Latest Newsweek: Many gay activists disappointed in HRC

[bluedawg12]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/173213/page/2

Newsweek Web Exclusive

Gay Rights 2.0
In the aftermath of Proposition 8, young gays and lesbians have become grassroots, Web-based activists. But is this generation ready to lead?

By Jessica Bennett | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 9, 2008

<snip>
Others, including many older gay activists, say they're disappointed that groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group, made little effort to capitalize on the post-Prop. 8 momentum.

Many were particularly offended by an e-mail a local HRC steering committee sent to San Francisco constituents on Nov. 10, as Join the Impact groups were coordinating in cities around the nation. It was to remind members about "Spa Night": an evening of wine, mingling, "pampering and relaxation" that would help raise money for the $40 million group. HRC says the Spa Night offering was donated by a local business, and while they recognize the e-mail may not have been the best PR strategy, "it was certainly not something we were expending resources or energy on," says Brad Luna, the group's communications director.

HRC President Joe Solmonese, meanwhile, says that directing the movement on the ground is not where his organization fits in. "The role for large institutional organizations like us is to be mindful of our place," he tells NEWSWEEK. "We want to provide resources and our membership to the grassroots activism that's going on, but not try to steer them in any particular direction."

<snip>

[davidinalameda]

1. screw the HRC into the ground

this is just another in a long history of groups that lost sight of their true mission and ended up kissing the ass of big donors while forgetting the little donors

[bluedawg12]

3. They have no real national presence as far as I can tell

seeing as how I am living, real live as a gay person, but, granted "one of the little people."

Most infuriating about this suspicion that they are ineffectual, based on what I am hearing here on GLBTQ DU from my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who actually know a bit more about them and dare to have expectations, is the really ganwing fear that this is the right time to act. The gay civil rights issue seems to have captured the nation's collective consciousness and we can blow it.

This week Newsweek has gay marriage on the cover! Jon Stewart just ripped Mike Huckebee a new one, over gay marriage tonight. KO talked about it and has since Nov 4.

Meanwhile, back at HRC they have a Spa freaking day?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. During the primaries HRC seemed to mean Hillary Rodham Clinton.

They were so far up her butt that they couldn't see the forest for the trees. Meanwhile the anti-gay rights forces were gathering momentum for the General elections.

[bluedawg12]

4. I guess they don't want to be labeled one issue progressives.

:rofl:

except it's sad, too.

[LeftHander]

5. I like the logo stickers

I reupped my membership...

I know a lot of people poo poo hrc...but I guess Joe has bills at home to pay. Yachts to fuel up...

[GodlessBiker]

7. LOL! Yes, that is their primary purpose. Pushing those stickers.

[Creideiki]

16. The logo stickers are the best thing.

Very succinct. Unfortunately, the HRC has been ineffective at actually accomplishing anything. This isn't even a Republican/Democrat Congress/Administration thing. They've gotten nothing done.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. Plus today, while the rest of us are observing a work/ spend moratorium....

.... this is on their website:


>>>>>>Holiday Shopping Party
1213 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH
Full-screen
1213 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH
Full-screen
Map data ©2008 Tele Atlas - Terms of Use
Description

Holiday Shopping
Party
Wed., December 10

Join the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of Greater Cincinnati on Wednesday, December 10 at Metronation for our Holiday Shopping Party!

15% of all sales for the evening will be donated to HRC. >>>>>>

Could not... and WOULD not.... make this stuff up.

[bluedawg12]

10. When bigotry heats up go shopping?

My complaint of this organization is that their stated mission includes "education."

Yet, while discussion of internment camps and forced medical treatment of gays is openly talked about in Oklahoma, while has been crooners compare gay protests to overseas terrorist acts, they post a passive, low energy blog on the net, which probably only gay people would ever search for.

They claim, that they want to be, "inspiring and engaging all Americans." They are not even on the radar, except locally.

Jon Meachum, Newsweek, Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow, The Daily Show, Andrew Sullivan, Dan Savage, Bill Maher, are people/entities that come to mind that have publicly, effectively and nationally spoken up for gay civil rights and appeared television to large audiences. I cannot think of one member of the HRC that I can name or recall ever appearing on any show to discuss this issue.

Did they contribute anything to the extensive coverage of gay issues on line at Newsweek? Not that I have seen.

The issue is "hot" at the moment, people are sitting back and waiting for the new Obama administration to tackle the big issues, this one, the personal level issue, the one that does not need a bailout, new technology, new taxes, or loss of jobs to actuate, this issue of gay civil rights is so timely, yet if our leaders dawdle the time will pass and the nation and perhaps many gays will go back to life as usual, and apathy will return once again as our national focus shifts to other issues.

[mondo joe]

8. I'm not going to dis the HRC.

They were at least trying to do something for a long time when almost no one was doing anything.

I can't get behind their strategy now, and I won't. But I'm not going to blame them for having tried.

[rusty fender]

9. I stopped giving them money back

when they started asking for money for a PERMANENT multimillion dollar building in D.C. Their goal should have been to downscale once they achieved equality. It sounded to me like they were going to milk their donors forever.

[readmoreoften]

11. LGBT academics have done more to promote understanding within institutions than the HRC

I have no idea what they do.

[bluedawg12]

13. This statement from the HRC explains something about my dissapointment

>>"The role for large institutional organizations like us is to be mindful of our place," he tells NEWSWEEK. "We want to provide resources and our membership to the grassroots activism that's going on, but not try to steer them in any particular direction."<<

There is a lot of territory to be covered between "providing resources to grassroots activism" and "steering them."

For example national leadeship and a national voice does not preclude "providing resources to grassroots activism."

I would love to see some group as established and large as the HRC do more to speak for the gay community nationwide from the folks being subjected to atrocious fascist bigotry and hate rhetoric in Oklahoma to gays living in large urban metro centers.

Maybe they are not about that entity and I am simply expecting something from the wrong group. Still we do need a national voice and leadership and it is ironic how we were just discussing this and then Newsweek came out and mentioned it in their article.

[GreenFiles]

12. HRC Failures....

....the list is long.....Dont Ask/Dont Tell, DOMA, Prop 8, Amendment 2, Prop 2, etc....

If you speak to one of their (straight) operatives, they will tell you they've had a bunch of successes on the local level.

Big fucking deal.

[readmoreoften]

14. The division they've cost us by alienating the trans people in the community has done more harm than

they have done good as far as I can tell. For the time they've been around and the money have sucked out of the community...shit... queens did more for our historical rights rioting in the streets than they have with a 14 million dollar budget.

[bluedawg12]

18. What happened?

I don't know any of this history, can you share a bit of when and why this happened?

Thank you.

bd12

[yardwork]

15. I view HRC as too conservative, too placating, too main-stream, too normy.

I give money each month to Lambda Legal. They take cases to court. I don't agree with HRC's approach. I'm not going to diss them but I don't support them.

[bluedawg12]

17. It seems like a missed opportunity and that was the point of Newsweek.

They are well established, large and could do a lot more I suspect.

I agree Lambda get's my financial support.

[yardwork]

19. As usual, we agree, bluedawg12!

[bluedawg12]

20. ...

Well, in that case:

:hi: