Petrelis Files

GetEQUAL's Kip Williams
Heads to Europe?

(From Kip 'GetEQUAL Williams's FB page. Imagine what genuine gay grassroots activists could have done with a quarter million dollars!)

Thanks to the big bucks from gay millionaire Jonathan Lewis, per the suggestion of gay Clintonista and disgruntled Democratic Party activist Paul Yandura, an Astroturf org was formed and forced upon the gay community: GetEQUAL.

Without a single public meeting, much murkiness, and lots of money in the bank, along with very robust five-figure salaries for the GetEQUAL leaders, the group has generated much ink, and precious little advancement for the gay community.

When last heard from on his Twitter page, GetEQUAL co-director Kip Williams, who's received a $72,000 check for his leadership skills this years, he was expressing concern for prisoners and students in California:

190K attend CA's universities. 170K are housed in CA's 33 prisons. That's a heartbreaking indictment on our values as a society. 8:30 PM May 27th via Twitter for iPhone

Two months after he heckled President Obama at a San Francisco fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer, Kip apparently is skipping out on the movement. Over at the Facebook page for a friend, Kip announced travel plans for today:

Kip Williams
Lovely, Rafi. I'll be traveling starting Friday afternoon, but I'll be there with you in spirit [at a memorial service for activist Bob Polzoni]. Tuesday July 20 at 3:56pm

I was curious why he fell off the community's radar and wasn't present at GetEQUAL's zap of Las Vegas traffic earlier this week. I heard a rumor that Kip was headed off to Europe for a little vacation, so I emailed GetEQUAL's $89,000 co-director Robin McGehee for an explanation. Her rapid reply:

Kip is taking a much needed and well deserved vacation and is still very much involved with GetEQUAL and will be when he returns. Thank you for asking.

GetEQUAL? How about GetAClue or GetAPlan. Jonathan Lewis can waste his money however he chooses, and Paul Yandura can promote his Astroturf org all he wants. The sad fact is unescapable. GetEQUAL and its leaders are not up for the serious task of community organizing.

I hope Kip has a lovely and relaxing vacation. For the rest of us true activists, our fight for liberation continues.

(ENDA, schmENDA. He's gone fishin'. Photo credit: Rex Wockner/Towleroad.)