HRC Losing Donors Over Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy

Queerty:

In a revealing letter to the Human Rights Campaign obtained by Queerty, a donor to the organization reveals he's withdrawing his financial support for one big reason: HRC's misguided strategy on letting elected officials off the hook on Don't Ask Don't Tell to push through other legislation. Previous accusations claimed HRC's Joe Solmonese was advising the White House and senior Democratic legislators to take a relaxed approach to DADT. Now, irrefutable evidence HRC is throwing military personnel under the bus.

Read the whole story: Queerty

Comments

[superstition]

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."

[MRb1000]

Look the amount of money you generate is not enough to change their minds. If you attack the problem why the will not lift DADT you are going to lose. Hey fat people get kick out of the military and skinny people get kick out of the military. If you do not maintain a certain wait and waste size you will be kick out of the military and they do not care how smart you are!

IT IS ALL ABOUT AN INTIMATE ISSUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT MAKE THE STATEMENT LOUDER!!!!!!!!!!

SAYING YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE MONEY WILL CHANGE PEOPLES MIND IS STUPID. THIS IS CONCERNING SOMETHING LARGER THAN MONEY. IT IS AN NATION SECURITY ISSUE! WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE 10% OF OUR MILITARY. LET BRING THE DRAFT BACK AND SEE HOW FAST YOUR THE GAY AND LESBIAN CHANGE THEIR TOON!

[LeeCalif]

Good move.

You can either demand action or be a Harry Reid.

[SD Indy]

Before anyone jumps on this, especially on HuffPo, I'm going to throw it out there because it kind of p!sses me off. Apparently Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has introduced a piece of legislation that would grant LGBT Americans universal healthcare. ( http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid92895.asp )

Everyone here knows that I'm gay, but this piece of legislation angers me to NO extent. This is the type of legislation that gives right-wing extremists (and some on this thread - and yes you KNOW who you are) that the ammunition to level the "special treatement" charge against LGBT Americans.

She should be FOCUSING on getting Universal Healthcare for ALL Americans, NOT just us LGBT folks. I'm sure she has good intentions, but this is a very BAD piece of legislation. We want EQUAL rights NOT special treatment Congresswoman Baldwin.

[Jtt]

heres an intresting little tidbit:

Gay movement boosted by ’79 march on Washington

Many established gay rights groups at first opposed the National March on Washington, which took place on Oct. 14, 1979.

the 1979 march was conceived largely by a cadre of maverick gay Americans who had stronger ties to left-leaning progressive causes than to the established national gay groups of that period, according to some of the organizers and participants.

acknowledged that the Oct. 14, 1979, march had little impact on Congress and the administration of President *** Jimmy Carter, who declined to support gay rights legislation. *** ( http://www.washblade.com/2004/11-5/news/national/movement.cfm )

[M1]

Hopefully HRC will get into line with the Grassroots, times have changed and the future is now. Lt. Choi could be the President of HRC's DADT division. He could go to the White House and lobby for the repeal of DADT and watch over the donations given in support of repealing DADT. Since he is a soldier and not a politician he will likely do a better job and the donors will trust him.

[diogenes1967]

All white gays supported the other HRC, huh?

In spite of this man's many many many many many many faults, here's one prominent gay blogger who supported Obama from the VERY BEGINNING!

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/02/obama-stands-up.html

And Andrew Sullivan happens to be a married man.

[Tanyars5]

Did anyone ever answer the question about the % of gay dollar contribution to the overall Obama total dollar donations?

[joemondo]

What's his price?

[Jtt]

Im sure we were too low for them. Thats ok. I dont think it would be good to associate with this administration anyway as it is probably on its way out due to its lack of maintaining its base.

[CaliforniaLove]

Probably less than 1%, and that is stretching it.

[Tanyars5]

I know...thi­s is the second story I have seen money is being witheld from gay groups. Whom exactly is supporting who?

[diogenes1967]

I attempted to look, it's unknown. I've heard that the gay community is the 2nd biggest non-union fundraising community for the Democratic Party overall though. I am sure there are people tring to come up with better figures.

[SD Indy]

FEC reports don't track sexual orientation as a funding source. The only numbers that they track are for PACs. However, there is only one conclusion that one can come to, and that is that the Democrats and the President ignored us for the most part until big names started pulling out of the DNC LGBT Fundraiser.

It will be quite interesting to see how the administration handles the Gill case come Monday (that is when they are supposed to file their brief). If the DoJ defends DOMA the way it did in Smelt (I think that was the plaintiffs name) then we will know for sure if Obama means what he says.

[joemondo]

And so it goes. When a non profit doesn't represent the community, it suffers.

HRC will likely recover by being more responsive to donors.

[Jtt]

Are you going to be in Washington for the march?

[joemondo]

Afraid not. It's an impossible week for me to travel.

[SD Indy]

I will be!

[bootman69]

HRC has become a corporate behemoth concerned only with it's own survival. They could care less about gay people unless they work for HRC

[chasmader]

This is really true. They used to do incredibly good work. Then about ten years ago, they were taken over by then owner of a lesbian cruise line who ran it into the ground (remember the 2004 elections).

It has not recovered and really needs to change it's business plan and or replace it's leadership with a younger generation. One less concerned with black-tie "fundraisers" and more concerned with gay rights.

[Palemoon]

Here we go again! DADT did NOT make it illegal for gays to serve in the military. It made it illegal for the military to ask, or investigate, if someone was gay or not.

Repealing DADT will not change anything. It will not make anything better. The ONLY thing that will work, is to force either the President, or Congress, or both to ORDER the military to allow gays to serve freely and openly.

People do not understand, it's the MILITARY that is making the decision that it's illegal for gays to serve in their ranks. And our cowards in the White House and halls of Congress are too afraid to do their job, which is to ORDER the Pentagon to make it legal.

[rascalish]

Here is what donations to HRC amounted to:
Directors salary: Guessing mid 6 figures. Lets just throw this out there: $150,000
Paper for letter to White House: .15 cents
Envelope: .75 cents
Stamp: .44 cents
Pen: most likely just found one lying around.
So a strongly worded letter to the White House amounted to a total of: $150,001.3­4

[We-Are-The-Ones]

LOL.

[MRb1000]

Sorry they are throwing themselves under the bus. Just comply with the law until the law is changed. This issue will just fade away because you are trying to force something on the most controlled part of America that is the military. Also, the military you do not have many rights! You have to salute and carry out orders smartly like they where your own. Most of you do not understand this. This is why DADT will never be over turn with your approach. You should attack what is keep you from serving freely then try to get your way. It will not happen!

This is an intimate issues. I will say it a million time over! If you do not get it you cause will fade. People will go back to ignoring you!

[CaliforniaLove]

DADT is an excellent piece of legislation. Our military should not be used as a pulpit for the gay agenda.

[VPN]

There is NOTHING excellent about DADT in fact its a policy that has NO place in a country that prides itself on its freedoms. There is NO such thing as a G ay ag enda, thats something RW bi go ts use to push their own ha te ful ag enda. How much did YOU speak out about the Military being used to advance the republickers ag enda and for photo ops by a President with a 23% approval rating?

[MRb1000]

Serving in the military is not about being free because you are not. You are the property of the united states government. You are a slave to the government by choice. This is a fact.

[rascalish]

How is it excellent?
You say it shouldn't be used as a pulpit for "the gay agenda".
So what exactly is the agenda you are referring to?

[PA Blue]

A majority of those who serve in the military- somwhere in the area of 70%- want DADT repealed.

[MRb1000]

You must be smoking crack again! Hey put that crack pipe down before you hurt somebody. You do not believe your own statement. If this were the case we would not be blogging about this. LOL

[joemondo]

DADT should not be overturned as part of any gay agenda.

It should be overturned because it is counterproductive to lose trained, skilled military personnel because they are gay or lesbian. It is especially stupid to do so during a war, and phenomenally stupid to do so when it includes losing a limited pool of qualified Arabic translators at this time.

[MRb1000]

The military kick you out because you are fat and skinny! So what are you saying. You better focus on what is keep gays out of the military than making pointless statements. It is an intimate issue. If you do not like the truth is because you cannot handle the truth!

[Jtt]

Its an embarrassment to this republic.

[CaliforniaLove]

So are you.

[furryone]

HRC sucks--they SHOULD lose all their funding!