ACTION REPORT
RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA FLIPS HRC THE BIRD, DEMANDS TRANS RIGHTS
On the evening of Saturday, February 23rd, noise reverberated throughout the enclosed entrance to the midtown Hilton Hotel as approximately 50 motley LGBT demonstrators hoisted three-foot tall, pink-painted cardboard middle fingers, drummed and chanted to protest a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group.
RHA and the other protestors are angry at HRC for removing transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a 2007 bill banning workforce discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender identity.
Inside HRC’s “Greater New York Gala,” two women, Francesca and Jess from the Radical Homosexual Agenda briefly disrupted executive director Joe Solmonese’s speech. Both women threw flyers out to Gala attendees. Security guards stopped one of the women as she approached the stage, but the other was able to unfurl a banner which depicted a pink middle finger and read, “Can’t Spell LGBT With HRC!” Within seconds, additional guards detained her. Mr. Solmonese, attempting to make light of the moment, said, “Well, some people complain all the time.”
Jess stated, “It’s remarkable that HRC celebrates a legacy of protest, yet they are very quick to stamp out dissent when called out for betraying their community.”
In 2007, Mr. Solmonese has said, “We absolutely do not support, and, in fact, oppose legislation that is not absolutely inclusive.” But yet, behind the scenes, Solmonese eliminated trans protections from ENDA to make the bill more salable to straight people.
ENDA passed in the House and failed in the Senate. HRC hails the bill as a “victory” because they got a majority of House members to support “gay rights.” But the real victory is that 360 LGBTQ groups, including all national groups except the Log Cabin Republicans and GLAAD, opposed ENDA, and told HRC they can’t turn some of us into second-class citizens so others can get ahead. The real victory is that, from Stonewall to Seattle, trans people continue to battle on the frontlines for a better world.
“Gays and lesbians star in sit-coms, but I still can’t use a public restroom without risking being beaten up or arrested,” said Riley, a 26-year old trans man and member of RHA who drummed and chanted outside of the Hilton Hotel. “HRC claims to be fighting for human rights. But by excluding me from ENDA, are they suggesting I’m not human?”
“With funding from corporations that use sweatshop labor, exacerbate global warming and repress unions and indigenous activists, HRC has more to answer for than just ENDA,” said Tim, a member of RHA who helped to coordinate the demonstration.
The RHA demonstration was un-permitted. However, the NYPD heard about them event in advance and set up metal gates to separate us from the public.
New York Blade: "HRC Gala Raises Ire, Lots of $$$"
Photos above by Kaitlyn Tikkam
See you all in the streets soon!
ORIGINAL CALL TO ACTION AND PROTEST FLYER
Tell HRC that Trans Rights=Queer Rights!
PROTESTING the Human Rights Campaign's betrayal of the Trans community at HRC's annual gala fundraiser.
Saturday, Feb. 23rd 2008 at 5:30pm.
Outside the Hilton Ballroom
6th Ave & 53rd Street.
Bring Attitude! Drums! Flamboyant threads!
Why protest HRC?
HRC BETRAYS TRANS PEOPLE
Instead of supporting a united queer community, Human Rights Campaign dumped transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a 2007 bill banning workforce discrimination based on sexual orientation but not gender identity.
Publicly, HRC executive director Joe Solmonese has said, “We absolutely do not support, and, in fact, oppose legislation that is not absolutely inclusive.” But yet, behind the scenes, Solmonese eliminated trans protections from ENDA to make the bill more salable to straight people.
ENDA passed in the House and failed in the Senate. HRC hails the bill as a “victory” because they got a majority of House members to support “gay rights.” But the real victory is that 360 LGBTQ groups, including all national groups except the Log Cabin Republicans and GLAAD, opposed ENDA, and told HRC they can’t turn some of us into second-class citizens so others can get ahead. The real victory is that, from Stonewall to Seattle, trans people continue to battle on the frontlines for a better world.
Right now, solidarity with trans people is essential: while gays, lesbians and bisexuals star in sitcoms, many trans people and gender queers still can’t use public restrooms without risking harassment, violence and arrest.
HRC’S BETRAYAL OF TRANS PEOPLE IS JUST THE TIP OF AN OIL-SLICKED ICEBERG
DIRTY MONEY
HRC is funded by corporations with terrible records of human rights abuses:
Just like with ENDA, HRC is banking on the repression of some people to promote the rights of others.
WRONG AGENDA
HRC pushes for “marriage” when they could be fighting for civil unions, single-parent adoptions, co-parent adoptions or health care for every single queer person, not just a few lucky spouses. HRC isn’t just derailing the needs of the majority of the queer community. They’re also narrowing our vision of what queer relationships can be.
ALTERNATIVES
INSTEAD OF HRC, why not support local groups who provide vital services and win real victories?
Sylvia’s Place www.homelessyouthservices.org
NYC AIDS Housing Network www.nycahn.org
Audre Lorde Project www.alp.org
Sylvia Rivera Law Project www.srlp.org
Or better yet, if you don’t like what HRC does, get together with your friends and start a grassroots group to fight for justice or create community. HRC will keep trying to out-shout us with their money and advertisers. But they never represented us, and they never will. Let’s take back our voices.
CAN'T SPELL LGBT WITH HRC !
TRANS RIGHTS = QUEER RIGHTS .
brought to you with love from the Radical Homosexual Agenda
www.radicalhomosexualagenda.org