Petrelis Files

DNC Treasurer, HRC Advisor Tobias Praises WY Zwonitzer Speech for Gay Equality

(Andy "Too Cheap to Share Political Credit" Tobias.)

Financial guru, treasurer for the Democratic National Committee, former member of the Human Rights Campaign board of directors, and gay man Andrew Tobias today blogs about straight WY GOP state Rep. Dan Zwonitzer's amazingly brave speech and vote favoring gay equality.

Tobias writes:

The Words from Wyoming and Minnesota Published on February 26, 2007

Dan Zwonitzer is a Republican state representative from Wyoming (“the equality state”). In the debate on a bill over whether to recognize marriages performed in other states, he recently rose to say:

And Tobias then reprints Zwonitzer's speech, and I applaud Tobias for calling attention to the speech and political advancement for gay equality out in Wyoming. And bravo that Tobias also wrote: "We need more Republicans like this."

Hey, Andy, did the text of that speech fall out of the sky? How did you find it, dude? One of your friends from HRC post it to the HRC blog? Of course not, since HRC has no blog and is ignoring the speech altogether. Not only do we need more Republicans like Zwonizter, we also need gay leaders who can share credit when necessary.

I must point out that Tobias probably believes it would cost him too much political capital to mention that late last week, this registered Green Party member and voter was the first to post Zwoniter's speech, and that gay conservative Andrew Sullivan promoted the speech, as did the beautiful and intelligent lesbian political blogger Pam Spaulding from North Carolina:

What makes Zwonitzer inspiring and so deserving of praise is that the risk he took, in Red State America, as a straight ally. He was willing to put his neck and political career on the line to do what is right -- he is a Republican doing so at a time when Democrats in much more favorable political environs are spineless, calculating and treating us like ATMs and pariahs as it suits them. [...] Will we see a press release from HRC praising Republican Zwonitzer? What do you think?

I think Pam is expecting way too much from the Democratic Party hacks running HRC. Four days after Zwonitzer delivered his plea for gay equality, HRC remains silent about it.

Thanks, Mr. Tobias, for not sharing credit where it's due, and thanks HRC; we couldn't advance a truly multi-partisan gay agenda for full equality without you guys.