June 18th, 2009
We now have ten people who have cancelled their appearance at next week’s Democratic fundraiser over the Obama administration’s brief defending DOMA. The latest ones are:
Stampp Corbin, San Diego City Commissioner and former co-chair of the Obama LGBT Leadership Council during the presidential campaign:
Mr. President, your DOMA mistake awakened a sleeping giant. He is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. You better get LGBT affirming legislation moving quickly or the coffers of the LGBT community will be slammed shut on the fingers of your administration and the DNC. You and the DNC may find themselves asking about our donations “if not now, when” as we have been asking about our rights for the last few months.
That\’s simply the way I see it.
Also National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Rea Carey and Corey Johnson (I missed that one earlier).
They join 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, and HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse in boycotting the fundraiser.
Andrew Sullivan is cheering them on. But, he says, our anger should not stop with Obama:
We need to swamp Pelosi with phone-calls.
We need to target Reid for his inaction. We have to pressure Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin not to excuse the disdain that the Obama administration is showing toward gay equality, and their cynical use of our votes, money and passion to enforce real and potent discrimination against us and our families. And we have to refuse to attend White House signing ceremonies like yesterday’s farce. Really: until they are serious, we should not be coopted and placated with pathetic sops. I am not a Clintonite. I worked my ass off to get this man to power. On many issues, I support him and will continue to do so.
But I am a proud, self-respecting gay man with HIV. And I am not going to take this crap for much longer on civil rights. Fight back. Act Up.
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Warren
June 18th, 2009
Sullivan is right. Pelosi cannot get elected to represent SF without gay and allied support. We could put forward someone like Matt Gonzalez (who nearly beat Gavin Newson in 2003) and form a coalition with the progressive community in the city and toss her out if she makes no movement on our issues. THAT would be a wake-up call!
Joel
June 18th, 2009
we need to recruit more LGBT.. maybe then it’ll make us as important as to maybe attract obamas attention. If he sincerely cares, he might actually heed the LGBT’s concerned voice… but Obama has always struck me as the kind of person that begins and ends in his oratory.
Lindoro Almaviva
June 18th, 2009
Fight back. Act Up.
Where have I heard this before? Oh I know, it was the response we gave when Saint Ronald “won’t acknowledge AIDS” Reagan bit more than he could chew.
Just as i said, maybe it is time to revive the old ACT UP! policies and people. Not everyone liked what they did, but they certainly did not get ignored.
Once again, where is Solmonese in all of this? Where is his announcement pulling out of this farce? Where is the concentrated effort to make sure the leaders of the gay community DO NOT attend this shindig and make a statement with their non attendance?
Jose
June 18th, 2009
I’ve always thought it was bizarre that San Francisco, of all places, has never had an openly gay mayor. Newsom is awesome, and Willy Brown was great, but really… Paris and Berlin have gay mayors. Portland and Providence have gay mayors. Even Tempe, AZ had an openly gay (and Republican) mayor: Neil Giuliano, who is now the outgoing director of GLAAD and rumored Arizona gubernatorial candidate.
Jose
June 18th, 2009
Ooops… Forgot to finish that thought: The same goes for congress(wo)man. You would think that San Francisco of all places could elect an openly LGBT congressperson, and yet they haven’t.
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