LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Capital Letters |
by Hastings Wyman |
Gay Politicos Bash Each Other
Gay journalist Michelangelo Signorile recently wrote a column on Gay.com blasting Log Cabin Republicans (LCR) for seeking large contributions from gay groups and drug companies by claiming they have major access to the White House. What is politically interesting about Signorile's allegations is the identity of some of his sources. Not all of the tale-tellers were gay Democrats. Nor were they Christian conservatives looking to discredit the gay Republicans before they gain any more acceptance in the GOP. And they weren't the honchos over at the Republican Unity Coalition, a new, gay-friendly GOP kid on the block that is already rivaling Log Cabin for clout in national politics. No, some of those who told tales on Log Cabin Executive Director Rich Tafel and company were, as Signorile implied in his column and as I've confirmed independently, other Log Cabin Republicans. These allegations fit into a framework of a long-standing factional dispute within LCR, and who started it is one of those chicken-or-egg issues. Some say the basis for the gay GOP's internecine warfare is ideologicalsome of Tafel's rivals believe he's too attuned to national gay concerns and hasn't put enough emphasis on electing Republicans to office. Others say it's a contest over successionwhen Tafel retires, will his successor be Kevin Ivers, currently the group's political director, or a new face from beyond the beltway, such as David Greer, president of Pennsylvania's LCR? Still others contend the fight started because Tafel's management style is too controlling, and that he is wary of other gay GOPers achieving leadership roles. What is most striking about the intra-LCR tempest is that it is so reminiscent of what's been going on with the National Stonewall Democrats, where factional battlescomplete with friction with the Democratic National Committeehave resulted in the more-or-less forced resignation of its executive director, Mike Colby. And the disputes in both groups remind me of the national gay community's big issue about a year ago this timethe Millennium March on Washington. Activists and officeholders on both coasts were sure the gay world was going to come to an end if the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) ran a successful march without them. HRC almost didthey just didn't follow the money. The merits of the accusations of "influence peddling" against the LCR leadership aside, perhaps it's time that gay activists of all stripesright, left and far lefttried to show a little more tolerance of those they should be working with. It strikes me that far too many gay activists are spending more energy fighting each other than the enemies of the gay community. Bringing down Rich Tafel isn't likely to further the interests of the gay Republican movementor the gay movement in general. Nor is keeping Stonewall in turmoil. Nor is bashing Elizabeth Birch and company at HRC. Potter, Trombly Strengthen Stonewall Julian Potter, President Clinton's former liaison to the gay community, and Rick Trombly, a former state senator from New Hampshire, have been elected co-chairs of National Stonewall Democrats. Each brings something special to the picnicPotter a national emphasis, Trombly the grassrootsthat will help unite the group. Potter got high marks from gay groups during her White House tenure for getting things done for the community. Politically, she has a wealth of ties with gay activists nationwide, as well as an established relationship with the Democratic National Committee and other party leaders. She worked on the Clinton and Dukakis presidential campaigns and was handpicked by Gore to take the gay outreach job under Clinton. Trombly has been in the trenches on a local level. In the New Hampshire legislature, he led the successful fight to repeal the state's ban on adoptions by same-sex couples. During the 2000 primary in New Hampshire, Tromblya Gore backerchallenged candidate Bill Bradley on his poor record on gay rights. One of the at-large slots for the Stonewall board went to Mike Colby, the retiring executive director, thus helping smooth ruffled feathers from the recent personality conflicts that led to his resignation. Colby, like Trombly, hails from New Hampshire, and the two are political allies. Potter and Trombly replace California's Eric Bauman and Pennsylvania's Denise Kulp as Stonewall's co-chairs. Bauman, special assistant to Golden State Gov. Gray Davis (D), may be giving up his long-time behind-the-scenes role for the bright lights of running for the California State Assembly. Bauman also chairs the Los Angeles Stonewall Democrats, the nation's largest gay Democratic club, as well as the Los Angeles Democratic Party. New Face at Gay Events Time was, even when campaign contributions were at stake, it was only the liberal politicianssenators Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Kennedy, et. al.who showed up for gay events. That's been changing fast. At the Democratic Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council's (DGLLC) recent D.C. fete, the guests included Georgia's moderate Sen. Max Cleland (D), who is up for re-election next year. Moreover, Cleland votes in favor of gay issues 100 percent of the time, says the Human Rights Campaign. The event raised some $350,000. Members of this august group are the gay movement's heavy lifters, at least financially. The group's 120 members paid $10,000 each to join up, plus a pricey ticket for individual events. New GOP Group a Bargain By the Democratic Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council's standards, the GOP is, if not small, at least smaller potatoes. The Republican Unity Coalition, which hopes to contribute gay money to simpatico GOP candidates, is asking new members to ante up a mere $5,000. Maybe they're asking for half as much as the DGLLC because former U.S. Rep. Michael Huffington (R-Calif.), now openly gay, is going to match at least $120,000 of the money the gay GOP group raises. Reno for Governor? Former Attorney General Janet Reno (D), whose reign at President Clinton's Justice Department was marked by pro-gay actions, is considering a bid for governor of Florida next year against First Brother Jeb Bush (R). Considering Cuban-American resentmentno, hatredof Reno's role in returning little Elian Gonzalez to Castro's Cuba, she'll be a long shot. Watch this one. Hastings Wyman publishes Southern Political Report, a nonpartisan biweekly political newsletter. He may be reached in care of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth or at HWymanSPR@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 6, June 1, 2001. |