Do a little investigating (not opinion blogs, but real facts) and you’ll find out what HRC is doing.

thanks!
Pey (just another non-anglo, non-elitist volunteer who helps HRC not to gain anyone’s thanks, but because it is the right thing to do)

In the time since they were founded, scores of state groups have gotten pro-LGBT state laws passed (some with an assist from the Task Force) and defeated anti-LGBT legislation. Lambda Legal, GLAD and the ACLU have won lawsuits that have established rights and struck down bad laws (e.g. Lawrence v. Texas). GLAAD has relentlessly defended against homophobia and transphobia in the media. GLSEN has passed state laws protecting LGBT students. I could keep going…

HRC raises more gay dollars than any of these orgs, supposedly to be our representatives in Washington. Well, they’ve got a fancy building in Washington. Have they gotten us any federal rights? Or anything?

I’m still waiting for an answer.

Please deal with your real issue you reveal in the first sentence of your second paragraph, and don’t be needlessly divisive here on the ground in the Carolinas. As you well know – and write – your beef is not with the local folks, but national.

You’re not the first region in the country that has tried to start a new HRC dinner or community. As I indicated from my first post (and from my knowledge as former staffer and volunteer for HRC – you ain’t the only one), the national office wants to see sustained numbers of members/letters/activity/support from a region before starting a new “city” dinner to make sure it doesn’t fall flat on its face in the first or second year.

In my humble opinion, it would be great to have both NC and SC regions/dinners/whatever, but that’s not what the infrastructure has demonstrated support for up until this time.

Having served 2 years on the Gala committee, I have distinct and insider view of the dinner that few in the Carolinas have. I drove the 2 hrs from SC to Charlotte once a month to meet with the Charlotte based dinner committee. Add to that having worked for HRC in DC for 3 months as an Intern, I’ve had many conversations with staff there. The local leaders are great but there is a disconnect between them and the national movers of the organization. If the dinner is the HRC “Charlotte” dinner, I would accept the focus on NC organizations & Charlotte politicians and their work, but to masquerade as 2 statewide event and then omit to recognize only 1/2 of the work being done in those 2 states is insulting to those working in the forgotten state. Being made fun of by the entertainer doesn’t count as being recognized by the HRC’s President in his speech or welcomed to the stage as a presenter. It’s like half of a team getting a gold medal, and the other half being kept off the podium.

There is a larger issue here dealing with 3+ years of SC leaders trying to create an HRC South Carolina committee to be turned down over and over by Nationals for various and seemingly pointless reasons. Frankly SC leaders are tired of being rejected and many of them refused to attend this year for that very reason. In 2007 there were 10 SC tables, this year there was 1… I don’t think this time we can blame the economy. Next year, will any attend in Raleigh? I’m not sure that I will…

The TIMING of this item is important because it follows that recent LGBT Exec. Dir. meeting where leading national organizations (large and smaller) talked about collaboration and establishing some level of economies of scale, according to news reports I read about the meeting.

I am not on the inside of ANY group because of my new line of work, yet I have worked with so many national LGBT organizations of many sizes, geographic and ethic/racial focus for decades.

I’m sure I sound like that broken record. I know I repeat this too often, but when I need to do something huge in our community, I need ALL of the groups who are at my avail, not just one. I need each for different expertise areas.

I can’t make soup with only water. I need flavor, spice, stock, meat, veggies and STUFF. Sometimes when belts get tightened, minds get expanded. Necessity is the mother of invention, so I never lose hope. Diego

As mentioned, the SC award winner from last year was mentioned this year by several program speakers. In years past, Columbia’s Mayor was welcomed with applause, whoops, and hollers, by all when he came to the stage promoting Columbia as LGBT-friendly.

However, note that this year’s welcome was shortened to be from Charlotte-Mecklenburg officials (county commissioners, city council members, Charlotte-Meck state reps, and Congressman Mel Watt whose district holds the convention center).

There are many other LGBT-friendly officials in NC and SC that weren’t included in the video welcome. It wasn’t a state issue; it was a host city issue, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Other LGBT-friendly Congress members and mayors from NC weren’t in welcome video portion either. It was just a “host community” welcome with no nefarious intent.

SC can rightfully be proud at the quick progress happening with the hospital protections last year and organizing focusing on the SC legislature.

Further, the entertainer tweaked both NC and SC during her bit and the audience laughed audibly both times. No one was especially targeted for mistreatment or indifference.

@libhomo: Like many organizational governing bodies, HRC’s board of directors are nominated by a committee and elected by the board.

I’m sure HRC would love to have more folks get involved in NC or SC, working their way through the pipeline after demonstrating a commitment to the organization’s mission to become a Governor, then perhaps a Director.

In HRC’s structure, the more work a community (such as the Carolinas region) does on the ground with letter to the editor writing, increasing membership, voter registration, lobbying activiy, etc. the more slots on the Board of Governors they typically receive.

Over time that eventually means more representation on the Board of Directors for your region. It’s an interesting model based on results and sustained regional work.

For examples of the work being done in SC, visit SCPride.org and download our 2008 Annual Report.

A disillusioned former HRC Intern and very disappointed HRC Carolinas ’07 & ’08 Gala committee member,

Ryan C. Wilson
President, SC Pride Movement

Hi Matt,

Great piece on HRC and I thank you for the balanced points of view. Three quick points:
1. We do have a statewide LGBT political presence via Equality North Carolina PAC which is the direct outgrowth of North Carolina Senate Vote ’90. When that campaign was over we said that it was important to have an ongoing presence in the state precisely because HRC doesn’t do state lobbying work. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of NC Senate Vote ’90 and plans are already underway for a year-long series of events to mark the occasion.

2. What I didn’t see in the story about the annual HRC Carolina’s Gala (that covers North Carolina and South Carolina) is how much money is raised each year that goes to Washington, DC and how much, if any, is given to North Carolina and South Carolina LGBT groups.

3. While I do surely appreciate the efforts of the HBCU program work that HRC does I’m also invested in the in-state, on the ground work of working with our eleven North Carolina HBCU’s via the newly formed statewide North Carolina People Of Color LGBT & Allies Network that I’m honored to be coordinating on a volunteer basis. Interested folks can email me for more information, mandycarter@nc.rr.com. Subject line: NC POC LGBTA Network.

Thanks, Mandy Carter (former HRC Board of Directors, former HRCF/HRC Staffer)
Durham, NC