| christian grantham | |||
| Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD. | |||
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December 17, 2004
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) sought to quell concerns among their major contributors in a nationwide conference call last night. The hour long call at times presented a business-as-usual approach to the post-election political landscape. But in a Q&A session with interim director Hilary Rosen and others, Federal Club members confronted HRC's post-election message and questioned why a shakeup was necessary if HRC remained on track.
"The issue with Cheryl was not a policy issue, and we're trying to respect her privacy." Rosen told Federal Club members. "So, there shouldn't be any misunderstanding about that. She's a terrific person and did a lot of good here. But she resigned, and we're moving on."
Some Federal Club members continued to press the issue, clearly not satisfied with the lack of answers and cryptic phrasing. The exchanges got particularly heated when a New York Federal Club member accused HRC officials of sounding like the Bush Administration with their answers and asked whether HRC honestly viewed "differences in management philosophies" as a personal matter.
"You know, look, these things happen in an organization, and we're in a transition," Board member Mary Breslauer said. "We're talking about an internal matter here. It wasn't a fit, and both Cheryl and HRC decided to move on."
This and other attempts by HRC to effectively communicate Jacques's departure didn't sit well with some Federal Club members who contribute over a thousand dollars a year to the nation's largest gay and lesbian civil rights organization.
"It sounds to me like something bad happened they don't want to talk about," a Federal Club member later told me on condition of anonymity. "If this is really a personal matter, then they need to say there was a difference in management styles, not management philosophies. Organizational management philosophies are perfectly open for discussion. Personal management styles are not."
Communication problems were a central theme in many concerns raised by Federal Club members on the conference call.
When one federal club member asked why HRC didn't present a positive message on the website after the election, Rosen was at a loss for answers. "When you look at our upcoming magazine, you'll see a weather page with lot's of sun and rain clouds. So, it's a balanced message."
Questions also arose around still more confusion created in particular by a New York Times story that suggested HRC plans to support privatizing Social Security.
"We are not supporting the president's privatization effort," Rosen emphasized. "What we have to do in this debate is tell our stories to legislators how we are the only people that don't get all the benefits that other Americans get."
How HRC plans to tell those stories to Republicans after taking a position on privatizing Social Security is a concern for some major donors.
"I don't know why HRC is even taking a position on Social Security," one Federal Club member told me. "They sound like a bunch of partisan hacks towing the party line on Social Security. What they need to do is focus both sides of the debate on beneficiary issues that affect gay and lesbian families so we're always on the winning side."
Despite the lack of answers and a clear sense of direction, still one Federal Club member asked what more they could do for HRC besides give money. "What we are going to do and want you to do is tell us how you can make a difference in your community," Rosen said. "Check the website over the next few days for more details."
filed under: Exclusives
