Petrelis Files

HRC Forced to Open Griffin's 
2 SF Events on Sunday Morning

Yesterday I blogged about an anonymous tip I received stating the new head of HRC was coming to San Francisco and that he had no plans to hold open events. I said this sounded like the same old, same old elitist nonsense we got for seven years under Joe Solmonese.

Today Seth Hemmelgarn asked me to opine about a release from HRC, all of a sudden on a late Friday afternoon, the time when bad news or something you don't want to garner much attention, announcing there will be two events with Chad Griffin on Sunday. Seems pretty reactive to me, and while I may feel good about playing a role in bringing this small bit of transparency to bear on Griffin and HRC, I'm not hopeful that he has a genuine understanding of democratic engagement, that is willing entered into.

Let me spank HRC for waiting this late in the game to share the info on the Sunday events, because they're not giving folks nearly enough time to attend, and also the events are no substitute for town hall meetings. I look forward to speaking with Griffin on Sunday.

Here's part of HRC's release:

Chad Griffin, the new president of the Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization – will kick off his tenure with a visit to the HRC Action Center & Store at the site of the historic Castro Camera on Sunday, June 10, 2012 before heading to the Harvey Milk Academy for a community gathering. [...]

The visit and community gathering will raise awareness of issues facing LGBT youth in California and across the country. HRC recently released a new groundbreaking study of LGBT youth and their straight counterparts. 

Visit to HRC Action Center & Store at site of historic Castro Camera Sunday, June 10, 10:00 a.m. HRC Action Center & Store, 575 Castro Street, San Francisco [...] Camera Community Gathering at Harvey Milk Academy Sunday, June 10, 10:15 a.m. Harvey Milk Academy, 4235 19th Street, San Francisco.