National Black Justice Coalition not attending gay DNC fundraiser

DNC

should see it's too late to get their deposit back on the ballroom and get the cloakroom instead...

"It goes on one at a time, it starts when you care to act, it starts when you do it again after they said no, it starts when you say We and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more."

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by: Louise @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 07:43:24 AM CDT

Who is left?

Pam, please publish a list of who is still attending, so we can call them and get them not to go.

My dad was a steelworker
My mom was a kitchen girl
and that's why
I'm a socialist.
-from an old song I used to hum to myself

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by: DaveB @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 07:57:04 AM CDT

who's still attending the gay fundraiser

From the "10,400 sq. foot spa" e-blast from Andy Tobias:

If you can't make the date, take a rain check and help anyway?  SUZE ORMAN just signed on that way.  ELIZABETH BIRCH signed on that way.  Lots of others.

If you CAN make the date, you'll be joining the Vice President of the United States . . .

. . . along with Virginia Governor / DNC Chair Tim Kaine . . . immediate past DNC Chair Howard Dean . . . Chairman Barney Frank . . . Representatives Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis . . . Vermont Senate President Pete Shumlin . . . District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty . . . David Mixner . . . Richard Socarides  . . . The Task Force's Rea Carey . . . HRC's Marty Rouse . . . ESPA's Alan Van Capelle . . . GLAD's Mary Bonauto . . . NBJC's Alexander Robinson . . . GMHC's Marjorie Hill . . . The Victory Fund's Chuck Wolfe . . . Towle Road's Andy Towle . . . Iraq Marine vet Brian Fricke (whom you may have seen on 60 Minutes) . . . Billy Bean . . . Joan Garry . . . Keith Boykin . . . Ray Buckley . . . Brian Johnson . . . Corey Johnson . . . Dixon Osburn . . . Paul Smith . . . Bruce Bastian . . . Mitchell Gold . . . Krystal Ball . . . and so many others, like YOU, who have been pushing the ball down the field for so long.  (Well, Krystal is fairly new to this, but what a kick to have a pro-marriage CPA triathlete young mom running to unseat a conservative Republican in Virginia.)

It would mean a great deal to have you with us:

www.democrats.org/LGBTdinner

Did I mention that the Mandarin Oriental has a 10,400-square-foot spa?

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 08:34:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

why is KEITH BOYKIN still going?

Has anyone contacted Keith Boykin>/b> (former Special Assistant to the President  under Clinton and co-founder of NBJC) about why he hasn't made a decision on whether to attend the event?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mad Professah Lectures http://madprofessah.com
"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell

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by: Mad Professah @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 11:03:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'd also like to know what the Victory Fund thinks they could possibly gain

from attending this travesty.  For years now, they've been my favorite LGBT advocacy group.  But if they actually show up at this thing, they can forget about any more contributions from me.  What's the point of working to get gay politicians elected if you're going to support a party that wants to keep them and their families in subordinate positions--and that punishes them for speaking out against the party leader when he has his DOJ commit an atrocity like the hate brief??

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.  -Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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by: QScribe @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 11:17:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Good point. I'm emailing them right now,

right here. http://www.victoryfund.org/abo...

Remember what FDR said, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." Have you written/called a congress-critter today? 8.25, 6.21

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by: Jacques @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 15:27:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

How about Brian Fricke? 2 service members a day

lost to DADT, and an Iraq vet goes to suck up to DNC members who sit on their hands and do nothing for his comrades?!

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by: Clarknt67 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 23:00:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hooray! I am luvin' this!!!

Absolutely luvin' it!

Post Inaugeration:
GBLT Americans: "So, Obama, Reid, Pelosi, DADT? DOMA? UAFA? Matthew Shepard?"
Dem Leadership: "Later...

Oh, and please donate!"
GBLT Americans: "Later..."

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by: Clarknt67 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 07:58:41 AM CDT

Pam: Request for 411

I've been asking this all over, but can't find a source. I assume this GBLT fundraiser is annual, so we must have some figures on how much it usually takes in yes?

How much cheese is the DNC losing out on this year. Considering the full panic mode* the White House is suddenly in, it must be substantial.

I mean, suddenly, after 2 years of yelling to get Obama's attention, I find it hilarious he suddenly cares (now that the gAyTM is shutting down.

*Rushing the "extension" of GLBT partner "benefits," finally returning Lambda Legal's calls, arranging a conference call to GBLT DNCers...

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by: Clarknt67 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 08:02:35 AM CDT

I haven't found figures

But I have seen cited that the LGBT community is the second largest constituency group (I suppose that means unaffiliated group as opposed to unions or organizations) in terms of donations. If anyone can find out the figs, post them.

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 08:26:09 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Good to know you're on it

It will be interesting to see what the price of admission at the Obama admin table is.

Just for future reference.  

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by: Clarknt67 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 10:31:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Speaking of unions and such, wouldn't it be nice if

LGBT's hooked into other constituent groups could start lobbying for similar financial squeezes?

Sure, it's probably total pie-in-the-sky that any of them would turn the spigot off completely.  But how about, say, a reduction in commitment proportional to our estimated membership in the particular organization?  Teachers?  Service workers?

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by: Pollyanna @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 14:34:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

wedding planners union...LOL

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 15:05:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That might work for a campaign theme

ASK straight allies to help plan OUR weddings,

God knows we've planned YOURS

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 15:07:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A Brief Note of Optimism Here

I've been angry as anyone about the Obama administration's, and the Dem's in general, complete lack of a plan for actually moving on legislation that will benefit our community, but it occurred to me this morning how great it is that we have an administration that will, actually, do something. Lord knows the GOP and the Bushies took great delight in their anti-gay agenda, and would as much respond to the LGBT community as shoot their own mothers. And the LCRs have not exactly had a great track record getting anything from the Repubs.  

Sure, it took us having a financial hissy fit to finally wake the Dems up - but guess what, they actually did. They will still have to take their medicine - in the form of the collapsing fundraiser - but at least we have the potential of real action now. That hasn't happened in a long while.

In fact, probably the best move the DNC could take right now would be to cancel the fundraiser - to acknowledge their neglect of the LGBT community and the inappropriateness of having such an event right now. It would sort of be an Act of Contrition (for the Catholics in the crowd).  

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by: CPT_Doom @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 11:53:18 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"the potential of real action now"

Potential for action is NOT enough.  How about some actual action?  The potential has existed for more than a week for Obama to have his DOJ flunkies amend the hate brief to remove the bigoted arguments, for instance.  He has done nothing of the sort.  What he has done is dig in his heels to stand by the brief.

There has always been the potential for action.  So what?  What has that potential ever gotten us?  The Democrats and their enablers (HRC at al) have been stringing us along on potential action for decades.  We need to see some real action.

This isn't in any way aimed at our personally, Doom.  We all know where you're coming from.  But the biggest danger for us now is that we let ourselves be pacified and lulled back to a state of inactivity by vague "potentials" that never turn into anything real.

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.  -Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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by: QScribe @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 12:23:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wow!

I would have understood if NBJC had not pulled out of this fundraiser.

I love the message that this sends to the DNC. Not only is the gay community is united on all fronts against the anti-gay hostility of the Obama Administration as evidenced by this DOJ brief.

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by: kevinchi @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 08:24:52 AM CDT

Yeah

Yeah, it must have been a painful choice for them, not celebrating the first AA POTUS.  Props, there's always 2010, if Dems right the ship.  

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by: Clarknt67 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 10:44:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Poor SciFi Geek must be really bummed out today

All of his lame-assed "maybe" rationalizations for NBJC not attending have been rendered as pointless as his clueless attempts to explain why DOJ wasn't meeting with any gay groups.  I can't imagine I'm the only one here who is laughing at him today--long and hard.

Kudos to NBJC.  As you note, this must have been a very painful decision for them.  I couldn't be more pleased that they decided to do the right thing.

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.  -Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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by: QScribe @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 11:24:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

the best way forward

is for all of us to stay on message and not bait one other.  

Lurleen on Twitter

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by: Lurleen @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 13:09:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Do you think the DNC has gotten the message yet?

Don't shit on us and expect us to hand over our resources for the priviledge.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 10:31:17 AM CDT

HOT NEWS!! CENSUS 'changes mind!...Gee I wonder why?

mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12651471
White House: Census to count married gays

By LISA LEFF Associated Press Writer
Posted: 06/19/2009 06:18:51 PM PDT
SAN FRANCISCO-Married same-sex couples will be counted as such in the 2010 census, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration, census officials said Friday.
Steve Jost, a spokesman for the Census Bureau, said officials already were identifying the technical changes needed to ensure the reliability of the information, to be released in 2012, but remained committed to providing an accurate tally of gay spouses.
"They will be counted, and they ought to report the way they see themselves," Jost said. "In the normal process of reports coming out after the census of 2010, I think the country will have a good data set on which to discuss this phenomenon that is evolving in this country."

Same-sex couples could not get married anywhere in the United States during the last decennial count. But last summer, when two states sanctioned gay unions, the bureau said those legal marriages would go uncounted because the federal Defense of Marriage Act prevented the federal government from recognizing them.

Since President Barack Obama took office, his administration has been under pressure from gay rights activists to take a fresh look at the issue. The White House on Friday announced that its interpretation of the act, known as DOMA, did not prohibit gathering the information. Gay marriages has been legalized in six states, although the first weddings have not yet commenced in three of them.

"The president and the administrationare committed to a fair and accurate count of all Americans," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. "We're in the midst of determining the best way to ensure that gay and lesbian couples are accurately counted."

....the OCTOBER March on Washington...looks better all the time! as a way
to keep up the notice and pressure.   After all, look at IRAN.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 10:52:21 AM CDT

Jason....BRAVO

I can imagine NBJC has a whole additional layer of pressure to attend, the Stonewall Democrats and others didn't receive.
Iwonder at what point it will be too embarrassingly small a crowd before the DNC cancels rather than appear FOOLISH?

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Jun 20, 2009 at 13:37:55 PM CDT