GetEQUAL Activists Heckle White House Officials, Gay Leaders at 'Common Purpose' Meeting
Attendees of the White House's 'Common Purpose' meeting, an ongoing outreach to progressive interest groups by the Obama administration, were met by 13 GetEQUAL protesters, including seven of those activists who were arrested at the DADT protest on the WH fence.
"David Smith, Vice President of Policy and Strategy for the Human Rights Campaign, Winnie Stachelberg, Sr. VP for External Affairs for CAP; Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, were greeted tonight by the protestors and asked to stand with the LGBT community and not attend the meeting. All three of them chose instead to cross the protest line and enter into the hotel. Smith refused saying, “I’m running late”. Also, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina was greeted tonight by protestors who chanted to him 'Obama, What’s Your Plan?' and 'Keep Your Promise!'"
Said GetEQUAL's Heather Cronk to Politico: "The White House's Common Purpose meeting is the primary way that progressive ideas and values supported by a majority of Americans are being upended and compromised. We are calling on the progressive groups attending these meetings to shake free the yoke of White House staff who are refusing to push forward the progressive ideals that President Obama campaigned on."
GetEQUAL's Robin McGehee is reportedly meeting with White House LGBT liaison Briand Bond this morning.
Watch a video of the group heckling Messina, AFTER THE JUMP...
(image below via americablog)
Way to circle the wagons boys. I think these guys would accomplish a lot more if they spent their time protesting the REPUBLICAN senators who've been filibustering the repeal. Especially quadruple flip-flop extraordinaire, "I'll listen to the generals, no that wasn't the right study," Gramppy McCain.
Posted by: Mike | Nov 17, 2010 11:43:49 AM
It seems.... ironic (at best) to chant "Obama, what's your plan?" while picketing a meeting where they discuss Obama's plans.
I'm glad they're raising a ruckus, but I can't agree with their idea that it's better to boycott than to engage. The purists might be proud of their righteous rage, but does it accomplish any of the changes they want to see?
Posted by: Adam | Nov 17, 2010 11:44:15 AM
@ ADAM : I guess we've all tried the correct/political way and accomplished bugger all.......let's give the activists a hearing and a chance to achieve what political support did not.
After all they have a track record in drawing attention to gay rights and causes; eg ACT UP/ AIDS
Posted by: JackFknTwist | Nov 17, 2010 12:05:13 PM
JACKFKNTWIST makes a valid point. Let's get visible!
Posted by: Jerome | Nov 17, 2010 1:16:50 PM
DADT is not going to be repealed.
Live with it.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Nov 17, 2010 1:25:34 PM
How refreshing to see the black guy protesting. I'm so tired of only seeing white gay male faces at the forefront of gay rights issues...with the exception of Lt. Dan Choi. THANK YOU PROTESTERS FOR CARING ABOUT OUR RIGHTS!
Posted by: Darlinkula | Nov 17, 2010 1:33:04 PM
These meetings are a farce. Obama shall continue to say he supports gay equality while throwing the power of the Executive into retention and sustenance of anti-gay discrimination and stigmatization.
Much thanks to those forthright and honest enough to stand witness to this betrayal, outside the gates of power, out in the cold where we find ourselves as a community. Powerless, leaderless, hopeless--unless we acknwoledge it is again time to take to the streets.
Posted by: the greasybear | Nov 17, 2010 2:34:04 PM
@ADAM
Obama and his administration have had two f*cking years to plan. If they haven't "planned" by now, they're either incompetent idiots or two-faced liars with no intention to ever really do anything.
Kabuki Theater time is over. Time is up. Either show us the plan they said they had or admit they lied and never really had one. Is anybody seriously fooled anymore that these meetings are "planning" anything?
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Nov 17, 2010 2:54:41 PM
I have my own issues with GET EQUAL and their devotion to "purity", but, they get noticed in the Blogosphere making the discussion a lot more "real".
It was nice to see a person of color, but, please know that Robin McGeHee has always made it a point to have diversity in anything that she does. It's unfortunate that Dan has been the face of diversity for the movement as he seems to be on a steady slide to Cindy Sheehanville.
At least Robin met with Brian Bond at The White House today, he's a great guy and will tell her the truth.
Posted by: Derek Washington | Nov 17, 2010 3:36:30 PM
yeah...
There really are limits to imagination...of course, the market dictates that the best aren't left over for this kind of thing.
Yes, congressional DADT repeal is a pipe dream at this point. Deal with it, homos.
Posted by: TANK | Nov 17, 2010 3:42:36 PM
The Democrats had two years and they blew it.
Why are liberals so often wishy washy and weak?
Posted by: Lyell | Nov 17, 2010 3:48:18 PM
DADT (etc.) is going nowhere. It's too effective as a fundraising tool. The Democrats promise they're going to do something for us year after year and we shower them with money and time - and we get a teeny tiny tweak here and there and some more "we're trying...be patient." The Republicans use the threat of the end DADT (etc.) to raise money from their Fundamentalist Fucktard wing, which in return gets some blowhard posturing over the non-existent Gay threat.
You want action? Then be prepared to get ugly. Really ugly. Be ready to go to jail and the hospital. Be ready to be accused of terrorism (which is what it will take.) Be ready to be harassed constantly by Law Enforcement, and demonized by the Good Gays.
This system isn't designed to deliver Justice; it's set up to enhance the power of those who control it and diminish the power of those who don't. We gays are the perfect boogieman with which to keep the Stupid Majority distracted while they're systematically stripped of any assets they might have and their feral children are trained as cannon fodder for yet another Occupation, or mindless drones for Walmart.
And stop trying to reason with Obama; he doesn't care.
Posted by: mcQuaidLA | Nov 17, 2010 4:22:53 PM
Stupid juvenile fools. These idiots are just making people avoid us - like a plague.
Posted by: Jennifer Tine | Nov 17, 2010 4:36:10 PM
Wow! 13 people!
GetEQUAL is a joke.
It's embarrassing that they even get coverage here when the vast majority of the LGBT community thinks that they're morons.
The head of the organization is making more than $90,000 a year and those are the best signs they can pull together?
Idiots.
Posted by: Rob G. | Nov 17, 2010 9:19:27 PM