Thursday, February 22, 2007

HRC's Thin-Skinned Solmonese is Pissing Mad at Chris Crain

The former editor of the Washington Blade, Chris Crain, a man who does not tolerate the foolish leaders of the Human Rights Campaign or their lack of political accomplishments in Congress for gays, penned an opinion column for San Francisco's Bay Times earlier this month in response to an ad during the Super Bowl, one that angered HRC.

Crain opined:

The Human Rights Campaign was quick to condemn the ads, although they ought to be busy protecting our interests on Pennsylvania Avenue, not Madison Avenue.

HRC chief Joe Solmonese was characteristically patronizing, chastising Mars for not “knowing better.”

“If they have any questions about why the ad isn’t funny,” finger-wags Solmonese, “we can help put them in touch with any number of GLBT Americans who have suffered hate crimes.”

Well I, for one, am a gay American who suffered a broken nose and two black eyes for holding my boyfriend’s hand in the street. If that somehow qualifies me to speak, then let me say I am much less disturbed by Snickers’ goofy ad than by the gross overreaction of our overly earnest activists.

Now, a few week later, Solmonese has written a reply to Crain, appearing in today's Bay Times:

While I fail to understand it, I’m beginning to view his fascination with me almost as a badge of honor. In his most recent article, “No Snickers for Snickers” Bay Times, Feb. 8, 2007), Chris Crain, once again, misses the bigger picture. [...] Chris would be more credible if he commented on the facts rather than contorting them to suit his clear manic biases. [...]

He writes that HRC, “ought to be busy protecting our interests on Pennsylvania Avenue, not Madison Avenue.” Unfortunately, it is this “criticize for the sake of criticizing” mentality that shadows way too many of his columns. Does he not understand that our work to change hearts and minds in America is connected both politically and culturally? [...]

If Chris would stick to the facts, and not his personal motives, then his columns might be read with a little more credibility.

Giving Chris Crain a platform to spout his misguided rhetoric sets back the work of the entire movement. Criticism is fair game, but blatant misinformation causes disillusionment among members of our community and that isn’t just bad for HRC, it’s bad for all of us.

Hey Thin-Skinned Solmonese, printing a reasonable column from Crain that justifiably takes you and your increasing politically irrelevant organization, except to Democratic Party bosses who appreciate HRC lapdog status for Democrats, to task does NOT set back the whole gay community.

In case no one has explained this to you yet, Joe, HRC does not equal the movement and I see nothing in Crain's writing that is cause for disillusion.

Frankly, as someone who read many of the critical articles and editorials that appeared in the Blade when Crain was the editor, I believe he and his bias, if you can call it that, was to demand better of HRC and more achievements out of the millions of dollars the group raises annually, supposedly to advance gay equality in Congress.

The problem, as I see it, is that HRC and Solmonese believe they are above reproach and any criticism leveled against them is tantamount to betrayal, which is simply not the case.

Here are few recommendations for Solmonese and HRC: Start dealing honestly with the mounting valid complaints against your operations, develop a thicker skin and stop equating HRC as the entire movement.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen from a fellow traveler. The petty queer establishment must be challenged, and I'm glad to see more people taking up the mantle.

http://atlmalcontent.typepad.com/atlmalcontent/2007/02/standing_up_to_.html

Anonymous said...

Let's be clear. HRC's mission is NOT solely to lobby Congress. It's work in corporate America is important and remarkably successful. HRC can improve, but this netroots campaign has the whiff of vendetta now. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Calm down, everyone.

Anonymous said...

Calm down? That's not what we need--what we is a new invigorated progressive gay organization that can actually accomplish things in Congress. To my mind, nothing showed HRC's ineffectiveness more than its endorsement of Joe Lieberman--not just in the general, but in the Democratic primary (against an unabashedly pro-gay candidate). I, for one, do not want my dollars and energy going to an organization that plays it so safe as to endorse a candidate with lukewarm support of gay issues, someone now threatening to switch sides if his demands are not met.

Anonymous said...

Dear Michael ~

I, along with many other Transgender activists, & advocates, throughout this Country, are consistently striving, for the honest recognition of "Equality," from the Human Rights Campaign.

I can only equate their "movement," to one that has been consistently constipated!

The HRC, has long been in the forefront of GLB(t) Equality, but anyone who believes that they are "champions" of the Transgender Community, must remove those Rose Colored Glasses, Immediately!

There are many Transgender Organizations, including my own, the S. U. R. E. Foundation, who have called the HRC's hand, asking for written confirmation, that they stand 100% for Trans Equality.
To this day, I, nor have any other Transgender Organization, have ever received anything in writing, confirming HRC's concrete commitment to TG Equality!

Joe Solmonese, is just another "lackey" for the establishment, not willing to "pry loose " the Gay & Lesbian death grip, that this organization was founded on.
Until someone, gets the "Balls" to challenge the hierarchy of the HRC, and make them accountable for their empty stance on "Equality," in addition to what portion of their "Donations" go towards the Transgender Community, then supporting them for anything, is not in the cards!


Love, Peace, Equality, & Solidarity ~

~Mekah Gordon, Ph.D., L. E.~
Advocate/Activist - Consummate Optimist & Visionary - Educator/Consultant - Freelance Writer-TG Issues - Regional Editor of Santa Fe/For The Normal Heart Newspaper - Pioneering, Frontier Renaissance Woman

Founder/Director ~
S. U. R. E. Foundation®

22 Juego Rd.
Santa Fe, NM 87508-4298
505-466-4277
SUREducation@aol.com

*The word, "Tolerance," no matter how you bend it, twist it, or turn it inside out,"Reeks" of Discrimination.
"RESPECT," however, eradicates implicitness for bigotry, hate, prejudice, and judgment.
~Mekah Gordon

*No One on this planet, should ever have, or be granted the power, right, nor stand in judgment, of anyone's Basic Human Civil Rights, by enforcing through Constitutional Decree, or otherwise, whom one should love, and marry, NO ONE!
~Mekah Gordon

*It's the Tenacity, Persistence, Fortitude, & Faith, that's perennial, in those of us, who refuse to give up, in our pursuit for Equality, & Basic Human Civil Rights.
~Mekah Gordon

*Transitionally Speaking: Quotes, From a Pioneering, Frontier Renaissance Woman
© 2007 Mekah Gordon, All Rights Reserved

Anonymous said...

As a long-time supporter of HRC, I find it disturbing that negative comments such as this happen in our community. How do we fault HRC given the political environment in our government over the past years. I find the work being done at the grassroots level from the HRC Foundation to be exactly what's needed in our world today. It's the work of the Workplace Project, the Coming Out Project, the Family Project, the Religion and Faith Program, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Outreach Program that will create an atmosphere to make things start to happen within our legislatures. I believe that these projects are being effectively managed by this great organization and will create a time in the near future where our "inconvenient truth" can no longer be ignored by our politicians.