June 22nd, 2009
There haven’t been any more individuals announce their refusal to attend this week’s DNC fundraiser since Mary Bonauto made her announcement last week. But two more groups have said that they will not participate. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis issued this statement on the SLDN web site:
SLDN will be outside boycotting the Democratic National Committee (DNC) LGBT event in Washington this Thursday. SLDN will be calling upon the President to end his silence on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” We will be wearing and handing out buttons with the number 265, representing the number of service members who will have been discharged this week since President Obama was sworn in. We do not, nor would we want to, dictate how members of our board or our Military Advisory Council make their political views known. However, I understand that two board members are attending the DNC event. I also understand they will be making their own spirited and creative statements once inside the room.
And On Top magazine has learned that none of the board members of the National Black Justice Coalition will attend, although that doesn’t appear to be the result of an official NBJC decision:
A leaked email of GLBT dignitaries confirmed for the DNC event includes the name of Alexander Robinson, the NBJC’s former executive director who stepped down on June 1. Barlett, who is also a Connecticut state representative, confirmed no NBJC board member would attend the controversial event, but added that was not a formal endorsement of a DNC boycott.
“I don’t know of any board members that are intending on going,” Barlett said.
Stonewall Democrats announced last week that they would drop their support for the DNC fundraiser. That’s in addition to eleven prominent LGBT activists who have also said they won’t attend. Those activists are Civil Rights Project Director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) Mary Bonauto, San Diego City Commissioner and former co-chair of the Obama LGBT Leadership Council Stampp Corbin, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Rea Carey, Utah businessman Bruce Bastion, Vermont Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, political strategist David Mixer, blogger Andy Towle, Executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda Alan Van Capelle, former Clinton administration aide Richard Socarides, HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse, and Wall Street realtor Corey Johnson.
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David C.
June 22nd, 2009
Well, imagine that. A bunch of the gay advocacy groups and their supporters actually pulling oars in a coordinated fashion.
Now, if all these groups can just find a unifying message and stay on it, simultaneously use a carrot and stick approach to material support of the DNC, and persist until substantive gay rights legislation is passed, perhaps there is some hope for them and their executives actually deserving to be called leaders.
Richard W. Fitch
June 22nd, 2009
Conspicuously missing is any mention of HRC. Their current record as advocates for the LGBT community should at least prompt a response of some sort from Joe and his crew.
Lindoro Almaviva
June 22nd, 2009
Richard:
If you look at most posts announcing the decision by someone not to attend the fund raiser, I ask the same question.
Apparently the HRC is not mad enough to be actually spokespeople for the Gay community.
I have a feeling that they are actually looking for cabinet positions in the government and if they make too much noise they will not be considered.
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