HRC Speaks Up On Jena 6

I have many (many) problems with the nation's largest LGBT advocacy organization, Human Rights Campaign, and will never give them any of my hard-earned money to financially support their efforts, but one must still give them "props" when they do something even more progressive than other LGBT organizations I heartily support, like The Task Force or Equality California. On Thursday, HRC's Executive Director Joe Solmonese appeared at a Free the Jena 6 rally in Washington, D.C. and gave an excellent speech explaining his presence:

My name is Joe Solmonese and I represent the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organization in the country. Am I am here -- we are all here from the Human Rights Campaign -- because this injustice cannot stand.

We are here because we know about bigotry. We know about hate. We know the pain in high school of standing apart. Of being taunted. Of standing up, only too often, to be shut down.

I am here -- we are here -- because you have stood with us. Because all of us know that one injustice against any of us is an injustice against all of us.

And I am here because I remember. I remember James Byrd. James was a gentle soul, a special soul. Someone who struggled his whole life with challenges, but was filled with love and was deeply loved in Jasper, Texas.

But James Byrd -- at 49 -- was savagely beaten, then chained to a pickup truck and literally dragged to his death. He was brutally murdered because he was black.

And then something really profound happened. Remember when George Bush was governor of Texas? Well, Governor Bush had a hate crimes bill on his desk. There was a lot of pressure to sign the bill because of what they did to James Byrd. So, George Bush said he'd sign that bill, but they had to take the gays out.

And here's what happened. Stella Byrd, who has just buried her beaten, broken, gentle James said, If some of us are left out, then all of us are. Valuing one life and not valuing another is not right. And the Byrd family said No. They said No. And they walked away.

So, I stand here today with solidarity. I stand here for social justice. I stand here to free those young men. To say this will not stand. It cannot stand. I stand here for the Jena 6. I stand here today for James Byrd.

We will not forget. We will never walk away.

Thank you very much.

The appearance by HRC at a predominantly African American, unabashedly progressive event is being noticed by several bloggers, including yours truly, especially since many progressive bloggers have not been covering the Jena 6 situation with as much ardor as they have followed other progressive cause celebres.