Human Rights Campaign Pulls Out Of Major DNC Fundraiser

AMERICAblog:

It's over, folks. A lot of us have been saying that if the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay civil rights group in Washington, were to pull its attendance from next week's DNC $1,000 a person gay fundraiser, then the fundraiser would effectively be dead. Well, HRC just pulled out as a result of the White House's homophobic DOMA brief in which they equated gay marriage to incest.

Read the whole story: AMERICAblog

Comments

[superstition]

01:18 AM on 07/02/2009

Relevant update: DNC proclaims it raised 1 million at fundraiser. Oh really?

The DNC insider:

"[T]he blogs are closer to the truth [on how the Dems plan to handle gay issues] than the party wants us to know. They used the blogs to their advantage during the election, and now they're trying to figure out how to control what's become a nuisance for them. The current method for the fundraiser is by not telling the truth."

Aravosis: "The Democratic party finds you and your civil rights a nuisance."

"DNC may have lied about $1m take from fundraiser; DNC insider says blogs are right on party's intentions towards gays"
http://www.americablog.com/2009/07/dnc-may-have-lied-about-1m-take-from.html
"So, DNC, did that fundraiser really bring in a million bucks?"
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11824/so-dnc-did-that-fundraiser-really-bring-in-a-million-bucks
"DNC Insider Tells Different Story On Gay Dollars"
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11825/dnc-insider-tells-different-story-on-gay-dollars

[superstition]

11:51 PM on 07/02/2009

Obama deputy campaign manager abandons DOMA & DADT as priorities
http://www.americablog.com/2009/07/obama-deputy-campaign-manager-abandons.html

"After two weeks of the Obama White House reeling over the gay backlash caused by the anti-gay DOMA brief, which compared gay marriage to incest and pedophilia, we now have...

First, that the burden for doing anything pro-gay in the remaining three and a half years of the Obama administration is now shifted to Congress. Obama has no role whatsoever, and no power to influence anything, even though he's still the leader of the free world.

Second, the three big gay rights priorities that Congress should be focusing on do not even include what have organically become the community's top two priorities: repealing DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell. They're not even mentioned in the Obama deputy's essay."

[superstition]

01:34 AM on 06/18/2009

Solmonese spent his time on Olbermann apologizing for Obama and Olbermann's MSNBC commentator who discussed the issue after Solmonese was off was even worse.

I had such high hopes when i saw the intro for the show that there would be quality coverage of the issue. Instead, Olbermann was pushed into a corner with the false centrist distortion from the two men. His commentator even had the nerve to imply Obama is justified in not spending political capital to end firings under DADT. 70% of the public, including majorities of conservatives and church-goers want the policy ended! Political capital? He's spending it right now, hemorrhaging it, by continuing these ridiculous firings and filing incest/pedophilia briefs.

[bsc]

10:18 AM on 06/17/2009

good move HRC. we will not stand for this. Obama is throwing the gay community under the bus.

[CrimsonTom]

10:26 AM on 06/17/2009

I'll second that! While the HRC is usually grossly ineffective, this is the sort of thing that works. Good job, peeps.

[Tanyars5]

07:29 AM on 06/17/2009

It seems as if white people are allowed to say whatever they want but black people comments are being held up and deleted.

[joemondo]

08:03 AM on 06/17/2009

How do you see the race of people posting messages to HuffPo?

[klandish]

08:43 AM on 06/17/2009

That's a good one. Quite the comedian aren't you?

[Tanyars5]

07:27 AM on 06/17/2009

why are black voices getting monitored on this website?

[klandish]

08:51 AM on 06/17/2009

How many Black people are you?

[NetPlay525]

12:40 AM on 06/17/2009

Its about time the HRC grew a pair. Joe Solmonese and the HRC have spent way too much time on their knees servicing Obama-the-gay-bashing-bigot. The HRC needs to start organizing rallies, protests, acts of civil disobedience and encouraging their members and supporters to demand action and legislation form our elected officials. The HRC, which is the leading gay rights organization in the world, was almost invisible during the Prop 8 (and other major ballot initiatives throughout the nation) in November because they were so focused on elected Obama. Well, it was a mistake then and even bigger mistake now to be so complacent. (yes, there have been rallies in many cities, but mostly organized by small local groups and the HRC has avoided them which has resolted in a serious outcry among their members).

If you believe the HRC is right and that the DNC should not be exploiting the GLBT community with their upcoming fundraiser, here are some individuals you should be expressing your outrage to:

Tom Petrillo at [e-mail] or [phone] (LGBT Leadership Council, DNC)
Brian Bond, Executive Director, [e-mail] (LGBT Leadership Council, DNC)

Rep. Barney Frank:
2252 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]

Rep. Tammy Baldwin
2446 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
[phone] Fax
[phone]

Rep. Jared Polis
Washington, DC Office
501 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
p. 202.225.2161
f. 202.226.7840

[Halfwit]

12:23 AM on 06/17/2009

Alright. I have been thinking about this for a while.
What gays need to do is organize into groups and crash straight weddings and ruin them.
Deny straight people a happy wedding day until we can have one ourselves.

[PlaceboStudman]

12:27 AM on 06/17/2009

Nope. Not gonna work. That will only cause more anger and animosity. We need to boycott every DNC fundraiser and make sure that all our elected officials are replaced by LGBT friendly officials

[Halfwit]

12:31 AM on 06/17/2009

I know. But it is fun to think about.

[klandish]

09:41 AM on 06/17/2009

If David Geffen pulled the plug that hemorrhage would cause an instant reconsideration of policies. Isn't it sad that money can buy Human Rights?

[Disuberence]

12:34 AM on 06/17/2009

I heard a better solution today by Dan Savage.

Involves 730 couples. Every day a couple shows up to the white house entrance and asks to speak to Obama about DoMA. When they are refused entry they sit down. When they are asked to leave they refuse. They are then arrested. The next day a different couple does it. Over and over.

[Halfwit]

12:48 AM on 06/17/2009

That is a good idea. I want something (unlike my idea) that is non-destructive and non-violent but gets attention.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

12:19 AM on 06/17/2009

DNC fundraiser party favor = a tube of KY

you're gonna need it for 4 years

[Halfwit]

11:58 PM on 06/16/2009

Look, I know it is hard, but I am asking my black friends and fellow democrats to do everything they can to stop this discriminatory belief in the black community.
I have white republican christian friends, and I ask them the same.
Don;t sit quiet while someone else (even your elders) slam gays and gay rights.
As an Obama delegate to my county and state demo conventions I sttod up and defended what I believed in: Obama.
I am asking we all do the same to strike down discrimination in all forms.

[Tanyars5]

12:12 AM on 06/17/2009

What the h are you talking about? Gay people don't enter in everyday conversations. Why do you think people care about gay issues? I have two siblings unemployed with families. They are wondering how they are going to pay bills. Get over yourselves

[joemondo]

12:19 AM on 06/17/2009

I'm sorry your family is suffering from being less employable.

[Halfwit]

12:27 AM on 06/17/2009

I am talki8ng about at church, and when it does come up in conversation.

[111]

11:57 PM on 06/16/2009

During his campaign Obama said that he believed that marriage could only exist between a man and a woman but he supported civil unions. In view of his opinion, which has not changed, I don't understand why anyone is surprised by the response of the US in Smelt v. United States.

No state has ever been forced to accept the legality of another state's laws regarding marriage and the White House response cites various cases where marriage is recognized as lawful in one state and not in another.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16355867/Obamas-Motion-to-Dismiss-Marriage-case

I'm no Obama fan and I strongly disagree with him on this and other issues, but his position on this issue has not changed.

[joemondo]

12:03 AM on 06/17/2009

Now stop that. Obama is on record as saying he opposed DOMA.

[smchp]

12:10 AM on 06/17/2009

It's even in his book which was written back in 2006. No excuse for ANYONE trying to claim he has changed his position on this.

[wreckdiver]

09:02 AM on 06/17/2009

Uhhmm, yes there is.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/media/139817/broken_promise_white_house_backs_off_obama%27s_pledge_to_repeal_defense_of_marriage_act/

[Disuberence]

11:55 PM on 06/16/2009

Just curious Tanya, after Obama fails with his health care goals, what issue are you are gonna use as an excuse then?

[chedar]

11:56 PM on 06/16/2009

War, Economy, Education, Frisbee Golf

You know, the issues that actualy are important...

[Disuberence]

12:00 AM on 06/17/2009

Obama already put out the stimulus, isn't that his fix for the economy? He's also already stated an outline for withdrawal from Iraq. (I don't know why we're in Afghanistan still, OBL is dead) Obama plays basketball, not Frisbee Golf.

[Disuberence]

12:01 AM on 06/17/2009

Obama already put out the stimulus, isn't that his fix for the economy? He's also already stated an outline for withdrawal from Ir.aq. (I don't know why we're in Afgh.anistan still, OBL is de.ad) Obama plays basketball, not Frisbee Golf.

[NetPlay525]

12:55 AM on 06/17/2009

Obama is not trying to fix health care. He, like Hillarity Clinton, are ignorant enough to think the solution is selling more health INSURANCE. The fact is, the INSURANCE and PHARMACEUTICAL industris are the PROBLEM and they need to be eliminated and/or regulated. Obama will fail on health care AND health insurance because he's trying to please big business while assuming the general public won't care that their health care won't improve. And because the plan he recently submitted to the senate is every bit as incomprehensible and muddled as Hillary Clinton's was.

[Halfwit]

11:27 PM on 06/16/2009

Californiahate:
From the Washington post THREE YEARS AGO.

The face of AIDS in the United States is primarily black as well. The majority of new HIV infections here are black, the majority of people who die from AIDS here are black and the people most at risk of contracting this virus in the United States are black. AIDS is now in our house. It's now our problem, and we must come up with solutions.

Your argument that gays have more HIV is true. But not for long.

[freshnotbitter]

11:12 PM on 06/16/2009

In his brief, President Obama says that it is illegal to discriminate due to sexual orientation (in the context of the case at issue) then he says it is ok to discriminate against gays who are legally married, solely and for no other reason whatsoever other than because their partner is of the same sex. How is that not discrimination against sexual orientation?

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

11:12 PM on 06/16/2009

to DNC

we aren't your ATM......anymore

Every member of the Senate should be told in an email, to sponsor or co sponsor repeal of DADT, or they won't get one gay dime or one gay vote,

[chedar]

11:15 PM on 06/16/2009

LOL

Your hatred of black people is cute.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

11:19 PM on 06/16/2009

SEVERAL gay Black men would find your statement LAUGHABLE, and honey,
they knew me MUCH better than you ever will.

[Halfwit]

11:50 PM on 06/16/2009

LOL

Your hatred of gay people is obvious.

[crayola 08b]

11:23 PM on 06/16/2009

you tell 'em, boy. they ain't gettin no more dimes from my crayon box until DADT is repelled and DOMA is nomo'.

[freshnotbitter]

11:07 PM on 06/16/2009

In the brief the Justice Department says that some states recognize gay marriage and some don't and since the feds shouldn't take sides, they will deny gay couples federal benefits that straights get by virtue of being married, EVEN IN STATES WHERE GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGAL. How is that not taking sides? Had they said the benefits will be granted in States where gay marriage is legal but not in states where it is not, that would be "not taking sides" from the point of view of simply deciding that states should decide the issue. However, the Obama legal team decisively says they are taking the side of the states who do not recognize gay marriage and join them in opposing gay marriage EVEN IN STATES WHERE THEH PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED TO ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE!!!!

[PlaceboStudman]

11:13 PM on 06/16/2009

Obama is going one step farther tomorrow and granting benefits to spouses of federal employees, in direct violation of DOMA

[chedar]

11:47 PM on 06/16/2009

There goes healthcare

[CaliforniaLove]

11:16 PM on 06/16/2009

Not a single state in the union has allowed gay marriage via consent of the people! Not a single one. When the people vote on gay marriage it gets flushed!

[Halfwit]

11:28 PM on 06/16/2009

So legislatures that represent the people don't count?
That is as stupid as the Clinton campaign's stand on Caucuses.

[PlaceboStudman]

11:32 PM on 06/16/2009

Only 2 of the 6 current gay marriage laws enacted by the state legislature have been challenged. Califormia and I believe Maine. Apparently the residents in the other 4 states, 2/3, do not have a problem with their legislatures enacting marriage equality or there would be more challenges