What Does HRC have against a Republican Gubernatorial Candidate with a stand on gay marriage similar to the Democratic President?
The more I reflect on the recent attacks on corporations made by right-wing and left-wing groups because the corporation in question has not adopted the world-view of these organizations, the more I realize that each group, the American Family Association (AFA) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), is just looking for a company to attack in order to get some media attention and rally their base.
The AFA simply refuses to accept (and indeed actively seeks t0 undermine) the social changes of the past decade. Americans, even on the right, now accept that gay people should live openly while an increasing number of institutions welcome them and seek to accommodate our relationships. The group seems to have been casting about for a corporation to boycott where they thought they could be effective.
By a similar token, HRC was casting about for a company to attack. Just look at how tenuous is the connection between Target (which has adopted a number of policies beneficial to its gay employees) and anti-gay attitudes. The corporation gave money to a political organization which ran ads in favor of a candidate who has a similar stand on gay marriage to the president.
As I did a google search of likely Republican nominee for Governor of Minnesota’s alleged anti-gay attitudes, Lori Heine, one of our readers, did a google search to see what she could find out “about people in Minnesota wanting to kill gays” (in response to an e-mail she received). And like me, all she found were references some obscure Christian rock band. Now, given the number of liberal gays who read this blog, we have an active chorus of critics familiar with — and eager to criticize – our posts. Not one of them chimed in to defend HRC’s characterization of that Republican as “rapidly anti-equality” or otherwise bitterly anti-gay.
So, as of yet, the only evidence we have about the anti-gay attitudes of a Republican candidate, whose indirect support by Target has gotten HRC’s panties all in a bundle, is that he has a similar position on gay marriage to the Democratic President of the United States.
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The only reason this is confusing to you is because you talk as if HRC takes its marching orders from the DNC.
HRC disagrees with the president on this issue. Therefore, it’s consistent for them to disagree with other politicians who hold the same view as the president. Simple enough?
Comment by torrentprime — August 4, 2010 @ 5:09 pm - August 4, 2010
ok, then, torrent, why didn’t HRC launch any kind of letter-writing campaign against supporters of Obama?
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — August 4, 2010 @ 5:18 pm - August 4, 2010
I also get a kick out of the huge Obama poster in the EQCA office in West Hollywood. Double standards abound.
Comment by Chris H — August 4, 2010 @ 5:22 pm - August 4, 2010
Well, Chris, I’ve always called EqCA a front group for the CA Dem. Party.
You live in WeHo as well?
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — August 4, 2010 @ 5:27 pm - August 4, 2010
I still can’t find anyone who will explain to me why a Republican opposed to gay marriage is a homophobic bigot, but a liberal opposed to gay marriage is a champion of tolerance™ and equality™. You’d think after all these years ONE drone would be able to explain the double standard.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 4, 2010 @ 7:15 pm - August 4, 2010
An astute comment. After all, all organizations have to justify their existence.
To be fair to HRC, however, I haven’t seen any evidence that the group is upset with Target. All I’ve seen is gay lefties being upset with HRC for giving Target such good ratings on its Corporate Equality Index.
Comment by Classical Liberal Dave — August 5, 2010 @ 12:29 am - August 5, 2010
CLDave, HRC e-mailed its list asking people to complain to Target about the donation–as per my previous post on the matter, linked in the 1st ¶ above.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — August 5, 2010 @ 12:31 am - August 5, 2010
Has anyone seen that Anti-Target ad the HRC has uploaded to Youtube its amateur. Scary dark music, and a red and black background. Talking about how this guy has connections to a evil Christian Rock Band.
I made a video about why this whole boycott is a tad bit silly feel free to watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQW_JeWSfT8
Comment by Eric — August 5, 2010 @ 5:38 pm - August 5, 2010
Ugh. Then General Motors donates to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation which has at least 4 board members who voted for DOMA. selective outrage much?
Comment by Quin Owen — August 6, 2010 @ 12:08 am - August 6, 2010