Petrelis Files

Flashback: HRC Solmonese's Other Thin-Skinned Letter to Gay Press

From the superb and balanced Ethan Jacobs story in Bay Windows last week on blogger criticism of HRC:

Solmonese admitted that his letter to the Bay Times struck a sour note and said, “I think that that is a really good example of where it was the one and only time I let what I felt was a personal attack get under my skin.” He said he would never again “lose sight of who our real enemies are” in responding to criticism.

I guess Solmonese forgot about this letter of his, which, like his Bay Times letter, reveals he felt a Blade article was a personal attack on one of his staffers, and, he again attacks the gay press:

Nov 4, 2005
Washington Blade

I was disappointed, but not entirely surprised, by the Washington Blade’s story last week about a member of my staff. The Blade hit a new low in choosing to write about Brad Luna, our director of media relations, who formerly served as a spokesperson for Congressman Brad Carson, a U.S. Senate candidate who supported the Federal Marriage Amendment.

I’m not entirely clear on the point of the story. It was clear to me, though, that it had been a couple of weeks since the Blade had criticized the Human Rights Campaign. And so, with seemingly nothing better to report on, the Blade chose to go after a member of HRC’s staff.

But there was something better to report on. Last week, Brad Luna was in Maine doing press outreach and talking to national reporters about the importance of defeating a Nov. 8 anti-gay ballot measure. The Blade ignored that imminent vote and instead ran a story that seemed less like journalism and more like tabloid news.

Hey Joe, how about initiating town hall meetings and allowing HRC staffers to engage the community, and bloggers critical of your organization, with an HRC blog? And while I think it's great you occasionally blog on Huffington Post, it seems odd you don't also blog on HRC's site.

Blogging, a fabulous new way of communicating and something HRC should embrace.