Conservative Tendencies
by Michael K. Bassham
HRC: Still Failing Us
Whenever someone comments to me that they have read one of my columns, I appreciate them taking the time. Occasionally, someone will take the additional time to respond in writing to what I have said. Even though few have written to agree with me, I respect their effort to provide another viewpoint. My most recent column, entitled “HRC is Failing Us” (which can be found here) prompted six members of the Nashville HRC to provide a 963 word response to my column (which can be found here). I thank them for writing. However, I am deeply disappointed in their response.
To be clear, the gay and lesbian community needs an organization that speaks out on our behalf at all levels of society. We need a recognized voice that speaks to both political and business leaders about the virtue in treating gays and lesbians with equal respect. Unfortunately, the Human Rights Campaign has become a partisan and bitter organization caught up in believing its own press and worshiping at the altar of politically correct celebrity.
Of all the columns I have written, that one generated the most number of comments to me in person. Without fail, and regardless of the person’s political views, everyone who mentioned the column agreed with me and appreciated the fact that I had written it. HRC has, at the very least, an image problem and does not realize it.
Conversely, the letter submitted by the local HRC board not only failed to refute any of the issues I raised about the organization, a careful reading actually shows that it validates many of the points I made.
One of the first sentences of their letter reads:
So, in this time, when our unity as a nation and as a community are more crucial than ever, we were troubled by the column by Michael K. Bassham, who criticizes HRC for the gains it made in 2006.
The tone and content of that sentence says a great deal. In addition to dishonestly summarizing my column, it says: “Shut up, don’t disagree with us. Everything good that happened for gays and lesbians last year was because of HRC.” That sentence encapsulates so much of what is wrong with the organization.
Throughout the letter, these local leaders attempt to grab credit for HRC for far more than it could possibly deserve while avoiding a discussion of how misguided HRC has become. Space does not allow a line by line refutation, so I’ll just focus on two issues.
First, we return to the Lance Bass issue. HRC’s local representatives assert that, “as a direct result of Bass’s coming out, the national conversation on GLBT Americans was extended to a young and sometimes apolitical audience.” Somehow this group believes that Bass, who was involuntarily outed by bloggers who spotted him and his boyfriend at gay bars in Provincetown two months before he was given the award, somehow prompted an unprecedented conversation among our nations youth about the struggle of homosexual individuals.
Of course, long before this boy band crooner was forced out of the closet, America’s young far outpaced their elders in acceptance of gays and lesbians. If HRC wanted to move the national conversation, they should have found and celebrated someone who came out on their own and who could move the conversation to an older demographic.
Second, we must focus on the statement that HRC “dedicated its resources toward a single goal: impacting the outcome of as many races as possible that could affect the potential for advancing GLBT equality.” A recent article in the Boston Globe explained what that means. HRC “decided after the losses of 2004 that they could be more effective by focusing on candidates instead of ballot initiatives.” The Globe article went on to say: “The idea, leaders say, is to become a steady source of funds and grass-roots support for Democrats – more akin to a labor union than a single-issue activist group.”
HRC spent $5 million dollars of donations to elect as many Democrats as possible, even if they did not support gay marriage. Indeed, HRC purposefully downplayed its support for gay marriage.
Keep in mind that in the last election there was exactly one issue of GLBT equality on the ballot in Tennessee – gay marriage. Recall that many of the leaders of the local HRC chapter were also part of the Vote No on 1 leadership. Also remember that those leaders told the community that even if we could not win, the margin of our loss was important. If the anti-gay marriage forces won by a wide margin, we were instructed, they would be emboldened to pursue other anti-gay initiatives. HRC purposefully steered money away from our struggle. We lost. 81% to 19%. Now those same leaders feel the need to defend HRC’s actions.
When speaking directly to the community, the local leaders seemed to recognize that in order to win the war, we have win one small battle after another. The battleground is in the hearts and minds of our neighbors. HRC abandoned Tennessee in our time of need, but will happily take more of our money and pour it into support for candidates that oppose us, only because of the party they belong to.
HRC could be a voice for a gay community seeking acceptance and equality. Instead they siphon needed financial resources away from the front lines and use them to become another “progressive” voice supporting issues that are not gay specific. Shame on HRC for failing us when we need them most.
As a closing aside, I would note that on a recent episode of Out and About Today on Comcast channel 50 (see www.newschannel5.com for scheduling information), the round table discussed the recent “controversy” surrounding HRC. While they did not mention my column directly, the issues discussed were raised by what I wrote. As a part of that discussion, one of the participants asserted:
Those people in the community that are critical of HRC, I don’t see out working for TEP. I don’t see them opening their checkbook. They’re talking a lot, but where’s the real support when you need it.”
If that participant was referring to me, I would point out that I co-produced the highest profile event that TEP had last year – An Evening with Leslie Jordan, at TPAC – attended two house parties and devoted more than one column in support of TEP’s efforts. I worked, gave my money, my time and my public voice. I gave more support to TEP than HRC did.
