HRC President Chad Griffin Apologizes to the Trans Community

HRC President Chad Griffin gets a lot of flack. Sometimes, I get it, but most of the time I don't. Leading HRC is never a walk in the park, but I appreciate Chad for all that he does.

Today, Chad publicly apologizes for the wrong done to the Transgender community at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta.

In his speech, he stated:

HRC has done wrong by the transgender community in the past, and I am here to formally apologize.

I am sorry for the times when we stood apart when we should have been standing together.

Even more than that, I am sorry for the times you have been underrepresented or unrepresented by this organization. What happens to trans people is absolutely central to the LGBT struggle. And as the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, HRC has a responsibility to do that struggle justice, or else we are failing at our fundamental mission.

I came here today in the hopes that we can begin a new chapter together. But I also came here to tell you the truth. We’re an organization that is evolving. We may make mistakes. We may stumble. But what we do promise is to work with you sincerely, diligently, with a grand sense of urgency, listening and learning every step of the way.

And I also want to be clear that I’m not asking you to be the ones to take the first leap of faith. That’s our job. My mom taught me that respect isn’t given, it’s earned.

Over the past two years HRC has dramatically expanded the scope of all of our programs to reach more trans communities than ever before, and I want to take just a few minutes to talk about that work.

Now, after the words, we hope for the action.

Chad Griffin pens Reasons why HRC supports ENDA

As I reported yesterday, LGBT groups are no longer supporting the Religious Exemptions version of ENDA. However, the HRC is to some degree.

HRC President Chad Griffin explains why in a piece he wrote for Buzzfeed.

The Human Rights Campaign supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act for a very simple reason. It will guarantee millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all 50 states explicit, reliable protections from discrimination in the workplace. We call on our allies in Congress to improve this bill’s overly broad religious exemption. A strong ENDA is worth fighting for because we cannot ignore the urgent need of countless LGBT people who do not have the luxury of waiting for these protections.

All of us in the LGBT movement knew that passing ENDA wasn’t going to be easy in the 113th Congress. In fact, we knew it would require the biggest legislative campaign in the history of this movement. We all knew the bill wouldn’t be perfect, because legislating always involves compromises. But we also knew that there were two red lines we would not cross. The bill had to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community, and it had to ensure that private employers could never cite a religious reason to fire or refuse to hire an employee.

But regardless of whether or not ENDA passes in this session of Congress, it is time for the LGBT movement to throw its weight behind a fully comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill. A bill that, at long last, would bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in all core civil rights categories — including housing, public accommodations, credit, education and, if ENDA fails to pass, in employment. This is a visionary idea that Congresswoman Bella Abzug brought to Congress in 1974. Its time has come.

read the rest after the jump

HRC President Chad Griffin speaks out on Jo Becker's Book

Chad writes an Op-ed in The Advocate, addressing the criticisms from folks about Jo Becker's book "Forcing The Spring". While she don't give a damn about her haters, Chad does.

Here's the jump off from his article:

Most troubling of all is the impression that I personally am unaware or dismissive of the decades of hard work — often done in the face of personal risk and even harm — that made possible last year's groundbreaking marriage equality decisions from the United States Supreme Court. I want to respond to that line of criticism in particular, because it could not be further from the truth. And anyone who treats the successes of the past few years as the full story of this movement is missing something essential.

Real Talk... Chad shouldn't be attacked for this. He didn't write the damn book. However, haters going hate.

My Two Cents on this Unnecessary Anger over the HRC's Executive Pay

A few days ago the salaries of the exec board of the HRC came out.

The President Chad Griffin made over 300K, more than the previous president, Joe Solmonese. Well, within seconds, some of the gay activists went batcrap crazy and demanded for the head of Chad.

Yes, that was dramatic, but I'm just mirroring some of the foolishness surrounding this hateration. From a few blogs, some folks said the HRC wasn't doing this, wasn't doing that. Then, they talked about why the HRC didn't do something about ENDA and some more mess.

To be honest, the reasons for their anger was based off of assumptions and speculations. Nothing reasonable or concrete. Their anger over the HRC goes back some years. And while some of it is understandable, a lot of it is foolishness.

Now, I'm not a member of the HRC, nor do I donate to them, but this sorority girl hate some activists have about them is getting old and silly. They're not perfect, but they never claimed to be the end all, be all. If anything, they're trying achieve the same goal as the rest of us are. They just have more money to play with and powerful people in their sand box. If that's the reason why some activists are mad, then quit now, because it will always be like this. The execs will continue to make money and the HRC will keep moving on.

This type of misguided anger does no one any good, so let it go and find real reasons to be upset.

HRC President Chad Griffin starts a Week-Long Tour in the Southern States

HRC President, Chad Griffin is going South.

Actually, he doing an LGBT equality tour of sorts in Southern states. His goals are to inform folks about the inequalities that beset the LGBT community in the South. And, insure those states that they are not forgotten.

Chad will engage in a week-long tour starting in Arkansas and moving along in North Carolina, Virginia, and Mississippi.

I believe this is the first step in their plan to win the Southern states.

source

Brian Brown rants and Chad Griffin charges on in ABC's This Week - WATCH

US News


READ the transcript here

New Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin discusses the Harassment of LGBT Teens - WATCH

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Chad Griffin is the new HRC President

Chad Griffin, the founding Board Member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights will be the new president of HRC.

From the Press Release (this was emailed to me)

“I cannot think of anyone better to take the helm of the Human Rights Campaign than my dear friend and colleague Chad Griffin,” said AFER lead co-counsel Theodore B. Olson. “There is no one more passionate, more resourceful or more effective than Chad. His brilliant and visionary leadership makes me confident that one day, very soon, every American will be treated equally under the law. HRC is extraordinarily lucky to have him.”


“Time after time over the past several years, Chad has proven that he is easily one of the most skilled strategists and tacticians in American politics today,” said AFER lead co-counsel David Boies. “That is a rare combination of skill sets for one person to have. His diplomacy, his intellect and his passion for issues of equality are second to none. I cannot think of a better person to lead HRC into the future.”


“The federal constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, Perry v. Brown, would never have happened without the vision and tenacity of my dear friend Chad Griffin,” said AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner. “His incomparable leadership has brought us one step closer toward completing America’s last great civil rights struggle. My congratulations go out to Chad on this great honor and to the Human Rights Campaign for picking a brilliant leader as its next president.”


“Chad is a visionary leader who not only dreams the impossible, but also accomplishes it,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “His bold determination to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court combined with his ability to transcend partisan and ideological boundaries have forever changed the way the nation thinks about equality for LGBT Americans. There is no better person than Chad Griffin to lead the Human Rights Campaign and their millions of supporters.” 

 Good luck, Chad

What Happened During the Prop 8 Hearing Today?

This morning, the California Supreme Court heard both sides of the Prop 8 case. A lot was said, so I will give y'all a couple of links to read for yourselves. But I do have a quick wrap quote up from AFER Board President Chad Griffin and Ted Olson:

“This morning’s hearing before the California Supreme Court marks a seminal moment in our Plaintiffs’ case. Today, we have moved one important step closer to marriage equality for all gay and lesbian couples across California. Proposition 8 is hanging by a thread and soon the historic federal court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional will be realized.”

AFER-associated attorney arguing on behalf of plaintiffs in Perry v. Schwarzenegger Ted Olson had this to say about today's hearing:

“There is ample authority that individuals do not have a right to defend a law unless they would suffer a direct and immediate harm from its invalidation. The proponents of Proposition 8 will not suffer any harm from a decision that grants gay and lesbian Californians their fundamental civil right to marry. It is the Attorney General who has the exclusive authority to make litigation decisions on behalf of the State, and here the Attorney General has made the sound decision that the discriminatory provisions of Proposition 8 do not warrant defense on appeal. Proponents cannot second-guess that exercise of discretion.”

The CA Supreme Court justices now have 90 days to deliver a verdict.

 More to come.

source and source 2

Interesting Quote: Chad Griffin

"You have unrelentingly and unequivocally acted to undermine this case even before it was filed. Considering this, it is inconceivable that you would zealously and effectively litigate this case if you were successful in intervening. Therefore, we will vigorously oppose any motion to intervene."

That's what Chad Griffin, who's one of the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging Prop 8 and the head of the American Foundation for Equal Rights said to the groups that were hatin' on their case in its humble beginnings and now, wants to "help" them. (or be apart of history if this works)

If that confused you, check out the info here

BTW, that was a "Julia Sugarbaker" quote, Chad...Love it.