Brody's Scribbles... The LGBT Community Is Beyond Angry At The Democrats

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) July 11 | I have been watching closely the unfolding debate over at Pam's House Blend & At The Bilerico Project inspired and instigated by a post/plea from Seattle based LGBT activist Joe Mirabella, on Friday, July 9th, asking that LGBT folk everywhere contribute monies and donations to the Democratic Party or aligned political types.

The principal basis for his plea being that the impending mid-term elections are beginning to resemble a rout by the fringe elements of the Republican party, in particular the so-called Tea-Party types, whom it is feared will completely destroy advances made in the past few years in terms of LGBT Equality at worst, and at least, be openly hostile and block any measure, law, or societal change that would benefit the greater LGBT community.

What was not a shock was the level of openly hostile, yet polite for the most part I'll add, but vitriolic reaction to Mirabella's Op-Ed. It appears that the majority of commentators on both PHB & TBP have just simply had enough. Broken promises by the Democratic leadership to the LGBT community after nearly 18 years of GOP controlled Congresses & the Presidency of G. W. Bush have severely disillusioned most average LGBT persons in the United States.  

The election of Barack Obama and a super majority in the Congress stood for hope &  promised changes on critical issues such as DOMA, DADT, ENDA, and Hate Crimes. Ultimately, in two years of this administration, only the Shepard-Bryd hate Crimes Law took effect and that was after a strategic compromise and effective political maneuvering by the late Senator from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy, (D), with his Republican counterparts.

The commentators on both PHB & TBP point out that thus far, only crumbs have been handed down by this president and his Congress with little real impact and momentum on repeal of onerous laws such as DADT or DOMA. Worse, the ENDA appears to have been sidelined for at least another tow, possibly three sessions of the Congress, which, should the GOP regain control of both houses would effectively kill the measure altogether. 

The point that is raised is whether or not, the LGBT organisations that are currently in-play in the lobbying efforts to also include the so-called friendly politicos of the DNC are truly worthy of any continuing support. The consensus seems to be an emphatic 'oh hell no!' Case in point:

"The reason it was so important for the quisling Democrats to actually DO something for LGBT rights was because THE SITUATION OF THE DEMOCRATS IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE BEYOND THE STUNNING MAJORITIES THEY CURRENTLY ENJOY.

If they aren't willing to do anything for our rights now, they most certainly won't when they lose seats or the GOP eventually gets back in.

So what's the point in supporting them AT ALL. Hmm? They are unwilling to advance our cause. I'm unwilling to bankroll their stupidity and cowardice further.

They can pay the f*cking price for it. If we have to suffer, then so can they. I'll see the whole nation burn to the ground and crumble before I give one red cent to any politician who is not for my liberty.

It's a game of chicken, one that gays have been woefully incapable of playing up until this point. Who will blink first?

We always have before, and the Dems know that.. and that's why they never have to do anything for us.

Make THEM blink first this time. Send them a powerful message:

WE WILL NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED ANYMORE. If you will not support us, then you can be removed from power and the entire nation can writhe in agony with the GOP sends it further down the toilet"

That from PHB member & user  Femputer earlier today. In fairness, Mirabella had stated:

"I realize not every Democrat is perfect and some are downright wrong on our issues. This is why I urge the DNC to create an LGBT fund. Allow us to contribute to the DNC while knowing our money won't support candidates who do not support us.

In the meantime, it is not time to hold back. We are too close to our goals to allow the conservatives to take over. Don't misunderstand me, I remain frustrated that the progressive agenda is still just out of reach, but this is not the right time to turn off the gAyTM."

This response reflected the feeling of a majority of the respondents:

"Giving money and votes to the Democrats is what our community has done for forty years, since Stonewall (if not earlier).  And what has it gotten us?  One broken promise after another, one bitter disappointment after another, one knife in the back after another.  Lucy has been pulling away the football for four decades.  It's time to find another, better game.  As Hunter noted in his comment above, repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome is a sign of mental illness.  (Oh, and I have to take issue with your first sentence.  We are not simply "upset" with the Democrats.  We are angry and even furious.)

The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is rhetorical, purely rhetorical.  The Democrats know all the right things to say to honeyfogle us into voting for them and forking over our cash.  They know what we want--what we need--only too well, and they promise it time after time, only to back away from keeping those promises so quickly and so consistently they simply have to be doing it on purpose.  Obama makes a genuinely terrific speech, promising us everything but trips to the moon on gossamer wings.  Then he turns around and files anti-gay briefs that regurgitate every bigoted talking point we've heard from the Republicans.  (Last year's DOMA brief, in fact, was considerably more virulent than anything we ever heard from George Bush.)
Enough is enough.  How long are we going to let them string us along with the same old bullshit? ("The Republicans are coming!  Boo!  We'll do the same as them, but they're the ones you ought to be afraid of!  Booga-booga!")"

Mirabella responded in part with this statement:

"My motivation for this piece is personal. I strongly believe that the anger in the LGBT community will end up harming ourselves. Throughout my life, I strive to build bridges, even with those who I may disagree. There are serious problems with the DNC, but I am not prepared to let the Republicans take over simply because I am impatient."

He goes on to note:

"If you don't want to give to the DNC fine. Give to someone. Make your voice heard with your dollar. Give it to the Victory Fund, for example. Find a candidate that will move us forward. But whatever you do, do not sit this one out."

Has the anger in the LGBT community at large gotten to the point where any slight, any perception that not all due process and attention is being made to the community's concerns, that after years of Gay bashing, has led to any perceived intransigence on the part of so-called friendly politicians will lead to a militant response? Judging from the growing and quite vocal chorus across the blogosphere and mainstream press, I'd tend to think so.

Mirabella agrees apparently with that analysis as he posted this in the comments at The Bilerico Project:

Dear Friends (and people who don't like me),

This blog has certainly highlighted a serious problem in our community -- one that I did not necessarily anticipate when I wrote it. A vocal group of LGBT people are so upset, they no longer believe the system of Government we have will give them the equality they need. That is a serious problem, because without political involvement we are never, ever going to win.

I certainly share the frustration that is palpable in the comment sections here and elsewhere. But I do not make judgments based on emotional responses like anger. I make judgments based on facts and reason.

These are the facts as I see them:

1) The Republican Party is more right wing then ever before.
2) The Republican Party has done a great job stopping Progressive legislation by using more Filibusters than ever in the history of the United States.
3) The Republican Party, by successfully stopping the Progressive agenda, has turned Progressives against themselves.
4) The Republican Party is poised to raise more money than Obama raised in the 2008 election by using Citizen's United to their advantage.
5) The small donor's that elected Obama are understandably frustrated because there has been little movement on issues that matter to them.
6) There is not a viable third party for the 2010 election.
7) There are not enough gay people running for office to fill all the seats.
8) There are not enough pro-equality candidates running to maintain a majority Democratic Congress if they are the only ones elected.
9) If I only support the pro-equality candidates in my district (who are already poised to win) I will not be influencing candidates in more heated contests who I need in place to strategically maintain control of Congress.
10)If the Democratic party loses control of Congress, the Republicans will ruin this country for years to come.
11) Until we change the two party system we need to work within the system we have. I'm ready to change it when you are, but there is not enough time for this election.
12) It feels good to say things like "fire them all" but you need to back that up with, who your going to replace them with, and when, and how and with what money.
13) The team with the most money in Politics almost always wins. I want to win -- even if some of the people on the team I'm rooting for are not ideal.

As so many of you painfully know, the equal rights movement is not a sprint. I tend to look at the long haul big picture -- even if that doesn't make me the most popular person every day. It would feel good to write what you all want to hear. It would feel good to write posts that feed your anger so that I can be your hero, but frankly that won't get us anywhere other than where we are now -- with a community so angry they are paralyzed. That's a problem, a serious problem that I honestly don't know how to solve other than to continue to speak the truth as I see it. If you like me for that great, if not -- well fine. I'm not in this for a popularity contest, I'm in this to protect my family.

The question therefore remains, how to affect positive change and results that end in full equality?  One person said:

"Instead of complaining to the choir let's take over the DNC and RNC websites where we can start blogs, comment all over the place, send letters, start discussions - let's go viral with this and stop asking permission and start demanding equal rights as Americans."

There are quite a number of people, especially professional lobbyist/activists in the Washington political circuit that completely miss the depth of the anger and the 'We're NOT gonna take it anymore' attitude being displayed by the average everyday LGBT person(s) who are affected by the disenfranchisement they experience. Mirabella & others as the mid-term elections approach are beginning to see this first hand in ways that are hard to miss. This last commentator succinetly sums up how these folk feel and one hopes that the Gay Inc and DNC types really listen:

"Bullshit. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. You are assuming that the lesser of two evils constitutes good politics. And you're neglecting to account for the real costs our community pays when a) we are continually psychologically pummeled by the betrayal of our allies and b) organizations and institutions that are truly our allies go un- or underfunded because we pour our dollars down the DNC (and HRC) hole.

Mr. Mirabella, and all who continue to spout this line of nonsense are, at best, displaying divided loyalties. At worst, a higher degree of loyalty to the DNC than to their own people.

Personally, I would rather have an openly hostile enemy in the White House than a manipulative traitor. At least the the attack comes from the front, you're not taken by surprise, and you know where to point the guns!"