http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=78166

Is it/was it upsetting – absolutely. I certainly was upset by the House’s approach.

But it was their decision.

HRC DID express in a written statement how disappointed it was. What keeps getting twisted is this fact – HRC didn’t “oppose” the bill. That is much different than “driving” the bill.

By opposing, that means the organization would have had to score our few allies in congress negatively on the congressional scorecard.

Would the LGBT community preferred that HRC turn its back on the few leaders we have in Congress – Pelosi, Baldwin, Frank, etc. – who are trying to get protections for all members of the community?

Opposing them would have been a direct slap in the face, cutting HRC and the rest of the community out of the conversation.

Did congress slap the transcommunity in the face with its decision? Yep, unfortunately they did – they don’t “get it” yet.

But taking the approach that some members of the community which HRC had taken would have set our entire community back years – many years.

This is a civil rights struggle. All civil movements from women’s suffrage to the struggle of African Americans has been successfully built and won based on gradual, incremental change, won over time. How was it won – through perserverance, education, communication, and strength of community.

That said – everyone – conversations like these are important, sharing our feelings and opinions is important, and working together is important.

However we have got to stop attacking ourselves and distancing ourselves both within our community, and within the broader community in our country overall.

It gives an incredible amount of ammunition to Focus on the Family and others who are against us.

We have got to begin the healing process, and we have got to come together and stay unified.

Thank you for listening.

HRC has only one real base and that’s rich GLBT folk and their toadies. Most of them are in businesses of one kind or another and it’s and logical they’d oppose ENDA and want to see it gutted by Frank and the Republicans.
If HRC can continues raising money it won’t die out quickly, but it’s hard to see how they can do that if the vast bulk of the movement despises them. As the article pointed out the mayor of LA refused because the SF Central Labor Council not only boycotted the event but threw up a picket line. Pride at Work AFL-CIO gets the credit for that excellent move.
The level of anger went up several degrees at their SF fundraiser when a 63 year old lesbian was manhandled by three hired goons and tossed to the ground. Their tactics wouldn’t be out of place during a police riot and apparently they’re perfectly acceptable to rich supporters of HRC, who turned a blind eye – not one of them had the guts to come to her defense.