Brody's Notes... LGBT Equality Rights Supporters Disgusted With GetEqual Protest Actions

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Apr 22 | A visibly disgusted Congressman Barney Frank, (D-MA) commenting on the actions of the militant LGBT activist group GetEqual yesterday interrupting a House Education and Labor Committee said:

'What a stupid thing to do.'' 

Igor Volsky, a Health Care Researcher/Blogger for ThinkProgress.org, writing today on the organisation's Wonk  Room Blog observed: 

Igor Volsky  Photo Courtesy Of ThinkProgress.org  

I speculated on the effectiveness of GetEQUAL’s activism around Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell here and the “unidentified lawmaker’s” comments reiterate the concern that the group’s in-your-face disruption may alienate more moderate or conservative lawmakers and cause them to triple question their votes.

Direct activism has its place in this struggle, but at a moment when Democrats have overwhelming majorities, it seems misplaced. As Bridgette LaVictoire of Lez Get Real observes;

“This is about political chess. The time of civil disobedience may one day come. That I will not doubt and will not deny. That time is not now. LGBT Militancy in a time of increased Right Wing Militancy will not get our voices heard- they will get our voices shut down.”

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)  Photo By CSPAN

Chris Geidner, Senior Political writer for Metroweekly reports that Representative Frank in an interview, called the action ''immature, tacky'' behavior on Wednesday afternoon and said that ''George Miller and others are working hard'' to see the bill passed in the House.

In a sharp retort, GetEQUAL's Robin McGehee, when asked what she would say to Frank, replied;

''Prove us wrong, and make it happen.''

Frank's sharp response was: ''How does this help us get the bill passed? Whose mind are they going to change?''

Geidner states that McGehee told him; 

 ''There's a lot of actors in the political process,'' she said, ''from the grassroots activists, to someone who just puts a check in the mail, to our leaders of organizations to elected officials.''

Frank, however, doesn't see that as answer. He sees a bill so very close to passage and said; 

''What I wish these people would do . . . is lobby members to help them vote with us.''

McGehee also took aim directly at Frank: 

''I would say, from his position of power, as an openly gay man, who is serving his community well . . . he may no longer be able to identify with those suffering with fear of job loss or other problems because of their identity.'' 

An official with the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, speaking on the condition of remaining anonymous, said that the actions of GetEqual will only serve to offend and alienate potential allies with democrats on the Hill,  who have not yet committed their votes on ENDA and that continued militancy will lead to inevitable comparison to the Tea party actions of the far right with negative affects.