Petrelis Files

Gay Kapos Socarides, Capehart & Stachelberg:
Vets Day Town Hall in NYC

(Screen grab from the NYC center.)

From New York, my pal and longtime advocate Allen Roskoff tipped me off to a meeting taking place at Manhattan's gay community center on Veterans Day, November 11, and the panel is primarily comprised of well-known gay kapos and the topic is Don't Ask, Don't Tell. No mention is made of the significance of the date by the center.

First up, the moderator is Richard Socarides, who had no public criticism of his boss Bill Clinton when he was signing the DADT legislation. Indeed, Socarides developed talking points for the Clinton folks, to deflect gay anger, as reported by Gay City News.

He will be joined by Obama White House gay liaison (semi-unofficially-speaking), Jonathan Capehart, whose day job is at the Washington Post. Remember how he simply nodded his head when his chum Valerie Jarrett talked about a gay teen suicide victim and his "lifestyle choices"?

Also on the speaker's list is former Human Rights Campaign lobbyist Winnie Stachelberg, now of the Center for American Progress. Over at FireDogLake, Teddy Partridge blogged on her coziness with the Obama administration, that wasn't producing much good for gays.

Rounding out the panel is Nathaniel Frank, who I'm not very familiar with, but he's been heavily involved in lifting the military's gay ban. He also only donates to Democrats, including Obama. Not sure I can honestly label him a gay kapo, but the others sure qualify.

I'm always kvetching about how HRC and Gay Inc orgs don't hold regular town halls and other events to engage the community in direct dialogue, and I want to now say it's good this November 11 forum is taking place. I also sure do wish it would be streamed on the web so folks around the nation can listen in, but I'm be happy to read reports on what transpires.

Roskoff, who is president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democrat Club, offered his thoughts about the forum:

The center used to have progressive programs with progressive speakers. Having gay sellout and rightwinger Richard Socarides and Bloomberg apologist Jonathan Capehart and former HRC mouthpiece Winnie Stachelberg on this panel, with a military apologist, begs the need for some progressive programing at the center. I remember when the center represented a home for progressive thought.

And I remember when more of us demanded accountability from the insiders among us who enjoy warm, fuzzy relationships with the Obama White House and Clinton ass-kissers.