It's Time for LGBT Leaders to Play Hardball

On the drive up to Charlottesville we listened to OutQ Radio and caught a rebroadcast of the Michelangelo Signorile show with the "town hall meeting" of six LGBT activist/leaders in the context of the need to forceably push for the repeal of DADT and the White House's constant games and efforts to manipulate and use LGBT Americans. The show was informative and certainly reinforced some of my views - including the worthlessness and double speak that seems to be the norm at HRC. I increasingly wonder if some of the so-called leaders of the LGBT movement ever want us to achieve full equality under the civil laws given their preference of kissing the asses of politicians and enjoying "access" to power - not that it does the rest of us any good. As usual, Pam Spaulding did a great job speaking on behalf of those of us who are simply fed up with Obama's broken campaign promises and the willingness of some in LGBT leadership positions to throw the rest of us under the bus rather than ruffle any feathers. In states like Virginia, LGBT citizens are virtually unprotected from religious based anti-ga discrimination. Our only hope is for action at the federal level. Action that is not going to take place if our self-styled leaders continue to sit on their hands or simper over politicians at cocktail parties. On her blog today, Pam talks about the growing disconnect between a number of LGBT organizyations and the grass roots of our community. Here are some highlights:
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The grassroots GetEqual actions and the online citizen activism, like it or not, is changing the game in DC -- and the powers that be don't like it one bit. The accidental activists, 15-minute activists, the first-time activists and the online turned offline activists have had it. All are tired of the promises, tired of the lies, tired of the focus on midterms, tired of WH arrogance, and beyond tired of the complacency/incompetence/cowardice and focus on fighting for dollars from the same pool of donors, while leaving the mission behind.
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I don't even know that there's a word to describe the level of fatigue and outrage watching some of our purported community leaders being jerked around, co-opted, demeaned, diluted and diminished by the largest LGBT organization, HRC, that sucks the air and dollars out of the room without conscience, . . . Maybe words don't matter in the rarefied bubble of power politics, I can tell you that that sh*t won't go unchallenged any more.
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Replacing the leadership in our orgs won't matter if the replacement, elected by the same out-of-touch boards is filled with the same level of contempt for the community it serves, putting the almighty dollar, the expense account and lack of actual ability to place themselves in the shoes of the LGBTs without privilege, and without rights.
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Let's go to part of the reason this administration and our orgs are shaken up (I've heard this countless times since I've been in DC over the last two days, people are tired, tired, tired of the bullsh*t). Many tactics have merit, many tactics have a place. The current ones haven't worked so stirring the pot is not an evil.