Oh, thats right we didn’t even get a tee shirt.  Just some lame cocktail parties at the White House and a few crumbs.

AIDS and Human Rights Activist and Blogger Michael Petrelis of the Petrelis Files has a posting that reminds us just how worthless, pampered, greedy, and over-paid the HRC’s Top “Executives” and Little Joey Solmonsleaze truly are.

Michael rminds us, via Washington Blade, longtime reporter Lou Chibbaro’s story last year that had a salary survey of our gay and AIDS orgs’ executive directors that Joe Solmonese “took a voluntary pay cut of 10 percent, lowering his total compensation from $338,400 to $302,200 a year.  That was mighty BIG of LITTLE Joe especially since he is essentially worthless.  And this year when HRC released its most recent IRS 990 filing on August 14, HRC estimate for his pay was adjusted slightly, up to $307, 050. Whats an extra 4 Grand after all for an organization that CONSTANTLY begs the Community for money while doing jack shit. 

Then we are hit with this little piece of info.  JOE FLIES FIRST CLASS! (On pg 14)
Well considering that refunable Coach and First Class tickets ARE NEVER the same price thats a very strange and since Little Joe likes to fly and flitter about to all the Gay A list events like LA to walk the red carpet for an HRC “L Word” party, or to the Sundance Film Festival, to schmooze with indie, creative types, and lets not forget the BIG HRC Fundraising Events in NTC, North Carolina, and Los Angelos thats ALOT of free drinks and smoked almonds that Little joe has consumed on our dime instead of actually WORKING.

“HRC provided first class air travel on occasions for President Joe Solmonese, as permitted by policy adopted by the HRC Board. The president’s schedulue often requires last minute changes in travel plans, and therefore fully refundable tickets are frequently used. First class tickets were occasionally purchased in situations in which fully refundable coach tickets were comparably priced to first class tickets.”

But now lets talk about the OTHER HRC Board Executives and thier bloated salaries…

Cathy Nelson
$226,948

David Smith
$206,753

Martin Rouse
$170,958

Susanne Salkind
$170,578

Alison Herwitt
$163,891

James Rinefierd
$156,878

Robert Falk
$142,495

Christopher Speron
$140,173

Elizabeth Pursell
$138,970

Andrea Green
$132,192

Kevin Layton
$130,480

Ann Crowley
$127,813

Halcyon Mathis
$125,525

Total: $2,185,803

Nice work if you can get it.  And the amazing thing is that NOBODY knows what the fuck these people actually do to make these wonderful salaries while we go nowhere and remain second class citizens year after year! 

The HRC is nothing more than expenisve embaressing joke on our community at this moment.  Again and again they have proven themselves to be ineffectual and out of touch with the community, its frustraions, and its goals.  It has absolutely no sense of urgency when it comes to achiving our rights, (Probably because they will go out of business when we do), and it refuses to fight to its fullest for us.

There are ONLY two choices now.

One is to DEMAND the resignation of Joe Solmonese and the HRC Board and fill those spots with REAL Activists and Advocates and retool the entire organization.  And the other choice is to simply destroy it and cut our losses.

One thing is for sure though WE CANNOT ALLOW the HRC in its current form to continue to say that it represents us.  It is doing more harm than good and is a total embaressment and an insult to the memories of the REAL LGBT Gay Rights Activist and Advocates who not only fight today but have fought in the past to gain us our rights.