The website Americablog launched a campaign Monday challenging anyone concerned about LGBT equality to take a pledge against donating money to the Democratic National Committee, its spin-off arm, Organizing For America, or the Obama campaign.
"Take The Pledge: Don't Ask, Don't Give" is the product of anger over what the site's creators, John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay, see as a lack of action on LGBT issues by the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party. Specifically, the site is asking activists to suspend donations until three goals are met: passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."
"A year ago, the LGBT community, our families, friends and allies across the country were elated by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. We poured our hearts and wallets out to elect a Democratic president and Congress," reads the pledge page. "Over the past year our joy has turned to frustration as President Obama and the Democratic Party have moved away from their campaign commitments to gay and lesbian Americans."
The blog post announcing the new campaign lists a history of about 25 ways in which Aravosis believes the Obama campaign and Administration has failed LGBT Americans.
The campaign comes on the heels of a public feud that played out last week between Aravosis and the openly gay treasurer of the DNC, Andy Tobias. In a blog entry that spurred nearly 300 comments, Aravosis detailed a mailing from the DNC that urged Mainers to vote last Tuesday but failed to mention or take sides on the state's marriage referendum. He also cited emails sent out by OFA urging Mainers to phone bank for New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's reelection campaign.
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