KnowThyNeighbor.org

Hillary Clinton Fundraiser in Boston Tonight But Gay Leaders Should Not Be Supporting Her So Soon

A $ 4600 Per Person Fundraiser in Support of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Friday March 30th at 6PM, at The State Room, Boston Draws Very Visible Gay Support view at Download hillaryinvitation.pdf

Only a short time since Hillary Clinton's much publicized inability to answer the question "Do you believe homosexuals are immoral?" with the response "I will let others conclude...," some very prominent Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian leaders have jumped at the chance to add their names to the Host Committee of tonight's seemingly "hush-hush" Hillary for President Fundraiser.

Among the LGBT notables at tonight's event which is being Chaired by Elaine and Gerry Schuster is Mary Breslauer whose name has been used on more than one occasion to conjure with.  Ms. Breslauer was instrumental in the media handling around Hillary and Julie Goodridge in the Goodridge Decision and was the John Kerry Campaign's Senior Advisor for LGBT Outreach.  Mary Breslauer served on the Board of the HRC for ten years and presently co-hosts with HRC President, Joe Solomnese a talk show called The Agenda on XM-Satellite Radio.  Breslauer was also a strong supporter of Chris Gabrieli's run for governor against Deval Patrick. 

Bryan Rafinelli who owns Rafinelli Events is essentially on Hillary Clinton's payroll as her LGBT Party Coordinator (for lack of the official term) along with his husband, Mark Walsh, who is Clinton's new Advisor for LGBT Outreach.  Hillary actually gave Mark Walsh, who is on the HRC Steering Committee, a "shout-out" which can be seen in her video taped HRC Speech.  The same speech in which Clinton refuses to advocate for Same Sex Marriage Rights but declares that "all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits."   She says she is "for Civil Unions" and that is why she is sponsoring the "Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act" for Federal Workers.   Insightful commentary and the full video can be viewed on Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish.

But the most surprising LGBT "leaders" to be throwing themselves at Hillary Clinton at this time are Rob Compton and David Wilson -- who were one of the seven plaintiff couples in the Goodridge Decision and technically the "alpha couple" now as Equal Marriage spokespeople.  David Wilson is a Board Member of MassEquality and the HRC  and whose photo appears on Governor Deval Patrick's Website promoting Deval's support of Full Equality and Full Marriage Rights for LGBT.

The LGBT Community in Massachusetts faces its greatest challenge now as Marriage Equality may be taken away from us unless we are able to sway upwards of seven legislators this May. (see Innewsweekly)  And yet very visible and key players in LGBT Rights here in Massachusetts are putting their names with a candidate (Hillary Clinton) who, #1 is for Civil Unions, #2 cannot seem to be able to discuss the term "marriage," and #3 could not even give a straight answer when asked if "homosexuals are immoral!"  The latter took a barrage of bloggers and activists to finally get a response from her which gave the LGBT community a satisfying answer on the topic.

Of course, we can possibly think that Breslauer, Rafinelli, Walsh would somehow benefit financially or by appointment for supporting Hillary Clinton or that they together with Compton and Wilson and their collective HRC affiliations are under some sort of "directive from the mothership," but I find it all potentially damaging to our Equal Rights here in Massachusetts.  We are ALL lobbying Massachusetts Legislators to not allow our Equal Rights to move to a Ballot Question which will be decided at the ConCon which is scheduled for May 2007.  But this coalition of LGBT support at tonight's Hillary Clinton Fundraiser may make it even more difficult for us to make these Leges understand the seriousness of "the word marriage" and that "Equal Marriage means Equal Rights" when our "leaders" and "spokespeople" support a Presidential Candidate who does not.

For extra reading see the following important commentary:

Deb Price  "Gays Should Be Cautious Before Swooning For Clinton"

Patrick Healy of the NYTimes "2 Democrats Clarify Beliefs About Gays"

Rod McCullom of the Advocate "Behind the Gay-Friendly Faces" Download hill.pdf

Tom Lang, Co-Director

Massachusetts Governor Patrick Actively Working on Defeat of Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

In Today's Post Town Hall Meeting to Announce New Website Governor Deval Patrick Tells Bloggers,  "We Can Win To Defeat Marriage Amendment on Merits"

Saturday, March 24th Boston Latin School Governor Deval Patrick launched his new non-partisan yet "political" website DevalPatrick.com in an effort to re-engage Massachusetts citizens in specific issues that are important to them.  The website organizes activists and individuals in communities of thought in order to better allow the voters of Massachusetts to communicate with the governor and as Patrick said, "for the Governor to communicate with you." 

But Governor Patrick also issued a word of sage advice to the hundreds of supporters at the meeting...in what could be described as "marching orders," Patrick told us, "If you want changes, COME AND GET THEM!"   This is the Governor's new order of civic engagement--we are being told to "share the responsibility" and it is up to us to engage our Senators and Representatives one-on-one in order to "help him govern."

After the town hall meeting a small group of bloggers were brought to a room for a direct personal session with the governor.  Governor Patrick in response to a question posed Michael Ball at MassMarrier Blog, about what is being done to stop the hateful anti-same-sex marriage petition and what if anything is being done to clean up the petition process and protect it from fraud ( such as was purpetrated by VoteOnMarriage), Deval Patrick spoke directly.  Governor Patrick said that he has been working in a strategy with the legislature to defeat this amendment on its merits.  And he believes that we "will have the votes" to kill it at the May Constitutional Convention.

Why has this been so hush, hush in the press releases and emails coming from our "gay leadership?"  A Governor getting involved in behind the scenes work to influence the legislature on the gay marriage amendment is NOT shocking.  Mitt Romney had his cronie, the Chairman of the Mass Repubs, Darrell Crate, going door to door in 2004 offering incentives for voting for the worst of the amendments.  Why is it that still, LGBT cannot be open and forthright when we talk about our Equality? 

Thank you Governor Patrick for telling us that you openly stand behind us in our fight to remain equal citizens in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!  And thank you for telling us that you are working actively on Equal Marriage.  And I will borrow other words of yours that I heard you speak today, because I know them to apply directly to the LGBT Community and the KnowThyNeighbor Community.

"IT IS YOUR GOVERNMENT, YOUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND YOUR MOMENT IN TIME!"  and if I may add just one thing, LGBT need to heed these words and speak out without shame, without fear and for what you know is right.  Like Governor Patrick.

Tom Lang, Director 

 

 

Senate President Travaglini May Resign As New Hope Springs for Gay Rights in Massachusetts

In Today's Globe, the rumours have come to fact.  Senate President Robert Travaglini has been officially contacted in an attempt to begin negotiations for a lucrative job offer to join the Board of the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals.  As you know Travaglini was responsible for the push to vote on the merits of the anti-marriage amendment which threw a wrench into the Massachustts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus' attempts to kill the amendment at the January 2nd ConCon.

The LGBT Community and its supporters have been hoping that "Trav" would consider this move and here is hoping that the $ 300,000 a year salary with the Council of Community Hospitals will tempt him away from his current $ 90,000 Senatorial salary.

So who to take his place?  Senator Therese Murray, Chairwoman of Ways and Means  Committee and Pro-Equality supporter it seems.

Now I understand why Arline Isaacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus walked up to the KnowThyNeighbor lawyer and friend, Nikki Sanders last week and gave her a HUGE hug.  In the political stage, the actors change frequently and so does the play.  It just helps when the understudies know how to "up-stage" when it counts.

Tom Lang, Director

Homosexuality Is NOT Immoral, This War Is Immoral

General Peter Pace's Comments To the Chicago Tribune Should Have Sparked Other Questions of the Joint Chief Which Would Qualify Other "Immorality" Besides Intimate Relations  (see story)

So what would the General find the morality quotient on the following...

Moral or Immoral?  A commander of the armed forces publicly declaring the "immorality" of an estimated 65,000 men and woman who are risking their lives in the service of their, his and our country.  Many of whom may be or have been deployed in this current war.

Moral or immoral?  An existing policy (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) which would dare to demand that those 65,000 men and women who would potentially give their lives to protect American Freedoms which include and may be considered by many Americans to be the greatest freedom--the right to free speech--that they NOT be allowed to talk about themselves, who they are, whom they love, if they are in a relationship, or the nature of the one that would need to be informed if that military person was killed in the line of duty to service to his or her country?

Moral or immoral?  To segregate and demean by virtue of this "Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy," to segregate and demean by virtue of offering "your opinion," to segregate or demean by virtue of declaring non-truths such as "homosexuals in the ranks would demoralize the unit, etc. etc." in order to cover up the real reasons... to segregate the 65,000 men and women who would potentially give their lives in service of this country and to demean, demonize, shame these 65,000 men and women, the gays and lesbians who have served and died for this country and ALL LGBT American Citizens ?????!!!!!!

Moral or immoral?  To use and demonize a group of fellow American citizens and fellow human beings in order to further your own personal, social or political agenda?

Moral or immoral?  To require a law abiding, tax paying minority to fight with time, money and lives in order to be recognized as equals in a country which boasts of a Democracy and Freedoms which are the "envy" of all nations?

Moral or immoral?  The War in Iraq in which General Pace has direct involvement and nearly two thirds of Americans polled view unfavorably? 

How about some answers General?

Tom Lang, Director