again voting for the lesser of two evils.
Dilroy
Ahhh, so just like you did with Hillary, instead of responding to the actual criticism of Obama’s lack of integrity when it comes to gay rights you attack, diminish and disparage those who brought the criticism forward.
This is a pattern with you. You have a history on this site of defending, excusing and supporting not only black politicians who betray their commitment for equality when it comes to gays but in fact do the same when it comes to blatant homophobic attacks when they come from black men, particularly when they’re handsome black men. Meanwhile those you attack the most are always white.
The evidence is all over this site.
Dilroy
I was, of course, responding to Mr C with my ‘Jul 28, 2008 at 2:10’ am post.
hell's kitchen guy
“And, with Villaraigosa pulling out of the HRC dinner over the ENDA debacle, he’s just killed his national political career in the toilet. The vast majority of the country neither knows nor cares about transgender issues,”
The second part of that statement is exactly why the first part is ridiculous. NO ONE CARES.
konrad
So for all the people who say Congress should vote down ENDA without the transgender inclusion, how to you justify throwing overboard all of the millions of other workers left out of the bill? Oh, I forgot, your position has no moral or intellectual depth.