Well this gala is not going to go unnoticed or represent business as usual because of the outrage over legislative apathy on the Hill, contempt and demonization coming out of the White House with its DOJ hate brief defending DOMA. There are protests plans to take place outside the posh venue that evening, and it won't be business as usual inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel either. The DNC is running scared.
Dear Friends who are going or thinking of going to the June 26th DNC Dinner in DC:
I'll take my seat at the table. I have decided to go as previously committed because I believe it will be an opportunity for many of us to communicate our disappointment. More importantly, it will give me and hopefully others a time to communicate some new messages that might resonate more effectively.
This administration....from President Obama to Congress, have been a great frustration to LGBT Americans in spite of the good things accomplished. Of course(!) they are far better than George Bush or McCain/Pallin. That's why so many gave and worked so hard....for a FAR better future. We have been promised that they understand the need for full and equal rights...that they 'get it'. I don't need to go into all the gory details of why the disappointed feelings.
Frankly, I don't blame it all on them. I think our advocacy groups have missed the mark on some very important messaging. I'm not saying the messaging they've used is bad....but it has not gotten us to where we should be. It's 90%.
We must:
1. Draw the connection of the root cause of the discrimination against the LGBT community - it is religion based bigotry. When Obama and Biden talk about marriage between a man and a woman, the roots of those beliefs are in their religious teachings and that is what they are espousing....religion based bigotry.
2. Educate about the traumatic harm that is caused to over 1 million LGBT teens TODAY....right this moment. I realize many of you might not like to talk about the painful memories of your past. While putting CRISIS together I came to learn how I had to pry it out of some of our best known leaders. But NOW is the time to make certain this administration and congress know the pain and suffering that exists...and even suicides that occur because LGBT people are marginalized in this great country of ours. If I read one more post, one more open letter, hear one more speech that leaves these kids out, my hair will catch on fire. STOP FORGETTING ABOUT THEM!
3. Make it known that in America today, the bigotry against us is unacceptable. Witness Rick Warren at the inauguration. And part of the fault lies within our own groups. They are afraid to stand up and call bigotry for what it is.
I will be attending the June 26th dinner. I'll be polite and listen as always.....but my real purpose is to talk to the elected officials about the harm caused to the hundreds of thousands of innocent young kids who are going through what I went through. I will tell them my story. And I will give them a copy of CRISIS. That will be my dinner conversation because I know from first hand experience it transforms people. Will you join me?
I will be in the lobby prior to the dinner an hour early. I'll have plenty of copies of CRISIS. I'd like to give you one to carry around at the dinner to start a conversation with the various elected officials we have put our trust in. And to give to Vice President Biden when you meet him. Maybe if 30 people give him a copy, he'll get the message that another important and not yet visible enough face of LGBT civil rights is our traumatized kids who cannot speak for themselves. Will you do that?
And will you tell your story? Break down your own walls....be vulnerable for a few minutes. When I really dig with most people and ask them why they do the advocacy work they do, inevitably it is because they don't want more kids to go through what they did. Let's say it now.
Can you imagine if we turned this dinner into a time for the political leaders to learn about who we were? Not who we have become today.....strong, successful, etc....but rather who we want to protect and change this country so never again will a kid have to live in a crisis because they are struggling with their sexual orientation or identity.
So yes I will go. And I will speak my truth and not be concerned about future access.
So, DNC, there is no escape from the LGBT community's discontent with business as usual. Inside or out, our voices will be heard at this gala. 
