GetEQUAL board member Mark Reed of Dallas sends along word that the Texas chapter of the national LGBT direct action group will hold a “don’t ask, don’t tell” protest outside GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s office next Tuesday, Dec. 21. As we reported this past Tuesday, Hutchison says she plans to vote against the standalone bill to repeal DADT because it “could negatively impact unit cohesion and overall troop readiness — especially during a time of war.” The bill, which passed the House today, is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate sometime next week.
The protest will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday outside Hutchison’s office at 10440 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1160 in Dallas. From the Facebook event page:
Tired of being relegated to second-class citizenship, Texan LGBT activists say “Enough is enough!” It’s time for Texans to fight back against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s hate-filled votes in Congress and tell her to vote YES on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Closeted Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) military servicemembers are forbidden to stand up and demand repeal for themselves, so we must be their voice…. Join us in a state wide rally as Veterans, allies and LGBT community members show our support to repeal this law.
Join GetEQUAL Texas in front of Kay Bailey’s Dallas office for a grassroots protest. Please consider scheduling an appointment to discuss DADT with Kay’s staffers during our around the protest time.
Not in Dallas? Check the GetEQUAL TX Facebook page for other participating Texas cities.
***GetEQUAL Texas is a local chapter of the national organization, committed to fearlessly and urgently pushing for LGBT equality throughout the Lone Star State.***
Oh good. Another useless protest.
This whole crowd belong in the hospital with fellow attention whore Dan Choi:
https://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2010/12/gay-vets-new-p.html#links
This latest stunt is to RAISE MONEY for these paid activists, it has nothing to do with changing any minds or building any support for the LGBT community. This is just about MONEY.
yep it’s been confirmed….AndrewW + GetEqual + ass rape = bitter obsessive queen
AndrewW – I wonder what you have done lately for full civil rights? First off – my wife is one of those handcuffed to the fence, I can tell you that we paid for the hotel, food and travel – the only thing that was paid for was bail. She did it because she believes, as I do, that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is an abomination. We fight daily and educate as many people as we can about what it means to be a second class citizen. So shut up unless you are willing to spend the night in jail, be out at work and and your community and give your time and energy for full civil rights under the law.
@Bess:
I have been doing a lot for the movement like figuring out how to WIN, not just get self-serving ‘attention.” I appreciate your wife’s enthusiasm, but these childish stunts don’t change any minds or garner any support.
GetEqual is no different than HRC and the myriad of LGBT-Advocates and activists that are trying to make money off of our “struggle.” It is time for our community to hold all tactics, methods and organizations accountable. We need to determine what works and what doesn’t. These childish publicity stunts don’t help us, in fact they are counterproductive.
GetEQUAL has wasted $1 million this year and most of it has been to pay activists. That money could have been better spent on efforts to educate, enlighten and enroll. For $1 million we were treated to 10 “actions” that got little coverage and only serve to try and make GetEQUAL famous. Most of the childish stunts were simply laughed at.
Money for LGBT efforts can be better spent on local groups that understand we need to build support. I’m sure you have some fine organizations in the Dallas area that are doing legitimate work. GetEQUAL is not.
@Tisha:
I’m glad the LGBT media is finally seeing GetEQUAL for what they are – ineffective self-promoters.
It is imperative that we ALL hold every tactic, method, strategy and organization accountable. There are simply too many ineffective LGBT-advocacy (and paid activist) organization that are more interested in their own survival than our equality.
I have been a critic of GetEQUAL and most other LGBT non-profits because NONE of them have a STRATEGY to actually WIN. Unfortunately, not enough people in our own community can see them as “businesses” and WE are their “customers.” If we did that, we wouldn’t continue to pay for bad service and a complete lack of direction.
2011 will be the year we demand a strategy to actually win and not simply keep self-described advocates and activists in business. GetEQUAL wasted $1 million this year and accomplished nothing but a few childish publicity stunts. The whole “Dan-Choi-paid-activist” lunacy and GetEQUAL’s unanswered calls for “attention” have been counterproductive.
The honest and objective way to determine if a tactic, method, strategy or organization is effective is whether or not it changes minds or garners any support for our movement. A pie-in-the-face mentality or this idea that we can embarrass, humiliate, shock or irritate people into submission needs to end. It’s childish and stupid.
We must learn to invest in educating, enlightening and enrolling people and their support. People will join us if they understand and we ask them – they don’t need to be shocked or threatened.
It’s time for our Movement (and our self-appointed leaders) to grow up. Childish demands are for children.
To read up on me, check out https://www.dyssonance.com/?p=10546 titled Regarding AndrewW…
@AndrewW So you say you have done a lot for the movement? Where do you find the time when it appears you spend most of it attacking HRC & GetEQUAL? You say you have purchased 7 national media campaigns…so when is the launch? When are you going to stop talking about all the things you have been doing for the movement, identify yourself and show us that “winning strategy” you have been barking about for two years? Until then, you will continue to be ignored, justifiably labeled a troll and an embarrassment to Dallas gay community.
@Pamela:
I started my effort a year ago by investing in several ideas and some custom polling data. After completing the research and defining several strategies it became clear the first step for our community was to embrace “accountability.”
Just by ask HOW GetEQUAL helps our Movement, there are attacks by their half a dozen followers – instead of providing some rationale. There won’t be investment in our movement until people let go of the past and stop pretending it’s 1964. If that happens, I think a new, winning movement can take place.
Robin McGehee posted the link above from dyssonance. Despite GetEQuals’ wasting of $1 million on activists salaries and travel expenses, they have nothing to show for their stunts. Nothing.