Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

by Nancy Scola, Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:23:38 PM EST

Human Rights Campaign head Joe Solmonese and former Washington Blade editor Chris Crain have been having a back and forth in the pages of the San Francisco Bay Times, Crain going after Solmonese for his objections to the profoundly stupid Snickers Superbowl ad. The subtext here is that HRC, the biggest national gay group, is often hit with criticisms that it would rather go after low-hanging fruit, throw black-tie galas, and remain palatable to mainstream DC political establishment than, you know, agitate for the advancement of actual homosexuals. Anyhoo, this month's Atlanticprofiles Tim Gill, Quark publishing software founder turned gay philanthropist. (h/t Andrew Sullivan) Gill, based in Colorado, is eschewing HRC-style national politics in favor of targetting state and even local campaigns. He and his network quietly poured money into a sucessful challenger to Iowa's speaker pro tem because he had introduced the state's same-sex marraige ban. Guy didn't know what hit him.

Tags: gay rights, Human Rights Campaign, Progressive Infrastructure (all tags)

Comments

10 Comments

Sort by

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

Wow, that column by Solmonese is really personal and he seems to have a pretty thin skin. HRC not surprisingly is very defensive about their lack of accomplishments. They have not passed a single piece of policy at the federal level, despite spending tens of millions of dollars. The organization has been more effective at the foundation level, with their efforts to get companies like Snickers to have more tolerant work environments.

HRC is a very top heavy and DC centric organization. Their local chapters do little besides host the black tie galas you mention. They were way too slow to realize that the significant battles were being waged in the states. Other organizations have taken the lead locally.

The Atlantic piece I read the other week, someone in the comments here linked to it. Very interesting stuff. I highly recommend people read it.

by juls 2007-02-23 12:40PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

It's worse in some of the states than "doing little." Maryland's chapter ("<s>Stupidity</s> Equality Maryland") managed to endorse an anti-gay marriage Democratic state senator (John Giannetti, D/R-21) incumbent against a liberal primary challenger, watch their endorsee lose 2-1, then watch that endorsee switch to the Republican Party, warmly embraced by that anti-gay party due to his hard, hard work opposing gay marriage! To quote Giannetti,"I am still a Democrat until the right set of conditions occur." Sound familiar? The conditions occurred, and unlike Lamont against Lieberman, Jim Rosapepe went on to kick Giannetti's ass a second time in the general election.

THEN THEY ALSO opposed the primary challenge of extremely progressive challenger Senator Jamie Raskin (D-20) - who testified aggressively in Annapolis in favor of same-sex marriage in January as a law professor, who championed the cause of same-sex loudly and proudly in a maybe-bluer-than-Chris-Bowers Hyper-Progressive legislative district, prominently on his website, against a hack incumbent. Equality Maryland endorsed the hack incumbent, of course, who lost 2-1 against a magnificent progressive campaign.

In 21, the incumbent was a right-wing reliable cross-vote in a 3-2 blue district. In 20, Republicans don't even run pro forma, it's so left. Equality Maryland managed to screw up both them.

Their legislative director Dan Furmansky should lose his job and go on unemployment as an abject example of political stupidity to the other 49 states. When my site <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.giannetti27sep27,0,3413974.story?coll=bal-local-arundel">Crablaw Maryland Weekly</a> called out Equality Maryland for their incompetence, Furmansky eventually withdrew his organization's endorsement, after Giannetti had announced his sore-loser switch.

I am not even gay, but this incompetence is offensive to me as a progressive Marylander. If GLBT voters have self-respect and want victory, they should start funding the hell out of whoever Equality Maryland opposes, because those EM-opposed progressives both stand loyal like a rock - AND win.

by Bruce Godfrey 2007-02-23 01:21PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

THEN THEY ALSO opposed the primary challenge

Equality Maryland endorsed the hack incumbent

The "hack incumbent" was the Senate President Pro Tem, who, according to the WashBlade, welcomed the Deane & Polyak vs. Conaway decision with:

"I think it was the appropriate decision," she said. "I think the judge set forth equal rights, and in this country we have equal rights."

Why should EM oppose the pro-equality incumbent? Besides, Jamie Raskin was telling anyone who'd listen that Dan Furmansky was endorsing him personally -- I'm quite sure about this, as I heard this directly from Jamie.

managed to endorse an anti-gay marriage Democratic state senator (John Giannetti, D/R-21) incumbent against a liberal primary challenger

You're implying that Rosapepe supports marriage equality? He does not -- again, I've heard it from the horse's mouth. You can also see that he doesn't in the survey I link to below.

Did you know that Rosapepe identified himself as pro-life for The Capital (Annapolis)? Did you notice he didn't get the NARAL endorsement? On social issues, Rosapepe is "squishy", depending on who he's talking to. I would not describe him as a reliable liberal.

At the time EM made the endorsement, Giannetti was an incumbent Democrat. You will note here that Giannetti/Rosapepe have identical responses to the EM survey (warning pdf), as do Raskin/Ruben.

Giannetti's party switch was a surprise to everyone, including EM -- they could not have anticipated it. MD GOP conducted a post-primary poll of the district on 9-16 as part of the effort to recruit John, long after EM endorsed.

When EM revoked its endorsement of Giannetti, it was because JG did not respond to them for assurances that his positions had not changed.

EM-opposed progressives both stand loyal like a rock - AND win

Oh please. Rosapepe's win had nothing to do with Equality MD or social issues. And "loyal like a rock"? LOL, LOL, LOL, that's all I have to say.

by dblhelix 2007-02-23 04:09PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

No, Giannetti self-destructed more than anything else, Rosapepe had a lot of money and Giannetti's gun stance did not help. Ruben was a hack who relied on incumbent privilege for too long, kicked upstairs to Senate Pro Tem Pres. to get her out of the way. Her lack of effectiveness was part of why Raskin absolutely destroyed her. Senate Pro Tem doesn't mean much if you cannot keep your own district. She should have been able beat Raskin 7-2, not the other way around. You don't endorse either the opponents of your agenda or the opponents of your strongest, fiercest allies. You endorse nobody, or endorse everybody if endorsing nobody can't work. It weakens your brand. If HRC's endorsement is meaningless (as it probably was in 21), why bother? If it is a marker of the non-prevailing, loser candidate, candidates may be tempted to run from it. Don't weaken your own brand. No wonder Rosapepe is anti gay-marriage. If I were advising Rosapepe and saw how ineffective EM was, I would tell him to oppose gay marriage, it's cheaper and easier to oppose it and dangle a possible switch later in exchange for political favors to be named. Furmansky was not a wartime consigliere, and should offer his resignation. As a CEO, lawyer or baseball coach if you shit the bed in public you get fired. If I botch my job like Furmansky did this one, I would get fired and rightly so.

by Bruce Godfrey 2007-02-24 04:14AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

She should have been able beat Raskin 7-2, not the other way around.

Well then, if you believe this, EM was perfectly correct in endorsing her. A lack of endorsement by staying neutral would undermine them had she won. Your argument makes no sense to me.

The point is that for this particular issue, Ida Ruben was just as much an ally -- she did not shirk in public. EM gave the formal endorsement to Ruben while Furmanksy spoke favorably of Raskin. Everyone here knew what the deal was.

If HRC's endorsement is meaningless (as it probably was in 21

?? HRC made federal endorsements, not state. I'll assume you mean Equality Maryland.

No, Giannetti self-destructed more than anything else.

Humpty was pushed, repeatedly, going back to '03. He wasn't smart enough to see the writing on the wall. The AWB was not the defining issue.

No wonder Rosapepe is anti gay-marriage.

Nothing to do with Equality Maryland.

by dblhelix 2007-02-24 10:07AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

Sorry for prior bad formatting, Crablaw Maryland Weekly link.

by Bruce Godfrey 2007-02-23 01:22PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

Link fixed to Crablaw. Bad blogger, no Dorito.

by Bruce Godfrey 2007-02-23 01:23PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

HRC really is behind on these issues. Where we have been losing in the gay rights debate is that we ceed too much to the fundies who are allow to argue unchallenged in red and purple areas. I would love things to change at the federal level, but the battle to truly changes things begins locally not just with marriage, but a wide array of other issues.

by bruh21 2007-02-23 03:45PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

ps your title is on point- we wait until there is some attack by the right on gay issues, and then we act. when in fact this is a long term project to change hearts and minds. even with the rights full frontal assault you can already see snippets here and snippets there of changes.

by bruh21 2007-02-23 03:46PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Funding the 50-State Gay Conspiracy

Nice use of the "anyhoo" in a blog post.

by Winston Smith 2007-02-23 05:19PM | 0 recs