The Case for Radical Change

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The earth and human society are perched on the precipice of disaster.  Our economic, political, and religious institutions are malfunctioning at the very time that we are in need of coordinated collective action to address global challenges.  I believe that we need a radical change in the questions we ask, the way we view and organize our institutions, and how we relate to ourselves and one another.  Over the next few weeks, I plan to write a series of entries that explore ideas about both our problems and potential solutions that we can use to address them.  Topics that I will discuss include goodness vs. purity, sustainability vs. greed, and pragmatism vs. ideology.  I hope you will join the conversation.

Liberty and Justice for All

Below is an open letter that I wrote to New York State Senator Greg Ball upon learning that he decided to vote no on gay marriage.   He was considered a swing vote, so this is a setback.

Dear Senator Ball --

I'm not one of your constituents, but I'm writing you anyway because your actions affect have a profound effect on my well-being and happiness as a resident of New York State.

I am a hard working New Yorker.  I pay taxes (which pay your salary) and I contribute to my church and several charities.  I am also a gay man in a 15 year committed relationship with a man I love and want to marry.  I have advanced degrees in science and theology, so I am intimately familiar with the most current scientific research on homosexuality, as well as with the passages being cited to justify continued discrimination against LGBT people.  I can state without equivocation that the evidence continues to mount against a narrow-minded and bigoted understanding of the LGBT experience.  To be blunt, you are on the wrong side of history.

The United States of America is a country based on the ideals of justice and liberty.  For me, this means that I should not be allowed to interfere with the private lives of my fellow citizens, including those who happen to be fundamentalists or extremely conservative in their views.  They should be allowed to worship as they see fit, and marry the person they love. But the notions of liberty and justice demand that I be offered the same freedom.  There is no rational argument that can deny that fairness requires that I be treated with the same dignity and respect as my fellow citizens.

I am deeply disappointed in you for voting no.  I hope you can reflect on the mistake you are making, and I hope you feel a sense of shame in denying so many New Yorkers the basic joy that comes from living a life married to the person that they love.

In closing, you should realize that I and many of my friends will do everything we can to defeat you in your next bid for re-election.  I may not be a constituent, but I will make substantial contributions to your opponent, and will organize others to do the same.

Sincerely yours,

Clay Williams, PhD

On the Eve of a Shutdown

It appears we are headed for a shutdown of the Federal Government. I believe that much more is at stake than how much we trim the deficit. If the far right has their way, we will face an America in which the table is sharply slanted toward the wealthy, allowing them to rake money into their pockets at will. This is evident once you realize that Republican Paul Ryan has proposed a tax cut in his long-term plan to reduce the deficit. His plan would benefit high income earners a great deal, even as it would gut Medicare and Medicaid, placing a deeper burden on retirees and the poor.

It seems we never learn from history. We need three things to balance the budget:

• An increase in revenue, fueled by modest and reasonable tax increases on the wealthiest Americans
• Prudent reductions in federal spending that don't unduly affect the vulnerable
• Policies to create a vibrant and sustainable economy

An analysis by the Center for American Progress shows how increasing revenue and growing the economy are essential for balancing a budget, and how this worked during the Clinton administration. Let's try it again.

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