Huffington Post: Gay Leaders Need a Tea Party Style Shakeup -- 111th Congress a Total Failure

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  Dec 15, 2010 5:51 PM GMT

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-grenell/gay-leaders-need-a-tea-pa_b_796221.html
  
  Interesting read. Some in realjock have expressed similar opinions.
  
  "The entrenched gay leaders in Washington, DC, have spent the last two years blaming Republicans for the fact that they themselves have struck out on Capitol Hill and will end the 111th Congress with nothing to show for their multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts. If this were a public company, the Board or the shareholders would have run these leaders out of town a long time ago. "

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  Dec 17, 2010 4:19 AM GMT

  rkyjockdn saidhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-grenell/gay-leaders-need-a-tea-pa_b_796221.html
  
  Interesting read. Some in realjock have expressed similar opinions.
  
  "The entrenched gay leaders in Washington, DC, have spent the last two years blaming Republicans for the fact that they themselves have struck out on Capitol Hill and will end the 111th Congress with nothing to show for their multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts. If this were a public company, the Board or the shareholders would have run these leaders out of town a long time ago. "

  
  Hear! Hear!

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  Dec 17, 2010 2:10 PM GMT

  While I agree with Grennell's proposition that gay rights leaders have been less-than-effective, his analysis of why is ridiculous. Republicans are the ones blocking advancement on gay rights issues (see DADT), not Democrats.
  
  And Grennell, to my knowledge as someone who has worked extensively in the movement, has done nothing to advance our rights. In fact, he has worked for and with some of the most anti-gay Republicans, including John Bolton, while also working with more moderate Republicans.
  
  As soon as Grennell can tell us what he's done to help advance our cause, I'll be more inclined to take him seriously.

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  Dec 17, 2010 2:16 PM GMT

  I agree that gay leaders have been totally ineffective. Their opponents are Republicans, of course, and those guys don't get off the hook for being the villains in this. Those here who blame the gay leadership are like those who blame the victim, like southbeach does, whether it be of rape, robbery, or politics.
  
  Still, the gay victims could learn a bit better how to fight back. And until we learn how, and get some leadership with balls and a focused agenda, we'll continue to lose.

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  Dec 18, 2010 2:16 PM GMT

  Gays need a Gen Y leader.

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  Dec 18, 2010 3:26 PM GMT

  The Senate is the failure. Nancy got shit done. Barack can't understand when the Senate Republicans said 'No Compromise,' they meant it.

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• roadbikeRob
  
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  Dec 18, 2010 3:27 PM GMT

  SouthBeach, Gen X is quite similar to the Baby Boomers, Xers tend to be somewhat more conservative on economic and social issues. Gen Y on the other hand is much more progressive on economic and social issues and I agree that we need more Gen Ys in politics to make a significant difference. There are a significant number of Xers along with progressive boomers in these gay rights organizations and for all the astronomical amounts of money spent, they have very little to show for it. Also we need to stop blaming the GOP all the time for these policy failures, these organizations have themselves to blame. Also the democrats are to blame as well because they had majority control of the US Government and still couldn't accomplish a damned thing in regards to equality for all Americans. Obama's approach of being nicey-nicey and lets all get along has been a disastrous failure. He is quite fortunate that the democrats still have a majority in the Senate though somewhat watered down.

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  Dec 18, 2010 3:29 PM GMT

  The christian far right amongst the republican party have a royal flush in their hands, that is that they don't mind at all telling any number of lies and passing those lies on as truth through the likes of Limbaugh, Beck, Ingraham, several congressment like Olmert, Bachman, Palin, Demint, King and so on, then FALSE NEWS helps the lies go viral and they all repeat, repeat and repeat some more and soon those lies are the truth. Like the lie that gay and sex abuse of boys go hand in hand, and thats how we "RECRUIT". they totally ignore that by far the majority of child abuse cases come from Straight males on little girls.
  So what lies do we tell to forward our causes? When you have a good cause, lies don't work in your favor, but they sure work good for the other side against that good cause.
  It seems to be a fact of life that people would sooner believe a lie than the truth. So it takes twice the effort to forward a good cause than it does to undermine that cause. We've got a hell of a fight ahead thats for sure, but it sure is a hell of a lot better now for teens and twenty's aged men than it was back in the 50's 60's and 70's, so we've come a long ways.

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  Dec 18, 2010 3:47 PM GMT

  I think gay leaders are misguided is thinking that their issues are gay issues versus the rest of society. If there is one thing I learned about living in Europe is that gay issues are put in the same basket as non-traditional secular issues. If you have a true separation of church and state it is far easier to pass a gay marriage or at the very least gay civil union law without all the fundamentalists being up in arms.
  
  What we need is a social libertarian movement. I don't think the libertarian movement is practically as I believe the government needs to take an active role in protecting the environment and give incentives to businesses not to pollute. The other problem with libertarians is that they can't seem to get away from sleeping with religious conservatives. The tea party started out as purely libertarian before the religious nuts are climbed into the bed. When it comes to social issues though we need a platform that is purely secular and that is where an alliance with true libertarians makes sense.
  
  

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  Dec 18, 2010 3:50 PM GMT

  I don't blame Republicans for a thing. I blame Democrats and Lieberman. And I blame myself for falling for it.
  
  No more. Obama won't win in 2012.

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  Dec 18, 2010 4:41 PM GMT

  RiverRising saidI don't blame Republicans for a thing. I blame Democrats and Lieberman. And I blame myself for falling for it.
  
  No more. Obama won't win in 2012.

  
  
  I have to agree they've been a hell of a let down !!!!!

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  Dec 18, 2010 6:19 PM GMT

  southbeach1500 said

  JAKEBENSON saidGays need a Gen Y leader.

  
  
  Agree, but would also add that Gen X would be just as good. The problem with the "leadership" in this country at the moment (in Federal government, in the high echelons of big business) is that they are Baby Boomers (and "the greatest generation") and in most cases are totally out of touch with the evolution of social views of our society.
  

  
  
  I'm a Gen Xer and I have to say that working in the movement, the Gen Xers are largely in charge and they are as a group a disastrous failure. The baby boomers were more radical and the Gen Xers are all marriage all the time.

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• swimbikerun
  
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  Dec 18, 2010 6:31 PM GMT

  JAKEBENSON saidGays need a Gen Y leader.

  Are you stepping up Jake?

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• roadbikeRob
  
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  Dec 18, 2010 7:51 PM GMT

  swimbikerun, I agree 100%. JAKEBENSON since you are the one criticizing the effectiveness of the gay rights leadership lets see you step up to the plate and show both the Baby Boomers and the Generation Xers how it is really done.

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• musclmed
  
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  Dec 19, 2010 4:08 PM GMT

  Christian73 saidWhile I agree with Grennell's proposition that gay rights leaders have been less-than-effective, his analysis of why is ridiculous. Republicans are the ones blocking advancement on gay rights issues (see DADT), not Democrats.
  
  And Grennell, to my knowledge as someone who has worked extensively in the movement, has done nothing to advance our rights. In fact, he has worked for and with some of the most anti-gay Republicans, including John Bolton, while also working with more moderate Republicans.
  
  As soon as Grennell can tell us what he's done to help advance our cause, I'll be more inclined to take him seriously.

  
  
  What an inviting way to get people involved. Tell them he isnt taken seriously until he can tell you what he has done for "our cause". What an interesting standard.
  Problem is gay rights have been somewhat transplanted to the Democratic party. I agree with the premise of the initial article. No party should count on our vote.
  I dont think either party has done anything meaningful. Most of the meaningful decisions have come through the courts.
  Politicians want to get elected, plain , simple. They will say anything to do so. In california in 08. The no on 8 campaign was muted in the black ethnic neighborhoods of SoCal on purpose.
  We all know why. The president opposes gay marriage, why setup a conflict when he could just sail into office.
  http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/388626/

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  Dec 19, 2010 4:14 PM GMT

  musclmed said

  Christian73 saidWhile I agree with Grennell's proposition that gay rights leaders have been less-than-effective, his analysis of why is ridiculous. Republicans are the ones blocking advancement on gay rights issues (see DADT), not Democrats.
  
  And Grennell, to my knowledge as someone who has worked extensively in the movement, has done nothing to advance our rights. In fact, he has worked for and with some of the most anti-gay Republicans, including John Bolton, while also working with more moderate Republicans.
  
  As soon as Grennell can tell us what he's done to help advance our cause, I'll be more inclined to take him seriously.

  
  
  What an inviting way to get people involved. Tell them he isnt taken seriously until he can tell you what he has done for "our cause". What an interesting standard.
  Problem is gay rights have been somewhat transplanted to the Democratic party. I agree with the premise of the initial article. No party should count on our vote.
  I dont think either party has done anything meaningful. Most of the meaningful decisions have come through the courts.
  Politicians want to get elected, plain , simple. They will say anything to do so. In california in 08. The no on 8 campaign was muted in the black ethnic neighborhoods of SoCal on purpose.
  We all know why. The president opposes gay marriage, why setup a conflict when he could just sail into office.
  
  http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/388626/

  
  
  I'm not interested in "getting him involved," but critquing the fact that he has no basis to make his argument.

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• musclmed
  
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  Dec 19, 2010 4:19 PM GMT

  Christian73 said

  musclmed said

  Christian73 saidWhile I agree with Grennell's proposition that gay rights leaders have been less-than-effective, his analysis of why is ridiculous. Republicans are the ones blocking advancement on gay rights issues (see DADT), not Democrats.
  
  
  
  
  http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/388626/

  
  
  I'm not interested in "getting him involved," but critquing the fact that he has no basis to make his argument.

  
  
  
  So despite his background whats wrong with his analysis. Is he factually wrong? Is the Laweekly piece wrong?

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  Dec 19, 2010 7:17 PM GMT

  musclmed said

  Christian73 said

  musclmed said

  Christian73 saidWhile I agree with Grennell's proposition that gay rights leaders have been less-than-effective, his analysis of why is ridiculous. Republicans are the ones blocking advancement on gay rights issues (see DADT), not Democrats.
  
  
  
  
  http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/388626/

  
  
  I'm not interested in "getting him involved," but critquing the fact that he has no basis to make his argument.

  
  
  
  So despite his background whats wrong with his analysis. Is he factually wrong? Is the Laweekly piece wrong?

  
  
  Yes. His hypothesis is incorrect which leads his proscriptions to be incorrect. It is obvious from both that he has no idea what is going on in the movement, who calls the shots, how its priorities are set, etc.

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• roadbikeRob
  
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  Dec 23, 2010 8:48 PM GMT

  SouthBeach, there are a significant number of Gen Xers in the upper echelons of both business and government. It is definitely not all controlled by Baby Boomers. Gen Xers track record isn't all that much different from the boomers in terms of gay rights and other minority groups rights. Both the boomers and the Gen Xers are predominately conservative.

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• Timbales
  
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  Dec 23, 2010 8:54 PM GMT

  I don't think Gay Rights can benefit from the same reactionary tactics as the Tea Party.

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