Dean Fires Gay Staffer; Log Cabin Silent
If Howard Dean were a Republican, Log Cabin might have issued a press release attacking him for firing his party’s gay outreach advisor. According to the Washington Blade, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman yesterday “fired the party’s gay outreach advisor Donald Hitchcock less than a week after Hitchcock’s domestic partner, Paul Yandura, a longtime party activist, accused Dean of failing to take stronger action to defend gays.“
In an open letter to gay Democrats on April 20, Yandura had taken issue with Dean and his party “for not getting involved in state ballot measures seeking to ban gay marriage.” Three months ago, I noted how “Dean lied!” by closing the DNC’s GLBT outreach office — which he had promised (in his campaign for DNC chair) to keep open. After his beloved was let go, Yandura said, “This is retaliation, plain and simple . . . . This shows what they think about domestic partners.“
Log Cabin is ever so quick to criticize its own party. Now, they have a chance to show their partisan stripes and criticize the opposing party’s chairman for firing a gay man because of his partner’s actions. This after all is one thing partisan organizations do — criticize opposing parties. And Log Cabin even has Republican in its name.
Log Cabin seems eager to denounce narrow views in (& otherwise take issue with) its own party. It’s time they do the same for the opposing party.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
UPDATE: This left-wing blog accuses the DNC of “marginalizing the LGBT community” and the ostensibly Republican gay group remains silent. (H/T: Washington Blade.)
UP-UPDATE: Christian Grantham, another Democrat, offers his two cents on the issue here.
36 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
One of these days, you guys are going to have to explain to me what the point of the LCR is supposed to be.
Comment by rightwingprof — May 3, 2006 @ 1:43 pm - May 3, 2006
This is the Grand Bull Moose Gold Medal Top Dog High Llama Most Reverent Kick-Ass Award winner for the year.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — May 3, 2006 @ 1:48 pm - May 3, 2006
[...] Howard Dean has fired its gay liaison Donald Hitchcock whose partner Paul Yandura publicly criticized the DNC on GLBT issues. AMERICAblog eludes to retribution. GayPatiot wonders why the Log Cabin Republicans are silent on the issue. Better question, why have the Stonewall Democrats (as of 12:57 pm CST 5/3/06) not spoken out? [...]
Pingback by Blowhard » Blog Archive » Democratic National Committee Fires Gay Man — May 3, 2006 @ 2:04 pm - May 3, 2006
Um…so, where is our Gay Outreach person? We shouldn’t expect LCR to criticize if we don’t have one. I do know that the RNC has staffers working on anti-marriage ballot initiatives.
Comment by Jeremy — May 3, 2006 @ 2:15 pm - May 3, 2006
And so does the DNC.
Once you understand that, Jeremy, you’ll realize why the RNC doesn’t usually bother with gay outreach; it would be a complete waste of money, since gays obviously don’t care about whether or not something is antigay and just automatically support Democrats.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — May 3, 2006 @ 3:08 pm - May 3, 2006
It’s time they do the same for the opposing party.
Did you email them to ask them why they have not or would not? Or whether they are planning to? I understand that people around here like to rant against LCR, but one thing you might want to consider is to finding out what they have done or plan to do, and the reason why.
Comment by raj — May 3, 2006 @ 3:30 pm - May 3, 2006
umm given that Guerriero handpicked a COO who is now sueing him for wrongful terminatoin I doubt they will wade into this one…remember they are a gay organization first (so says the board) not republican. Did anyone see how awful former chair Bill “doing a heckofa job” Brownson looked at the convention???
Comment by buckeye bill — May 3, 2006 @ 3:46 pm - May 3, 2006
Raj, it’s because we’re so used to LC(R) silence when the Democrats do something untoward on gay issues. If the group issues a statement on this, I will of course update the post.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — May 3, 2006 @ 4:12 pm - May 3, 2006
That, and we don’t do identity politics, special little interest groups with special little buttons and T-shirts, sitting in special sections at conventions, or special rights.
Comment by rightwingprof — May 3, 2006 @ 4:26 pm - May 3, 2006
Do you work for the RNC prof? I can agree with you.
Comment by Jeremy — May 3, 2006 @ 4:31 pm - May 3, 2006
#8, that may be true, but you probably aren’t going to find out why they don’t do something that you believe they should, unless you ask.
Comment by raj — May 3, 2006 @ 4:32 pm - May 3, 2006
The firing sounds very petty, but typical Dean.
Not sure that LCR has to take a major stand on the issue, given they are a gay republican group, not democratic group, but sounds like Dean certainly earned a good raking over the coals on this one.
Comment by Just Me — May 3, 2006 @ 4:35 pm - May 3, 2006
Andrew Sullivan and GPW apparently agree. On the subject of Dean at least.
Comment by Patrick (Gryph) — May 3, 2006 @ 4:52 pm - May 3, 2006
WeScream4HowieDean is bailing water faster at the DNC HdQtrs than Terry McAuliffe could spend it –at least McAuliffe kept all the DNC Chair campaign promises he intended to keep… Dean hasn’t just eliminated the highest profile gay office in the DNC, Dean hasn’t just fired the highest ranking gay staffer at the DNC, Dean also opposed the re-election of the only gay executive officer on the DNC operating committee (Treas Tobias) –and the party also wouldn’t include a pro-gay marriage plank in the interim platform approved in 2005, also wouldn’t include a DADTDH repeal plank in the interim platform, and stopped Terry McAuliffe’s ground breaking initiative to recruit more gay candidates for local, state and federal office.
How far the preferred party of liberal gays has fallen from the glorious days when gay rights groups routinely used DNC Central Office assets, machines, mailing lists, mailing assembly equipment, phone banks and other resources to advance the gay civil rights agenda across the US.
Dean is coming out of Left field and doing the hachet work demanded by NancyPelosi and HarryReid in their now-infamous clock cleaning trip with Dean to the woodshed last winter. The GayLeft is about as effective now as the Log Cabin guys were when they failed to endorse an incumbent President’s reelection bid.
It’s gotta hurt when the only game in town for the GayLeft doesn’t want to help, doesn’t want to be seen with you, and only wants you as arm baggage at the next national election.
It’s gotta hurt.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — May 3, 2006 @ 6:15 pm - May 3, 2006
WAY OFF TOPIC: (sorry) Bruce – in a post you once mentioned that you used a news reader and really recommended it. What was it? I’ve looked through past posts, but can’t find it.
Thanks.
Comment by Jeremy — May 3, 2006 @ 7:17 pm - May 3, 2006
Patrick in #13. Before 02/24/04, you’d be surprised at how much Andrew and I agree. If he’s attacking Dean, then it’s nice to see him return to his pre-02/24 self when he frequently took issue with that Democratic hate-monger.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — May 3, 2006 @ 8:16 pm - May 3, 2006
I’ll need a little more information on this before I jump on the bash Dean bandwagon.
BTW, I don’t recall seeing anyone comment on John McCain’s embracing of the intiative here in Arizona that will not only ban gay marraige but ANY form of recognition of same sex relationships. Furthermore, McCain has said he will support a FEDERAL Constitutional amendment if any court determines that Arizona’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional. And he’s supposedly a “moderate” Republican!
Comment by Ian S — May 3, 2006 @ 9:19 pm - May 3, 2006
Um, the point of this post, Ian, is that partisan organizations point out the oppsoing party’s flaws — and Log Cabin rarely (if ever) does that.
This has nothing to do with McCain. Since there are other sites which will take issue with McCain, we’ll use our limited time for issues not addressed elsewhere — though I have a post in mind faulting McCain but on other issues.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — May 3, 2006 @ 9:36 pm - May 3, 2006
Maybe LCR should start a blog and you guys could write for it. Then LCR would have something to say about everything that comes down the pike. Only question is: would you guys have anything left to talk about?
[We're just waiting for Log Cabin to distinguish itself from the Gay Left. And it seems we'll be waiting a long time, a very, very, very long time. --Ed.]
Comment by jimmy — May 3, 2006 @ 9:49 pm - May 3, 2006
#18 Sorry, I should have referenced #’s 4 and 5 which brought up the gay marriage initiative issue and John Kerry’s stance thereon. Since McCain is now running for President and has come out so strongly for his own state’s anti-gay intitiative which is far more draconian than Kerry supported in Massachusetts, I wondered if there’d be the same outcry as there was against Kerry.
Comment by Ian S — May 3, 2006 @ 11:07 pm - May 3, 2006
Fair point, Ian S (in #20).
Comment by GayPatriotWest — May 4, 2006 @ 12:03 am - May 4, 2006
Ian only thing about McCain is he is deemed a moderate, but he has always been fairly conservative from the social standpoint-he just hasn’t been real enamored with the Christian right (although at the moment he seems to be trying to build some bridges with them). But if you look at McCain’s record on social issues, you don’t find a moderate. His moderation tends to come in other areas (and one reason he won’t ever get a vote from me in a primary election and maybe a general is his opinions on the 1st amendment and free speech).
Comment by Just Me — May 4, 2006 @ 6:50 am - May 4, 2006
#17 — ExACTly, Ian. Here’s a paraphrase of VA’s anit-gay marriage law which was passed recently…
This commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effects of marriage. Nor shall this commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage.”
This law even makes it difficult for 2 same sex people to buy a house together, or even to bequeath any personal property, money, or other belongings to someone else of the same sex, regARDless of their sexual orientation. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, for 2 same sex people to enter into a business contract together.
It’s amazing that you GLBT republicans support politicians who write and pass oppressive laws like this. How do you all like living in the dark ages? Just curious.
Comment by ndtovent — May 4, 2006 @ 8:48 am - May 4, 2006
Yes — which reminds me, I need to send in my dues.
Why would you expect a conservative to comment on that RINO? Though far more despicable was his statement Sunday, that he preferred a “clean government” to the First Amendment.
Yes, it’s a clear violation of private property rights, though since you liberals don’t believe in property rights and violate them at every opportunity, that will go right over your pointy little head. The first time somebody challenges the law in court, it will be stricken down — as it should, because it is a violation of property rights.
Comment by rightwingprof — May 4, 2006 @ 11:15 am - May 4, 2006
Re #9
Right, RWP. That’s only why the RNC has “teams” (http://www.gop.com/Teams/) and links to “Other” Republican Groups) http://www.gop.com/About/Links.aspx) Hell, up until a few years ago the Republican Unity Coalition and Log Cabin were on there too!
Women, Catholics, Jews, Hispanics, Irish, lawyers, young people, people of faith, entrepreneurs, and seniors. No. No identity politics based on issues of concern there AT ALL within the GOP.
Comment by GOPValues — May 4, 2006 @ 12:00 pm - May 4, 2006
Oh wait! I forgot African Americans too.
Comment by GOPValues — May 4, 2006 @ 12:01 pm - May 4, 2006
It’s amazing that you GLBT republicans support politicians who write and pass oppressive laws like this. How do you all like living in the dark ages? Just curious.
Talk to your Democratic governor, who ran on an antigay campaign platform and has come up with all sorts of creative reasons for why he won’t stand in the way of the amendment you cite.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — May 4, 2006 @ 12:10 pm - May 4, 2006
#23 ndtovent — May 4, 2006 @ 8:48 am – May 4, 2006
This law even makes it difficult for 2 same sex people to buy a house together, or even to bequeath any personal property, money, or other belongings to someone else of the same sex, regARDless of their sexual orientation. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, for 2 same sex people to enter into a business contract together.
I find this very difficult to believe. None of the things you mention have anything to do with “legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage.”
Regarding buying a house, doesn’t Virginia have “Joint tenants with right of survivorship”? That would allow property, including but not limited to a house, to pass outside of a will to the survivor, regardless of the sex or sexual orientation of the survivor. And it has nothing to do with an incident of marriage.
Comment by raj — May 4, 2006 @ 12:40 pm - May 4, 2006
Hey: Not to be a pest…but I don’t see Bruce posting. Can anyone remember the newsreader that Bruce (gaypatriot) suggested?
Comment by Jeremy — May 4, 2006 @ 1:23 pm - May 4, 2006
No, there aren’t. You don’t understand the concept.
Comment by rightwingprof — May 4, 2006 @ 2:05 pm - May 4, 2006
I agree that LCR should denounce this. Hopefully, the lack of comment is because most of LCR National staff is resting up after what I think was a pretty good convention. It would also be nice to comment on the delicious fact that the Black Caucus of the DNC is opposing adding sexual orientation to the affirmative action policy for selecting National Delegates because it might cost them some seats.
Comment by Bobo — May 4, 2006 @ 2:48 pm - May 4, 2006
As soon as you see one of those PC nonsense words, like “marginalizing,” just move right along.
Comment by rightwingprof — May 4, 2006 @ 5:03 pm - May 4, 2006
The LCR has remained silent? Gee, I’m soooo surprised. I mean it’s not like they’ve whored themselves out to the Left is it? Oh wait…
Comment by Average Gay Joe — May 4, 2006 @ 7:26 pm - May 4, 2006
A couple of the leftist blogs have criticized Howard Dean on this issue. That’s appropriate.
I don’t think it’s the job of LCR to attack the DNC. I know I’m in the minority here, but I want LCR to concentrate on trying to help nudge the GOP back toward its traditional roots.
If anyone should be speaking out against Dean it should be an official organ of the GOP. I noticed Ken Melhman and the RNC were silent on this issue.
Comment by Trace Phelps — May 4, 2006 @ 11:37 pm - May 4, 2006
OK. Then why hasn’t LCR at least denounced Mehlman/RNC’s silence on this issue?
Answer: Because, even though they would be criticizing Republicans overtly, there would still be an implied or indirect criticism of Democrats. That’s the thing LCR wants to avoid now at all costs.
No matter how you slice it, the bottom line is that LCR (at least at the National level) exists to criticize, tear down and defeat Republicans, and nothing / nobody else.
National LCR says they’re in favor of low taxes, Social Security reform, a strong War on Terror, and gay equality; but, having sold out to the gay Left in the last few years, they can no longer actually work toward those things, or bring themselves to criticize the Democrat, leftist, and/or anti-American opponents who stand in the way.
Comment by Calarato — May 5, 2006 @ 11:06 am - May 5, 2006
Trace, Mehlman can’t speak out about WeScreamDean’s anti-gay actions over at DNC HdQtrs because it would underscore his own gross inadequacies in appealing to gay GOPers. I can’t believe the sheer number of gays we have in power positions in the GOP and the chickenshits can’t even knock on the closet door, let alone step out.
It’d be like Pope Bennie releasing an encyclical on “Good Touch-Bad Touch”… or designating a new office in the Vatican for recovering pedophiles and staffing it with Legionnaries. It just doesn’t work.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — May 5, 2006 @ 7:48 pm - May 5, 2006