Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO, Named Corporate Spokesman For Same-Sex Marriage By HRC

Rolling Stone's Matt Taibi has penned a sharp-tongued critique of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights group's decision to name Goldman Sachs' CEO as one of its spokespeople.

The Human Rights Campaign sparked Taibi's ire when it named Lloyd Blankfein its national corporate spokesman for same-sex marriage.

Taibi describes the move as a slap in the face to poor and working people all over the world:

How would the members of the HRC board feel if a group of labor unions got together and decided to nominate an antigay bigot like Rick Santorum, Gary Bauer or James Dobson to head a national campaign for workers’ rights?

Taibi lays out an extensive case for why HRC should be ashamed of its decision in the piece, which can be read in its entirety on Rolling Stone's website.

He also points to David Sirota's Salon post, which claims Wall Street bigwigs like Blankfein gain a great deal of public goodwill for this type of advocacy, without sacrificing their bottom lines.

From Sirota:

Taking a page out of corporate greenwashing strategies, many of the most offensively greedy, right-wing thieves in the business world have long touted their personally progressive position on select social issues like gay rights as a means of publicly presenting themselves as Good and Decent People. Not surprisingly, the particular progressive causes they choose tend to be those that do not impact their businesses or personal economic situations.

The Guardian's Jason Farago agreed, writing, "gay marriage in the United States, from the bank's view, is probably a fait accompli":

Our relationships and their legal status have become a PR no-brainer, a cause so devoid of risk that a CEO facing unprecedented populist backlash can support them as much as your favorite Occupier.

A spokesperson for HRC told The Huffington Post that Blankfein is "but one more person" supporting gay marriage.

"In the weeks and months to come, we’ll be adding even more voices from diverse backgrounds to reflect how Americans from all walks of life support marriage equality," Fred Sainz told HuffPost in an email. "Mr. Blankfein’s is but one more person lending their support to the marriage equality movement. That’s it."

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[dbrett480]

04:35 PM on 02/25/2012

There are other issues besides gay marriage that the HRC deals with.

[practiceempathy]

04:43 PM on 02/16/2012

I simply no longer trust the HRC.

Until years ago, on a tight budget, I'd regularly give to the HRC.

Then I started scratching my head, every time I saw its leader decked out in a killer wardrobe on national television, adoring his celebrity status, or at a D.C. VIP cocktail party...

because several times a month, that same man would shoot out emails pleading, "Can you today spare $25, $50, $100 or more to help us defeat this horrible, horrible thing?"

And then I did some research.

And found out the leader of that so-called non-profit was raking in nearly $400 a year.

I felt like a played fool.

And don't even get me started on the HRC's inefficacy.

[practiceempathy]

05:19 PM on 02/16/2012

Excuse me, $400K a year.

[LynnW49]

12:52 PM on 02/17/2012

I agree. I stopped giving ages ago.

[practiceempathy]

12:58 PM on 02/17/2012

How that man can call himself the leader of a "non-profit" is beyond me. What's that $400K?

Disgusting.

[Ubergrinch]

09:31 AM on 02/16/2012

Gay people don't have any concerns about fiscal morality. They just care that they can get married and go to war. (Who tricked them into that anyway?)

[Ed Baker]

10:52 AM on 02/16/2012

Viewing the gay community as a monolith is an error. Our views on economic issues cover a broad spectrum. We come from every walk of life, every religion, every ethnicity.

[Ubergrinch]

11:23 AM on 02/16/2012

I was being half-sarcastic, except it is no accident the media focuses on marriage and military when it comes to the gay community. To get rights, one must assimilate to the nuclear-family-die-for-your-country mindset, it seems.

[practiceempathy]

04:49 PM on 02/16/2012

Offensive, even if somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

When I learned of the fiscal immorality of the HRC, for instance, I started taking that money and giving it to this wonderful, very fiscally moral organization:

http://rainbowfund.org/InTheNews/

[steeler59]

08:55 AM on 02/16/2012

Did any of you, watch to big to fail, I would not let him sponsor a lemonade stand.

The damage he caused to untold lives is inmeasurable. I guess he has a human right to destroy!

What a bunch of garbage

[John Denton]

08:53 AM on 02/16/2012

At Democratic sites if you're gay-friendly you can also be a fascist banker and get a pass.

[LynnW49]

12:54 PM on 02/17/2012

Gay Americans are not giving Blankfein a pass. The HRC is. The HRC does not speak for us. They are discredited by many gay Americans, and they should be.

[John Denton]

06:27 PM on 02/18/2012

I was over the top, reacting to my experience at one large site.

These criminals - now Cheney coming out for gays - is transparent. They're trying to sop up a large piece of the left with some make-nice.

[miltonc4l]

08:31 AM on 02/16/2012

Come on Matt, leave the guy alone. He's just doing his God's work.

[Godweiser]

08:19 AM on 02/16/2012

I think this is a huge mistake by HRC. Lloyd Blankfein, frankly, is a flim-flam man. I am betting the megachurch pastors are clinking champagne flutes full of sparkling cider over this one behind closed doors.

[go2goal]

08:16 AM on 02/16/2012

What's Lloyd's next move for everyone at Goldman that serves under him.....is he going to remove healthcare benefits for contraceptive prescriptions for women?

Let me guess....Lloyd relies on Viagra.

I thought Lloyd was a jew.....he needs to go back and tour Auschwitz and relearn the lessons of the Holocaust. The US as a nation used to hold as core value the ability to VALUE DIFFERENCES......we are losing our way because of people like Lloyd Blankfein and their intolerance of others who are not exactly like him.

[sandiegowoman]

08:25 AM on 02/16/2012

Did you read the article? He is in FAVOR OF GAY MARRIAGE and is a spokesman for HRC.

[marshhen]

07:46 AM on 02/16/2012

Blankenfein is an admitted democrat. The administration will continue to look the other way, as long as the donations to their causes keep coming.

[nancytheragingliberal]

08:00 AM on 02/16/2012

m, I don't care what he is, he should be tried and in jail. Creep still walking around, while 5000 OWS abused and in jail. Wrong.

[go2goal]

08:22 AM on 02/16/2012

Where did you find that he was Democrat?

Everything I've ever seen shows Lloyd is a registered Republican and he frequently speaks at Republican gatherings as well as at the US Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is now a far right Republican organization.

[marshhen]

08:45 AM on 02/16/2012

Oh, please, what an out right l-i-e. Just google him.

[ArborialBiped]

07:24 AM on 02/16/2012

The next time I want to see this guy's photo is when he's sporting a federal orange jumpsuit.

[big tom]

06:47 AM on 02/16/2012

lloyd must have a plan to steal their money ... that is what he is good at.

[mgrant33301]

06:34 AM on 02/16/2012

blankfein should be in prison for all the crimes he has committed.

[Henry Spencer]

06:16 AM on 02/16/2012

HRC actually fell for PeeWee's PR stunt?

[Scent]

05:55 AM on 02/16/2012

He should be in jail for life. Nothing else needs be said about that parasite criminal.

[nanoscare]

05:51 AM on 02/16/2012

HRC is more concerned about keeping it's board of directors rolling in invitations than it is about advancing equality.