June 06, 2006

The Human Rights Campaign Endorsed Lieberman?

Business. As. Usual.

At one level this doesn't suprise me - the HRC didn't get to be one of the leading lobbies backing "leftist" causes by continually bucking the powerful. But their endorsement of Joe Lieberman is nothing they should be proud of (or done in the first place). Yes, I can see why the country's leading gay rights organization (and one of the leading abortion rights organizations) would back Joe Lieberman given that he has a long history of casting votes that are on "their side" on the floor of the Senate. But two things should have stopped them from issuing their endorsement. First, while Lieberman often votes the right way from their perspective, the very essence of Lieberman's politics enables the biggest opponents of the gay rights and abortion rights movements. His political discourse, his constant moralizing, frames politics in ways that give power to the HRC's opponents - power that is arguably much more important than Lieberman's individual vote (which is just 1 of 100). Secondly, his opponent, Ned Lamont, seems sure to be BETTER ON THEIR ISSUES. Why in the hell endorse an okay incumbent, when you could have a strikingly good replacement for him? I know why - b/c the HRC succumbed to the go-along-to-get-along mantras that pervade DC. But that kind of politics as usual is not helpful to their cause. They are backing a dangerous mediocrity over a true supporter, even leader, of the causes that they supposedly prioritize.

I'd actually just gotten some literature from them asking me to join. I'm now very glad I hadn't sent that back. There's no way I'll be joining them, though I do give Lambda Legal money. I agree with Christopher Durang (who until this column I had no idea was political). If you hope for an America in which gay Americans have the same rights and protections as straight Americans, support that group. Don't give your money to the Human Rights Campaign.

Posted by armand at June 6, 2006 09:17 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Politics


Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?