I noted this on my Facebook page yesterday, but should also make a note of it on Bilgrimage.I'm fully in support of the boycott of the Democratic National Committee announced yesterday by John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay at Americablog. This boycott is being supported by big-name bloggers (unlike me) including Pam Spaulding, Daily Kos, Jane Hamsher at FireDogLake, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Andy Towle and Michael Goff at Towle Road, Paul Sousa of Founder of Equal Rep in Boston, Robin Tyler of the Equality Campaign, Inc.), Bil Browning at Bilerico Project, and others.
These bloggers are asking LGBT Americans and those who stand in solidarity with us to consider shutting down donations to the DNC--to shut down the GayTM. Those who support this political action can take a pledge here.
Jane Hamsher is also suggesting that those who have joined Organizing for America (OFA) unsubscribe from that group. The link I just provided to her posting at Firedoglake has a link you can click to unsubscribe from OFA, if you think this is a good means of political protest. The form you'll be given to permit you to unsubscribe allows you to tell OFA why you're taking that step.
It's time. I've had it up to here with the duplicity and moral waffling of key Democratic leaders. It's time for me to make my voice heard about this in any way I can do so. I urge readers of this blog to consider taking these steps as well. I joined the boycott yesterday and have just sent in my unsubscribe message to OFA.
Not that I've ever been able to contribute a great deal financially to the DNC--though I did give as I was able during the last election. I remain unemployed and without health care coverage, and as I've noted on this blog, homophobia enshrined in law is one of the key reasons that I'm in this situation. I don't have abundant resources to give financially, but I supported Mr. Obama in every other way I could support him in the last election, including through postings on this blog.
I'm deeply disappointed in his leadership and in the leadership provided by key Democratic figures nationally. As I've noted on this blog, I'm appalled at the lack of leadership provided by most of the Democrats my state has sent to Congress.
I'm tired of being betrayed by a party I've supported throughout my adult life, from the time I began to vote in 1968 up to the present. I'm tired of having no voice at all in a party my family has supported faithfully through thick and thin for several generations. I was brought up in a household in which being Democratic was synonymous with being politically engaged.
It's time to let our leaders know that we will no longer offer support when they betray us and the core principles of their political party.
I also recommend for readers' consideration the new Facebook site organizing a civil rights march in Maine next May, Meet in the Middle 4 Equality.
It's time. It's time to make our voices heard and push back hard. It's time to stop allowing ourselves and our contributions to be taken for granted by those who have no intent of respecting us as human beings.
(And, as I make that observation, it goes without saying that I encourage any readers of this blog who continue actively to support the Catholic church in any way--financially and/or through other contributions that enable it to carry on business that includes a nationwide attack on gay and lesbian human beings--to reconsider that support. Businesses listen for the most part only to money, and the business of American Catholicism will listen to the faithful only when Catholics far and wide withhold money from collection baskets.)
To the best of my knowledge, Pam Spaulding coined the GayTM phrase. The graphic for this posting is Pam's as well.
