Petrelis Files

Bloggers Named to GetEQUAL Board;
Also Fundraising for a Dem

This fascinates me, top-echelon gay bloggers who have served as critics and pundits of the movement, criticized and praised some of our paid leaders and Gay Inc orgs, are now lending their names and talents to a board of advisers and a fundraising event for a Democrat.

First up, this note came my way last night from an activist who has observed GetEQUAL and its executive co-directors. He's sharing info I think will be of
interest to other gays:

Kip's in Europe, being phased out cause he wasn’t even trying to organize. Got a salary for doing very little. Autumn Sandeen, Jillian Weiss, Natasha Dillion are part of the new board. Heather Cronk will be taking over Kip’s position.

And what was his position, anyway? I never understood what role Kip was supposed to play, being based in San Francisco, and aiding the local community in organizing a do-able field plan lobbying Pelosi, Boxer and Feinstein on ENDA and DADT.

The advisers have extensive track-records writing and organizing records. Among other talents, Sandeen is a contributing blogger at Pam Spaulding's House Blend site, while Weiss posts motivational essays at Bilerico.com, and Dillon is affiliated with New York City activist orgs. No word yet on who other GetEQUAL adviser will be.

Over at Joe Jervis' JoeMyGod blog, he's announced his support for New York's junior Democratic Senator, along with two other A-List bloggers, and all three are backers of a money-making event for the incumbent:

If you are in NYC on Thursday, August 5th, please consider joining me, Jeremy Hooper of [Good As You], and Pam Spaulding at Therapy in Hell's Kitchen as we co-host a special netroots fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The event runs 6pm-9pm with a $20 donation. [...]

With bloggers being added to the GetEQUAL board and other gay bloggers promoting donations to a Democratic politician, I think we're seeing A-List gay bloggers enter a
new realm of community influence. Not that there is anything wrong with that, and I applaud Joe's disclosure. Indeed, I wish GetEQUAL leaders would emulate Joe on transparency issues.

Things can only get more interesting for the gay online community, not to mention offline organizing, and the coffers of select Democrats, with key gay opinion-making bloggers taking these steps.