HRC Realizes After the Fact That They Maybe Should Have Endorsed Openly Gay Candidate

[JackBeck]

HRC Realizes After the Fact That They Maybe Should Have Endorsed Openly Gay Candidate for Labor Secretary



Mary Beth Maxwell is just the sort of hopey, all-American person you'd pick for Labor Secretary. She's openly gay, is the founding Executive Director of American Rights at Work, a progressive labor organization, heck– she was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAyLOY2x1cc">Fox News' go-to gal for union and worker-related rankings this past Labor Day. She's raising an adopted African-American child. Beyond her rainbow diversity goodness, she's been lauded by both the left and the right as someone who is committed to making smart modernizations to the U.S. Labor movement. She's especially appealing to progressives who wonder if they'll have a seat in Obama's increasingly centrist Cabinet.

It's no surprise that she's on everybody's short list for Labor Secretary. Even Rep. David Bonior, whose also been put in the running for the job thinks she should get it. Many AFL-CIO leaders agree. But guess which prominent gay rights group with a history of not supporting openly gay candidates backed somebody else?

Oh, Human Rights Campaign, you never fail to disappoint.

The HRC had endorsed Rep. Linda Sanchez for the post and suddenly realizing that "Hey! Maybe we ought to support this highly qualified Maxwell lady since you know, we've never had an openly gay person serve in a Cabinet-level position and what is it we do exactly again?" they decided to endorse both Sanchez and Maxwell.

HRC President and XM Radio Talk Show Host Joe Solmonese had already sent President-Elect Obama his first endorsement before sending http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/02/union-activist-mary-beth-maxwell-on-list-for-labor-secretary/">another letter to Obama yesterday that read in part:

"You would have received our letter in support of Representative Sanchez's candidacy for Secretary of Labor last week.

While we remain supportive of Representative Sanchez's candidacy, it has come to our attention that Mary Beth Maxwell is also being considered for this crucial position. Given Ms. Maxwell's long history of leadership on labor issues, HRC is pleased to also endorse Mary Beth Maxwell for Secretary of Labor."

So, the nation's largest gay rights advocacy and political action organization was caught totally unawares that there's a highly qualified openly-gay person who would make a great candidate for Labor Secretary? Isn't the primary goal of the HRC to help out and advocate for gay and gay-friendly politicians and legislation? Are they even tracking the openly-gay political leadership in the U.S.?

http://www.queerty.com/hrc-realizes-after-the-fact-that-they-maybe-should-have-endorsed-openly-gay-candidate-for-labor-secretary-20081203/

Another example of the community's failure in leadership. We need a new, reinvigorated movement from the bottom to top.

[amdezurik]

1. you ASSume a lot

like that who was on YOUR "short-list" was on everyone's. Perhaps one of these days you can climb down from that pedestal of perfection that you and you alone occupy and try to not be quite so knee-jerk about everything...

[JackBeck]

3. Interesting.

[bluedawg12]

4. The question isn't was she on everyone's short list

rather, why wasn't someone this qualified, on the HRC's short list to start with?

Shouldn't they be the one's leading the search for well qualified gay people to place in leadership positions?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[racaulk]

10. A reply about the dangers of making assumptions and knee-jerking...delivered in a quick 4 minutes!

IRONY!!!

:eyes:

Perhaps you are the one that should come down from your "pedestal of perfection" and actually READ the OP.

[JackBeck]

13. What's that, racaulk?

I can't hear you from all the way up here.

:shrug:

[racaulk]

32. My hunch...

Is that when the person upthread said "you," he or she was speaking in the 2nd person plural, not the 2nd person singular. If you catch my meaning... ;)

:pals:

[Jamastiene]

26. What.The.Fuck.

are you prattling on about? :wtf: is with that attitude? Damn! Why did you feel the need to jump all up in somebody's shit just for asking a question?

If these organizations cannot do their job, it is our right to ask questions. Asking a question is NOT a knee jerk reaction. It is simply asking why they cannot seem to do their job.

You need to BACK OFF flaming JackBeck! He is a good friend and does NOT deserve to be flamed for simply asking a question! :mad:

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. This is why I refuse to support the HRC

Far too little and far too late.

I was approached a few days ago by an operative of the Human Rights Campaign. I stopped long enough to say, "They have a terrible record regarding transgender rights, and their support of gay and lesbian rights has been lukewarm at best. I cannot and will not support them."

He gave a sad smile and said, "I'm hearing that A LOT. Sorry you feel that way."

[GodlessBiker]

6. I agree. We need a group of 20-something people who identify themselves as "queer" to...

shake up that establishment-laden organization. It totally needs new blood and a deeper and stronger understanding of the fight.

HRC routinely disappoints.

[xchrom]

20. ageist. nt

[GodlessBiker]

22. Only when it is a bona fide occupational qualification.

[xchrom]

23. ageist.

and i've never met anybody younger than me more liberal or progressive than me.

i think 20 somethings should be forced into re-education camps.

that is how stupid and bigoted i think your post is.

[Jamastiene]

27. Maybe not so much, really.

Suggesting the addition of a few younger people is no more ageist than suggesting the addition a few older more experienced people in a majority youth civil rights group. Older experienced veterans AND youth working together for civil rights could re-energize the movement and cross a lot of barriers, imho. :shrug:

[jonnyblitz]

16. I don't like them either. they have supported republicans and

supported Lieberman over Lamont in the CT DEM primary in 2006.

[bluedawg12]

7. Why don't we get a nice, polite, email campaign to the HRC

supporting Mary Beth Maxwell?

http://www.hrc.org/contactus.asp

[bluedawg12]

8. Also, contact Rahm Emanuel

http://www.house.gov/emanuel/

It couldn't hurt.

[JackBeck]

9. Since her name has already been submitted

Maybe an email campaign to HRC asking them why she wasn't their first choice?

I'll write something later, once I descend from my pedestal.

[bluedawg12]

11. Hello up there, LOL. I understand her name has been submitted

my thought was that an email campaign may increase the HRC's motivation to do more that an addendum letter, perhaps they would work harder behind the scenes.

I think this is an important post and could impact fair labor laws for gays, which so many oppose as "special rights." I don't think gays are part of the group of Federally recognized entities: race, religion, ethnicity.

Thinking of the good she could do!

[JackBeck]

12. Excellent points.

Either post or PM me anything you come up with.

[jonnyblitz]

17. you do realize if you dare question anything done by Obama

and his team you are going to have his glassy-eyed followers SCREECHING at you. you are an extremist, purist and ideologue. oh yeah, and your life as a gay man is a "pet issue".

[bluedawg12]

21. I'm just another glass eyed gay purist "pet issue." LOL!

So many labels, so little time. :rofl:

[Jamastiene]

28. In the meantime, you can keep it nice and warm for me.

I feel like doing a little pedestal sitting tonight. :hi: :pals:

[donco6]

14. HRC is on my short list, too.

The short list of causes I refuse to support.

IMO, HRC is composed of wealthy, white, pampered prep-school boys who long for the days of smoky back-room deals. Ugh.

[terrya]

15. I believe this is the same group who endorsed Al D'Amato for Senator several years ago.

Republican Al D'Amato. I honestly forget now why they did this rather startling endorsement.

Stupid me recently reapplied for my membership to the HRC. I'm not quite why I did that. A moment of temporary insanity, it appears.

You're right, by the way.

[jonnyblitz]

18. and they endorsed Lieberman over Lamont here in CT in 2006

during the DEM state primary which automatically puts one on my shit list. I still haven't forgiven Obama for doing the same..

[cboy4]

19. The HRC disappointed me during the Prop 8 battle also.

It was like **crickets** from them.

I write and complain, but still support in hope they do better.

I don't think we have such a large number of LGBT human rights organizations at our disposal that we can just start sweeping the ones we don't like under the carpet.

Write and tell them what's wrong and why you don't support them.

They need to hear it, and they've been hearing a lot from me this year.

Believe me.

I still think they can improve substantially.

But we really need to have the HRC succeed, IMO.

[Jamastiene]

29. Off-topic question:

I love your avatar. Did you make it?

[Behind the Aegis]

24. HRC lost its way a while ago.

I watched, at the national level, the HRC on a first hand basis because I was living in DC. They weren't too terribly organized, but I could have overlooked that issue. It was the constant in-fighting (and it was also on many college campuses) between gays and lesbians and bisexuals, white and persons of color, disabilites...it just seemed they were more focused on our differences than our commonality. After awhile, I just let them go.

[readmoreoften]

25. So what the fuck do they actually do...

if they don't support No on 8 and LGBT candidates. Sorry, make that "LG candidates..." They don't give a crap about the BT members of our community either.

[ruggerson]

30. They do nothing

except fundraise. They will tell you they are crucial lobbyists for our cause on the Hill, but their leadership has been abysmal.

Since NGLTF is not any better, we are effectively without any national voice.

[Spryboy]

31. HRC is a complete joke.

They're useless. They do nothing. They are completely incompetent. They have a losing record. Their leadership is arrogant and out of touch and insular.

I stopped donating to them a couple of years ago, when the rank incompetence and waste became too obvious to ignore.

Too bad we can't vote for CHANGE in the leadership of HRC. They need a serious house-cleaning, and they need new blood, new leadership, and new focus.

My dollars to GLBT-related charities and causes has gone elsewhere, and will continue to, until the HRC shows some signs of becoming relevant and useful and competent.

[sui generis]

33. my family dropped our membership a long time ago

Solmonese has made some absolutely boneheaded blunders but the one that got in our craw above all else was the Lieberman endorsement. We didn't have to endorse anyone that round, but by gollee HRC decided to anyway.

At Black Tie, we now earmark directly for our pet charities, and we've even been a "diamond" level sponsor in the past, but no more. There is no doubt they do a lot of good, but financial pain is the best form of feedback.

Lambda Legal is getting my duckettes these days.

[ronnykmarshall]

34. After the Prop 8 disaster ...

I don't know who to trust with my money anymore.

I'm still getting e-mails from Equality Cal wanting money.

HELLO??? What the hell did they do with the shit load of money we raised to fight prop 8?