Petrelis Files

HRC's Hilary Rosen Gave $1,000 to Homo-hater Harold Ford Before He Lost Senate Bid

Let's see if we can follow the bouncing logical ball of one Democratic Party lesbian leader as the 2008 presidential race for money heats up.

From the Bay Area Reporter's February 15 issue:

Clinton has the support of Hilary Rosen, another longtime Democratic activist and a member of the governing board of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Rosen said she's personally known the Clintons for many years – ever since she babysat for their daughter Chelsea.

"I think she is just practically the smartest, deepest candidate in the race and frankly one of the smartest leaders I've ever met," said Rosen, who for many years served as head of the Recording Industry Association of America [...] "I think she has – on gay issues in particular and as senator for New York– broadened her horizon on the political interests and needs of gays and lesbians. I think, frankly, she's a wonderful person. I know her. I've always liked her."

Rosen said gay issues are her number one criteria in evaluating candidates and that she trusts Clinton to get the United States out of Iraq. Rosen said she is helping raise gay money for Clinton and predicted she will "pay a lot of attention to gay issues."[Emphasis added.]

If Rosen indeed has gay equality at the top of her agenda when sizing up politicians, then why did she donate $1,000 to zealous homophobe, and failed Senatorial candidate, Rep. Harold Ford, Democrat, of Tennessee?

Ford's vile use of his opposition to gay marriage and his strong support for a Tennessee amendment banning marriage equality and state recognition of same-sex relationships has even forced another gay Democrat, David Mixner, to declare recently:

"No one should contribute to the DLC [Democratic Leadership Council] or support it if Ford becomes its new chairman. Ford campaigned saying he would be the first in line to vote for the Tennessee amendment. The LGBT community and it's allies should never forget his advocacy on behalf of these amendments. We also should not give a pass to straight friends who think these actions are no big deal."

To know how low Ford has sunk in his homo-hating ways, one need only look at his ratings from none other than Rosen's own group, HRC.

107th Congress: 100%
108th Congress : 44%
109th Congress : 25%

With an ever-declining pro-gay score from HRC, vocal support to deny gays and lesbians full civil rights, one would think Rosen, who says gay equality is vital to consider before backing a candidate, nevertheless contributed $1,000 to Ford on October 28, 2006, just weeks before he went down to defeat.

Rosen claims she seriously weighs a candidate's gay-related positions before backing someone, presumably because she wouldn't give a homo-hating politician an endorsement, or a check, so why did she give anything to Ford? Did he hold a pro-gay stance of real import that no one, except Rosen, knew about?

Click here to see the FEC file of Rosen's giving to Ford. And go here to read her full FEC donations file.