Accountability, Action, and Access

Below is an open letter to the leadership of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights organization, over a rift with the much smaller Servicemembers United organization. Servicemembers United is dedicating to ending the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) ban on openly LGBT people serving in the military.

It seems to me that HRC is seeking to further their own access and prestige. This has been a repeated problem with the organization, but it is a particularly mercenary end in these treacherous times for LGBT folk.

To Joe Solmonese, Brian Ellner, and the staff of the HRC --

I let my membership in HRC lapse in 1998 after the mishandling of the endorsements in NY State when Charles Schumer was running against Al D'Amato. HRC worked against the good of the state and the wishes of our own very effective LGBT rights organization, which astounded and disgusted me. I wrote a detailed complaint letter at that time, and received nothing but silence from your organization. This really affected me, and I put my contributions and energy into other organizations, including serving as co-chair for three of the New York Leadership Awards dinners for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Recently, I considered renewing. I thought the Facebook campaign on National Coming Out Day was interesting, and was thinking about giving the organization a second chance. I am the type of donor that HRC builds much of their movement on. I am a successful professional, and a consistent donor who is connected to other individuals in NYC and beyond who actively give to organizations pursuing LGBT equality. I have been active in both personal giving and in securing corporate donations for other organizations. I have worked with or donated to several organizations, including the Empire State Pride Agenda, Lambda Legal, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Today, a friend on Facebook made me aware of the recent rift between HRC and Servicemembers United. It seems that HRC never learns. You have a strong brand and could do so much good, but you squander your brand and the limited funds of our community. As an organization, you continue to be mediocre in your effectiveness, which we cannot afford at this pivotal time in our movement. An amazing example of this is your completely inexplicable disdain of the anger being express by Servicemembers United regarding the painfully slow progress being made on DADT. Don't forget that we were assured after the Obama victory that repealing DADT would be a priority and that it would likely be gone by the end of 2009. Here we are nearing the end of 2010, and the repeal has still yet to happen and soldiers are still being discharged. The administration has issued no stop loss order, and to my mind has taken no aggressive action on behalf of lesbian and gay solders.

Tonight, the Obama administration announce that they were appealing the decision of Judge Phillips. They state that they want to see DADT repealed, but that they have to let the process unfold through the proper legal channels and processes. We've had enough words and need forceful action by the President. I must confess that I'm disappointed in both the administration and HRC, but not surprised.

As a result of this, I will not be joining HRC. Instead, I will contribute to organizations that are responsive to the needs of our community, work actively to build bridges between the various organizations fighting the good fight within our movement, and who are willing to take on the hard battles when necessary.

Please remove me from your email and postal mailing lists.

Dear readers: please consider joining me in placing our funds where they can be more useful. If you give to HRC, consider stopping, and if not, don't start. Let HRC know of your displeasure. Please feel free to forward this entry to anyone in the community as you see fit.

Sincerely,

Clay Williams