Gays to demonstrate against Human Rights Campaign
Gay activists in Boston are rallying troops to protest against The Human Rights Campaign in October.
Queertoday.com plans to build a broad coalition of activists to protest at what they feel to be HRC’s lack of grassroots organising and coalition building, plus their endorsements of pro-war, anti-labour, anti-choice, and anti-immigrant candidates.
Queertoday.com claim that HRC has a reputation of not fully supporting the Trans community and a long history of endorsing conservative candidates.
There are thousands within the LGBT community who have donated to HRC.
A few weeks ago Brad Luna, spokesperson for HRC, said the protests of their Galas have “nothing to do with organized labour.”
HRC has historically allowed their dinners to be catered by Aramark despite the fact that they themselves gave the company one of the lowest “Equality Index” scores.
In San Francisco the keynote speaker for their HRC Gala, the mayor of Los Angeles, backed out at the last minute citing his refusal to cross labour picket lines.
The event was protested by Pride At Work, a queer labour group that has endorsed QueerToday’s Boston boycott.
In several U.S. cities, protests organized by transgender activists have taken place or are planned in response to what they perceive to be HRC’s weak support for a trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA).
Several organizations including Queers Without Borders, Pride At Work, and KnowThyNeighbor.org have already endorsed the protest of HRC’s Boston Gala.
The HRC is the largest LGBT lobbying group and political action committee in America.
Their mission statement is: “HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights; and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.”
