And you have dominance by the well-populated and funded States/Cities, even though the board was drawn from all parts of the U.S.

Since many states have elections in odd-numbered years, I think this gives everyone a chance to focus their attention and money locally in 2013 and still be able to come back and work on Congressional, Senate and Presidential politics in 2014.

I hope they keep enough presence though to ensure that they don’t go defunct.

But I thought they’d worked through that and were a viable and meaningful organization. So I’m surprised. And sad. And troubled.

I very much think that Stonewall has a great national need and purpose.

There will always be – even in the most supportive organizations – a need for an organized gay presence. We are a tiny minority and even those who support us don’t always consider us when crafting bills or writing policy. Someone has to be there to say, “ahem, I think you forgot how this clause here impacts my community”.

And there is a need for a national voice to respond to political gaffes, or even politicians within the Democratic Party who take hostile or antagonistic positions. Someone has to be there to say, “Hey, I’m part of this party and what you are saying is wrong.” Because no matter how supportive they are today, unless we are there in the future that can all go away.

I have no answers for whatever is contributing to their problems. But I think that perhaps they have let the “non partisan” groups speak for gay Democrats. And that may be something they wish to consider going forward.