The Maverick Tribe

The first time I ever gave money to any political candidate or cause was about a month ago to the No on Prop 8 campaign.  Now having read the various post-mortems, it appears that I wasted my money on an incompetent organization.  In the realm of advertising, what we got were abstract warnings about Prop 8 being "unfair" and "wrong" versus dishonest, emotionally charged, and ultimately effective messages about kids learning about gay marriage in public school, churches being forced to conduct same sex marriages, and the like.  Outreach to the African-American community (which went 70/30 in favor of Prop 8), was deemed unnecessary until the last minute, and even then it was tone-deaf.  Fliers put out by Prop 8 proponents deceptively suggesting that Barack Obama favored the measure went unanswered.

The No on 8 organization is the intellectual progeny of the largest gay rights group in the country, the Human Rights Campaign.  I've had my doubts about HRC for awhile and have declined to support them.  Andrew Sullivan, the gay conservative blogger I read on a daily basis, despises them.  But also Markos Moulitsas, of the DailyKos fame, is highly critical of them, and even though I don't see eye-to-eye with Kos on a lot of things, he does know a thing or two about activism.

HRC burns through millions every year, to what effect?  It would seem that their reputation for being more interested in selling teddy bears and bumper stickers than actually making a difference, for habitually treading lightly from a defensive crouch in their outreach and marketing, for being lapdogs of a certain politician who shares their initials, and that politician's husband, is deserved.

It's time for LGBT leadership that doesn't beat around the bush, sugarcoat its message, and endear itself to politicians who ultimately betray us with Don't Ask Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act.  Yes, pragmatic-minded folks such as myself understand that gay rights are a radioactive topic in this country and have acted accordingly.  But at some point the waiting and the accomodating need to end.  To borrow from a certain other politician:  This is our time.  This is our moment.