On October 25th, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will hold a fancy fundraiser at the Hynes Convention center.
All people who believe in social and environmental justice should boycott this event, and never give money to HRC.
Transgender and allied activists across the country have been protesting HRC Galas this year because the organization supported a version of the Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) that did not include protections based on gender identity and expression – the most important protections for all of us who face anti-gay/queer violence and discrimination.
Hundreds of LGBT organizations including PFLAG and NGLTF signed the United ENDA document in opposition HRC’s strategy.
In addition to their weak support of the trans community, HRC has been endorsing conservative candidates for many years.
They endorsed Susan Collins who supported all of Bush’s right-wing justice nominiees. They endorsed Al D’amato who is pro-life and supported Reagan’s horrific budget cuts. The endorsed Mary Bono who has a 20% rating from NARAL and a 36% rating from the NAACP.
Finally, they endorsed Joe Lieberman, who supports John McCain, civil unions, and more war, over his progressive challenger Ned Lamont who was pro-same sex marriage and firmly against the war.
HRC’s top down organizing has divided progressive allies to the LGBT movement, and neglected to recognize that issues of reproductive justice, war, and the environment are important to LGBT people.
Please join the queer community in boycotting the HRC Dinner on October 25th. We’ll be holding a festive demonstration outside the Hynes Convention Center.
To learn more and endorse visit QueerToday’s Events Calendar.
In San Francisco labor, trans, and queer activists created the largest ever protest of HRC. The mayor of Los Angeles backed out from being the keynote speaker because he refuses to cross labor picket lines! One can only hope Bostonians take note!
Suggestion: spell out “Human Rights Campaign” in the headline. I’m probably not the only one who translates HRC to Hillary Rodham Clinton almost automatically.
Might as well boycott her for the same reasons. (or did she stick with her party’s nominee, not sure, but where else does she differ?)
to boycott the gala, since i never go to galas anyway. but if i were the glitter gala sort, i’d certainly be joining you in the boycott. i stopped contributing to hrc over their dishonest handling of the enda situation. i’ll happily reconsider renewing my membership when joe solmonese moves on, and hrc shows itself to be on board with inclusivity. until then, there are numerous other orgs worthy of my redirected funds.
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p>i’m happy to hear that you’re going to have a festive demo outside. imo, the best way to deal with hrc’s waffling on t-inclusive legislation is to educate members in a non-confrontational way. someone blew it in cali (san diego?) a few weeks ago by disrupting the program from inside, while it was happening. i’ll wager that she gained no converts and perhaps lost some potential sympathizers by “storming the gates”. what a wasted opportunity.
And miss my chance to have my money used in support of a Senator who runs against marriage equality?
Was HRC always opposed to including transgendereds in this legislation, or did they fight for their inclusion and now support the version without them? If the former then I would say shame on them. If the latter, then I certainly understand supporting an imperfect bill if it is better than not having the bill at all.
here is just on sample.
http://transgriot.blogspot.com…
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p>But I think the larger pro-trans inclusion community is pissed at Joe Solmonese’s promise to the LGBT community that HRC would only back a trans-inclusive bill and then doing the opposite.
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p>Historically, HRC’s “corporate” mentality is the root of its problems.
that hrc lied about some of its reversals (see my link above).
How does supporting a non-transgender ENDA contribute to global warming?
i believe that what he’s saying is that hrc supports politicians that may be ok on lgbt issues, but really awful on others such as choice, the environment, etc. he is criticizing the org for not using a more holistic score card.
Above comments not withstanding, I would respectuflly suggest that the name of the post be changed to avoid ambiguity. The name should reflect “Human Rights Campaign” becuase of the possibility that it might be misconstrued.
Appreciate the change.
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p>Sorry about the typos.
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p>Above comments notwithstanding, I would respectfully suggest that the name of the post be changed to avoid ambiguity. The name should reflect “Human Rights Campaign” because of the possibility that it might be misconstrued.