As a journalist, it's my duty to speak the truth as I understand it:
Mainstream LGBTQ+ organizations such as HRC, A4TE (in chaos due to a lengthy merger), and the Equality orgs were not prepared. They are acting more as an impediment to community efforts to fight back than leading those efforts.
Mainstream LGBTQ+ organizations such as HRC, A4TE (in chaos due to a lengthy merger), and the Equality orgs were not prepared. They are acting more as an impediment to community efforts to fight back than leading those efforts.
Comments
They always fought against ALL OF US.
We were the ones who DIDN'T fight for all of us.
1) Not in any way true
2) A giant slap in the face to the folks - trans and non-binary ppl and some of the most steadfast allies I have ever known - who spent 60 to 80 hour weeks for the last six months trying to win an election & getting ready when we lost EVERYTHING.
We're certainly not perfect but the idea that we're actively making things WORSE is outlandish on its very face.
The A4TE just (darkly) hilariously had to put a giant asterix on its "fighters for trans rights" because a ton of them voted for that NDAA
I am being told, over and over again, that the orgs are fine, the people working there are good. But I cannot help but notice that our national conversation is nowhere near where it needs to be.
I have more important shit to do today than argue with the bad vibes you have for HRC.
That said, "HRC has bad recordkeeping" isn't what Evan was accusing.
This didn't help, btw https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/10/31/jeff-bezos-amazon-lgbt-donates-10000-gay-republican/
How are orgs supposed to respond to this bullshit without digesting it, coordinating responses with other friendly orgs, writing a response, and getting it out?
Generic pre-canned responses would've been as effective?
I am sure the people there right now are great, and I am assured of that by many folks, but....
We need our people back.
But right now, in the face of destruction and violence, we must focus on caring for actual individual people who are in danger. Including yourself! Keep each other safe and alive and supported. Build our strength so we may continue to fight.
So fuck them.
They wrote the fukking genocidal game plan out in detail in Project 2025, and Agenda 47 videos - and I and MANY others have been warning tem for well over a year about it.
They dismissed us as "catastrophizers."
Fucking IRRESPONSIBLE.
It just isn't the same playing field in the UK.
https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-and-lambda-legal-will-sue-to-block-trump-administrations-renewed-transgender-military-service-ban
The HRC is fighting for trans prisoners and soldiers - who else?
I think the ability to adjust to the terrain is lagging behind where it needs to be.
They have always been dominated by white, cisgender gay men. They've done good work, but have an innate bias.
They are also, frankly, the most off-kilter and struggling members of the community I interact with.
They are frightened and confused and near despair.
Our post-Obama institutions are collaborative in nature, rather than confrontational with a focus on steady incremental gains. They have never faced a significant social force (this time it is the federal government) in opposition to our rights.
1/
While we were being vilified us, they failed to promote counter narratives, trusting allies to do it on our behalf.
2/
A decade ago, Marriage Equality was won by changing public opinion slowly and methodically. We skipped that part and now have to go back and tag second base.
FIN/
But I think people need to hear the truth:
There's no one in LGBTQ+ leadership who anticipated this or have any idea of what to do. Find your local groups, sure, but don't hesitate to form new groups.
Get your company to sign up otherwise you’re on your own🤔
Generally Hunt & Kelley improved things, Anderson (a Truss backer) busy sucking up to Govt / business.
I founded Assigned in October 2022 as little more than a personal blog with aspirations to be an independent source of trans news.
I don't know what other people's projects are, but I know they should just do them and not wait.
There's something about social capital in all this, but I don't know how to solve it.
@pflag.org and @glaad.bsky.social are two legacy orgs who at least understand their role and play it well.
This is not an exhaustive list. There are many groups doing direct service well, and groups doing good state or local work.
None of the LGBT+ orgs, including the trans orgs envisioned Labour turning on the trans community - they were banking on the opposite, Labour being friendly.
6 months in and the trans orgs seem to be getting their act together. The big orgs not so much.
I also think the local PFLAG and pride groups in IL have been doing a great job.
also, TBF - it has only been a week in - but not having or seizing the Initiative (military/political term) is how wars are lost permanently.
I fear that the big orgs will only focus on the battles cis leaders expect to win
They should take that criticism and learn, not plug their ears and lash out at those "attacking our own"
It wasn't reporting but it comes from my values, which are journalistic ones.
if a 100 new lgbqt groups are formed today because of it
how is that shooting ourselves