The past week has not been a good one for HRC President Joe Solmonese. During last weekend’s National Equality March, Andrew Sullivan called for his resignation. Sullivan accused Solmonese of, well, a whole lot, but mostly it came down to a frustration that Solmonese has ceased being an LGBT rights advocate and has become, instead, and political extension of the White House.
Yesterday, Solmonese was on Michelangelo Signorile’s radio show to talk about the criticism he’s been receiving. From the Advocate:
Others have charged that HRC functions like the $250 per plate fundraising dinners isolated less financially endowed LGBT activists from becoming involved, therefore creating a rift between elite members of the organization and those in grassroots efforts. Solmonese, however, said that even though some may feel a split, the people on the ground are “the core of the good things happening in the movement.”
I listened to most of the interview, and I got the sense that Solmonese has a whole lot of ground to make up with the people who made the National Equality March possible, the people who are the future of the LGBT civil rights battle.
If you haven’t seen Sullivan’s request, watch it.
15. October 2009 at 2:19 pm
Joe Solmonese is just the George W Bush of our LGBT community.
The real interesting thing would be to find OUT who’s pulling
the strings at HRC and who is controlling the purse strings?