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