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I did not believe campaigner Obama regarding his promises to the LGBT communities. The hate crimes legislation that has become law wasn’t because he or his administration did anything remotely “fierce,” but because for many years many individuals, often but not always through organizations, simply kept pushing. That’s the only way — people who keep pushing — that changes will come in DADT, ENDA, DOMA.

So like many others, I keep pushing HRC; I keep pushing elected elites at every level. I’ve heard from politicians / elected at every level, who reached out to LGBT communities during campaigns, the same, tired, “This just isn’t a good time. Of course we’d like to help you out, but you understand, politically, I have to wait until after this next election; until my next term. By the way, please contribute to my campaign in the meantime.”

I expect very little from Obama, and not much more from HRC. But that doesn’t mean I’ll quit pushing. And I’m always looking for other ideas, so please, if anyone has suggestions, let us hear them.

If that is learned it will be worth the effort, which, let me add would not surprise me in the least.

The reason I joined in, which I rarely if ever do on action items, is first because of the issue. Secondly, John Aravosis and I were involved in a little event back in the mid-1990s, though we didn’t meet or know it at the time. I was living in LA when John was part of the Get Dr. Laura Off TV campaign, when I was writing for the LA Weekly. John, along with many others, put enough pressure to get her TV show canned.

Since that time Aravosis has led other “silly idea” campaigns THAT HAVE WORKED. He’s got a track record, is tenacious, and he and Joe Subday are movement activists I willingly follow on this one.

As for Obama, I’ve never had any doubt that his “support” for gays and lesbians was lip service. I knew it before most.

I’m curious, what “pressure” can HRC apply on politicians? What will they do tell the President they’re upset or unhappy? The President doesn’t already know this?

For politicians, LGBT-issues are not negotiable. They are based on the beliefs of their constituents. The 111th Congress never had enough pro-LGBT members to pass anything. Phone calls, emails, marches and now HRC wagging their well-funded finger at them will accomplish NOTHING.

The lesson from this “Blog Swarm” will be the realization that HRC has NO influence on LGBT-related legislation and neither do we.

There is no political solution to LGBT issues. The sooner we learn that, the sooner we focus on the real work of creating equality.

Obama knows the repeal of DADT is not possible with the Congress and all he promised was to “work with the Congress.” Dick Cheney didn’t say he supported the repeal of DADT, either. He said he was listening to the military and that the policy should be “reviewed.” Welcome to many years of review, not repeal.

The votes are not there for the repeal of DADT or DOMA or ENDA. They never were there. You can lobby, shame and harass all you want – it doesn’t work.

Unfortunately I think this is accurate. I’ve been calling HRC for more years than I can remember, and the shift to “insider,” DNC “affiliate” has become more and more evident. It’s one reason I mention Servicemembers Legal Defense Network as another option. But HRC is still the organization with the biggest numbers, and if enough people will contact them with the DADT message in Taylor’s post, they might actually have to respond.

Heya punditmom, nice to hear from you. Any time you want feel free to post one of your pieces In the News. It’s easy and open to anyone:

http://www.taylormarsh.com/in-the-news/

Joanne Bamberger aka PunditMom
http://www.punditmom.com

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EVERYONE contact HRC. It’s an easy email. Please do it today.