Comments on: Gill’s ‘stealthy’ activism to continue under new leader

By: Mehlman among speakers at secret gay donor conference | Washington Blade - America's Leading Gay News Source

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:51:46 +0000

[...] director of donor relations. One source familiar with the event said Kirk Fordham, the newly named executive director of the organization, had offered general remarks and the summit marked his first OutGiving. Former individuals [...]

By: Stephen H. Miller | Toward a Bipartisan Future | The Murph Report

Stephen H. Miller | Toward a Bipartisan Future | The Murph Report — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:29:21 +0000

[...] promising new organizational leader is the Gill Action Fund’s Kirk Fordham. As the Washington Blade reports: Growing up in a Christian and Republican family, Fordham said he also has experience with parents [...]

By: Fast Five Fix: March 21 | Washington Blade - America's Leading Gay News Source

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:49:13 +0000

[...] Gill Action Fund has a new leader at the top, and now Towleroad says they plan a massive summit of the nation’s biggest gay, [...]

By: Toward a Bipartisan Future — IGF Culture Watch

Toward a Bipartisan Future — IGF Culture Watch — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:26:28 +0000

By: David Henderson

David Henderson — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:29:57 +0000

“Republican votes that are not coming our way has nothing to do with the arguments we’re making; it has nothing to do with a lack of effort.” No, I think it DOES have something to do with lack of effort.

When DADT repeal went through Congress in March of 2010, there were 5 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted for it. Log Cabin Republicans engaged in lobbying with others in the House, and when it came up for another vote in December (the same year, with the same people in place), 15 Republicans voted for it. LCR was told by some Representatives that they (LCR) were the first ones to talk to them on the issue — HRC and other groups apparently hadn’t even approached them.

They did the same in the Senate. I don’t have the “before” numbers offhand, but there was not enough support in March to overcome cloture. Through lobbying from LCR, 8 Republicans voted for DADT’s repeal in December, enough to overcome cloture and allow DADT repeal to pass.

For *some* Republicans, no amount of lobbying will move their position on our issues, while others can be convinced. But if nobody ever starts the conversation with them (waving picket signs is not an effective conversation starter), they never will be convinced.