Joe Solmonese Needs to Resign

As readers know well, I am no fan of the folks at HRC who are only too happy to suck up LGBT money, describe themselves as the largest LHBT civil rights organization, and then do nothing but ass kiss politicians so as not to get stricken from the D.C. cocktail party circuit list. Oh yes, a "stern" letter or two will be issued on occasion but HRC never moves to attach severe consequences to the failure of politicians to deliver on promises. In fact, HRC's main role seems to be providing cover to lying and disingenuous politicians. And leading this clusterf*ck organization is Joe Solmonese - one of DC's best dressed - who promised back in February that he'd deliver DADT repeal this year Here's the video:


Mr. Solmonese needs to resign if DADT does not occur and I would even argue return his salary since he surely has not earned it. Pam Spaulding has likewise had enough of HRC's and Solmonese's bullshit and lays out the case for Solmonese's resignation. Here are highlights:

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It's time for the Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese to tender his resignation. By any sane performance metrics, he has failed to successfully lead. Promises like those made in the "This year we are going to bring down DADT" video at the HRC Carolinas dinner on Feb. 27 were used to extract money from low-info, fat wallet attendees. It's rinse and repeat at events like that around the country and there is precious little to show for it in terms of the major promises made by Solmonese -- and this President.

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Joe Solmonese should do the honorable thing and step down. It is shameful to cash all those checks without the follow through on the job. The White House was never put under serious pressure; the late calls now in the e-blasts for the President to do something ring hollow after the toadying that has gone on for two years.

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It's a big f'ing mess because there has been piss-poor leadership by those who are lobbied in government. In turn it's the unelected, highly marketed, well-tailored representative of the entire LGBT community, Joe Solmonese of HRC, who also has to be held accountable for these failures. It's clear that those in power had no fear of the vast war chest of HRC being used to turn up the heat. No, the heat came from less well-heeled activists who didn't have the access to power, only voices and fearlessness to call out the purposeful foot-dragging and inaction.

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[F]or HRC to become the organization the community needs it to be in terms of a lobbying organization with access to our elected power brokers, it will take more than Joe Solmonese's resignation. The organization is multi-faceted and is populated with well-meaning, hard working people who deserve better leadership -- and the buck stops at Joe's desk.

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It is not divisive to ask what have we gotten for the $80 million that flowed into the coffers of the Human Rights Campaign when it comes to leadership. . . . For those who simmer with anger and immediately call any criticism the "circular firing squad", that's disingenuous. There have been plenty of kudos for what has been accomplished (including those Cinderella Crumbs); but we're talking about a long list of major issues (DADT, ENDA, etc.) that were not seriously pushed after the promises were made.

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That can only change if there is a thorough shake-up, even if only a symbolic one such as Solmonese's departure, that can signal an understanding of the magnitude of disconnect, discord and failure to lead that needs to be addressed. How that occurs is up to the board of HRC - so my little call for a change at the top is of little significance other than it's just me sharing my two cents and you all reacting to it in the comments.