Who thinks it is a wise idea to stand up and walk toward the stage as Joe Solmonese is speaking--multiple threats were made against Joe in the weeks preceding this event and it should be NO SURPRISE that there was security in the room to watch movement and disarm potential threats.
As for her being peacful and quiet. Give me a break. She was yelling out and passing out derogatory leaflets.
The T community cried and screamed about visible police presence at the Houston dinner so notice that was changed. If your community is phoning in threats against Joe's life, you should not be walking to the stage in a dark room while he is speaking!

Maura - do you still identify as Irish or as a New Yorker?

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I would hope anyone who still gives money to HRC would seriously consider stopping their donations now.

What will it take to get Joe S. fired?

This one's a lesbian -- see her description of the event on my blog. But I think she'd be honored by the mistaken identification as trans -- she's always been on the side of those who struggle for their rights.

Why would anyone stop giving money to HRC over the fact that a protestor was trying to disrupt a private meeting and was removed??? Come on people use your heads... She knew what would happen and probably hoped it would so that everyone would say ...that horrible HRC look what they did to that poor ole woman..they're terrible lets get em...

Come one use your heads.....

Joe Solmonese will never be fired for anything to do with ENDA. After all, he's doing exactly what the HRC Executive Board wants him to do so why should they fire him?

Joe will go when the HRC Executive Board decides he's not promoting their elitist and divisive agenda effectively enough, the same way as all "social justice" organizations that fill their donation coffers by demonizing minority groups unlike themselves decide to make changes in leadership.

Still, this battle has now progressed to a new level. Anti-transgender violence, a brutal and unecessary attack, committed against an elderly transwoman by security thugs on the HRC payroll.

An elderly transwoman, beaten and thrown out into street by HRC thugs for speaking her mind. You just can't make this shit up.

And they wonder why this community is so disgusted by this organization and it's despicable behavior.

I was there. Her comments are not correct. She was not quite from my table in the back quarter of the room she was seen walking fast and shouting while throwing papers at seated diners. I could not see what happened when she got to the very front but her actions were threating, loud and obnoxious. no wonder she was stopped by security who knew what this oddball was up to. She refused to leave, she was never thrown to the ground and even as she was escorted back she even said ok good i know where to go from here. Sure she has bruises and just like my papa too old people bruise a lot and easily.
think all sides and go talk to my friends that were attendees, not hrc staffers about what they saw happen before you judge & blog innaccuracies
we have a fight to win here in cal to defeat prop8. lets focus people

During an HRC event, where 750 law abiding citizen bought tickets to hear among others, two transgendered speakers, a member of congress, the President of HRC, and during which an HRC supporter announced a $1 million gift to fight proposition 8 in California (yes, HRC has many battles to fight, not just ENDA), an individual, who admits that "Another part of the protest was for 2 people to buy tickets and peacefully leaflet the crowd" is surprised when she is forcefully removed from the room when she began (per her admission) another part of the "protest" during Joe Solmonese's speech? Gimme a break!

Here is an idea...instead of spending the time protesting and blogging against HRC, why doesn't the trans community do something effective with all of that energy...hire your own lobbyist to work WITH HRC on the hill. Or is it just easier to complain and protest, without having to do the hard work?

Rod i like your comment. i guess it is easier to be seen as a bunch of whiners that needed to get a 63 year old in there to scream and shout and then to complain and lie about it afterwards without any evidence of what when on in the room to back up her claims. i am sorry she had bruises but that could have come from anything, maybe she needs a lifealert to help her with all the times she falls over "help me i've fallen and cant get up"
but you are right maybe they should consider spendin their times more wisely and any how all i see are the same people blogging all the times; must be a depressing group of people

defeat prop8

Monica,
I have nothing against protesting. My uderstanding was that a separate event had been planned across the street. My only point is that it is not wise to threaten someones life and then expect to have access to walk to the front of the room when Joe Solmonese is speaking. The fact is Ms. Cusic knew she was breaking rank by trying to disrupt Joe's speach. Buying a ticket does not give you the right to demand attention at an event.
As for the headline of this post...sensationalism at best. It is very clear that Bilerico has turned into an HRC hating crowd. Go back to a year ago when Candice Gingrich and Joe Solmonese made contributions to this blog. They were immediatley attacked in the comments and stopped writing. SAD. Do you really wonder why you did not get credentials to the DNC?

There were plenty of witnesses, and the truth will eventually out.

Frank wrote:

i am sorry she had bruises but that could have come from anything, maybe she needs a lifealert to help her with all the times she falls over "help me i've fallen and cant get up"

Many women and child abuse victims who have been assaulted have had their attackers claim that "she walked into a door" or "she fell down stairs". This statement reeks of that attitude.

Those bruises are fingermarks. Frank's statement on this issue calls into question his reliability as a witness in everything else he said.

But as I said, there were plenty of witnesses who were there, and they won't all have axes to grind. The truth - which may be exactly as Franks says it is - will out.

Prop8 will be fought against, regardless, by GLB and also T. Such a serious issue should not be used as a mere tool to muddy the waters.

We need to understand each other's viewpoint more too.

Frank comes across like a paid HRC shill. Is he? I doubt it, the way that I doubt the sun will suddenly start rising in the west.

Look, if a similar story had been told about someone taking similar protest action in a "Focus on the Family" dinner, I'm certain that Frank would be there supporting the protestor. I'm also certain that he'll resent the comparison of HRC with FotF. T's wouldn't though.

I think it unlikely that he can see that he's sounding like every stereotype of the Rich Gay Male every RadLezFem has ground her teeth over.

Meanwhile those of opposing views, like me, should understand that he sees the great good for GLB causes that the HRC has accomplished, and that he cannot understand why anyone should be white-anting them. The Prop8 fight is important, darnit, and to see factional fighting when such a vital battle is going on must be infuriating for him. I admire his forbearance and moderate tone.

I hope that he might be able to one day see that it's not just Joe S's speech, nor a one-off regrettable but pragmatic decision over ENDA that's caused this. It's over a decade of T's being cast out by the HRC, then when T's for the nth time gave the HRC "one more chance", they were kicked in the teeth again. The HRC are habitual offenders, and have had their three strikes, and some. It was HRC's past president, Elizabeth Birch, who at a Chicago GLBT event stated that to make transinclusion in ENDA a top legislative priority would happen ‘over her dead body’.

Nothing.
Has.
Changed.

They just lie about it now, and claim to be GLBT not GLB-only. That's the worst bit, the fact that they undermine other organisations that actually do help by saying "no need, we're taking care of that" and doing... nothing.

Perhaps Frank can see how we might be predisposed to believe the worst. Because the worst has happened before, again and again. The HRC security must be prepared to deal with violent, radical Fundies, possibly armed. They see T's as the enemy too now, and treat them similarly. With a heavy hand, one that leaves marks.

But... we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Protest against the HRC's perfidy, and still give our all to fighting Prop8. Frank need have no fear, we'll support even exclusionary and transphobic gays (and I don't imply he's either BTW). We will do this, not to gain a quid pro quo (as if...), but because in a fight for Human Rights, you have to do what's right, not what's pragmatic, to win in the long run.

I'm in Shock, but not surprised. The great Human Rights Organization [HRC] had to use force to eject one woman for expressing her rights. Is that not Ironic? Wow the next thing is for the Capofamiglia Joe Solmonese to send a Hit man to my house for speaking out. HRC is sounding more like an organized crime syndicate with each passing day. Where is the federal prosecutor at to explain the Rico act to Joe and his thugs? Where is the HRC board of directors and the membership? Can they not see what Joe is doing. Vote him out today. I can tell you now TransCarolina will never support HRC again As long a Joe is there. Just my 2 cents.

Janice Covington Allison . Chair of TransCarolina. www.transcarolina.org

Ok even though this involves revisiting a place in life I left behind many years ago, I gotta say this:

When I was younger, waaaay pre-transition, I worked some security of some punk shows in NYC. Mostly it was pretty light work, I got into the shows for free, plus sometimes I'd even be able to float around backstage and maybe hang out with the band.

Every now and then, of course, we'd have a problem that had to be dealt with. Could be a drunk, could be a guy getting a little too handsy with the ladies, could be someone stupid enough to do their coke or heroin in the crowd instead of going off to the bathroom (not allowed...the cops would overlook pot and didn't harass those who used the bathroom to shoot up, but if they saw you shooting up in public, it was Handcuff City).

The point here is that I often had to participate in physically removing people from a large crowded space, often people who didn't want to go and fought back. Not once in all those times did I or anyone I worked with have to injure someone as badly as we see in these pictures in order to remove them from a club, and these weren't elderly people these were people in their late teens and early twenties, often blasted on something.

What I take from these pictures is that Catherine Cusic's removal was clearly unnecessarily brutal. These security people obviously manhandled her, probably intentionally. In any case, the amount of force used was clearly in excess of that needed to remove a 63-year-old woman from the building.

To me, that, and the fact that apparently no one in attendance at this dinner rose to help her as this was happening, speak volumes.

Follow up to Bilerico article:

I read several of your comments and appreciate greatly the support given (especially by questioning the person who thought I had been bruised in the previous 24 hours by some other agency-like I tripped getting out of my Jaguar).

I don’t mind that some are questioning although I do feel that since we are all in the same community there could be a different approach to questions. I think when someone reports
An incident like this it would be helpful if skepticism were tempered with some compassion.

Everyone has a tendency to believe what they want to believe which is why eye witness accounts are notoriously poor and which is why we sometimes have ridiculous arguments with family/lovers.

So let’s try to give each other benefit of doubt and try to hear what is saying before brining out the knives……

HRC disputes my account of the evening (which could possibly have some inaccuracies, I haven’t been physically attacked like that in some 15 years).

Some people who were there also dispute my account. Fair enough-the room was very dark to allow for the screen and speakers, there were 700 or more people in a large room and when I was approached by “security” we had our backs to the back 2/3 or so of the room.

So how about we start with some facts:

1. HRC supports a policy of “incremental change” to pass legislation to make discrimination in jobs, housing, parenting (I assume) etc against people based on their “sexual orientation.” They do not support, at this time, broadening that protection to other members of the LGBT+ community because they think that the US is not “ready for that” and the entire legislation will fail and no one in our community will have federal protection from discrimination.

That is certainly a genuine strategic concern-not an ethical concern perhaps, but a strategic one.

Many of us disagree with this approach and want to proceed as a community, with no one left behind. If this process takes longer, so be it! The fear is, of course, that once L & G got heirs, the less politically and economically powerful would be left behind. Much like what happened with early AIDS issues-Gay men had a powerful lobby, IVDA did not and the services went to Gay men and not to IVDA (who, I general, had distinct ethnic and class differences).

There has been no “catch up” to this day.

2. HRC organized an incredibly expensive fundraiser in a city that has a queer community with a very strong commitment to equality for all members of our community.

3. There was a protest organized by those of us who disagree with HRC’s stance on ENDA strategy (and possibly goals).

4. As one of those protestors, I purchased a ticket to the event with a goal of sharing information via a leaflet. More of us would have gone except the tickets were too expensive. Something which is totally within my rights so long as I do not “disrupt” the proceedings whereupon it is clear that I would be asked to leave. This is regardless of so called threats to anyone’s life.

In this country, it used to be that the constitution outweighed alleged or real “security issues.” Since the Bush administration this has changed so maybe my critics are correct, Like the librarian who held a sign at a Bush event and was asked to leave, she should have known better in the new era of “national security” which apparently is now extended to staff members of organizations as well as Republican Presidents.

5. To try to recount what happened when I got up with the intent of quietly leafleting without giving my own experience of the event (Frank has his and I have mine).

I did get up and proceed to the front of the room, since I expected to be asked to stop and would rather be able to reach as many people as possible. I was “approached” by 2-3
men (not certain how many, they were initially behind me ). Shortly thereafter my leaflets were on the ground and these men had me in an arm lock and wrist lock (this was shown on TV Frank). At some point I yelled-when or what may be in dispute. Eventually these men removed me from the room. Did they call the police force? NO. Did they search me for weapons? NO. Did they even look in the bag I was carrying? NO.
That makes it a bit difficult to believe that anyone in HRC or the Security Company considered me a threat to anyone’s physical health.

6. After being ejected out the side door of the hotel, I re-entered the front door, went to the front desk and asked to file an “incident report.” I was told by hotel security that they had no such reports. Now I have worked in hospitals, non-profits and for a major union. Every workplace has “incident” or accident reports. When I was told I could not fill out any report, I then displayed what were then already visible bruises to the manager and security. These are facts-the bruises were witnessed by the manager.

I went home an hour or so later and my roommate took pictures of those same bruises which were beginning to turn black and blue. The next day my physician took the pictures you saw.
And Frank, I am 63 not 73. I can tell you as a practicing Physician Assistant in trauma, 63 year olds without blood dyscracias do not bruise that badly on those parts of the body. In any case it is a fact that some 15 minutes after ejection I had early bruising and 2 hours later severe bruising.

6. The next day I saw my physician who examined me and took the pictures you see.

So where are we? I legally entered an event that was open to the paying public. I had leaflets, I was physically removed and I was yelling. These are facts we can probably agree on? What we may not agree upon is the order of these events.

I was badly bruised within 2 hours (documented) and after speaking to my Dr. make an appointment to see him in his office the next day whereupon he documented my injuries (more photos). You don’t have to take my word for these; I will make those medical records open to you.

Another fact, I was video taped and televised on local TV being physically removed with my right arm in a position known by law enforcement officials to be one to cause excruciating pain. Photos taken soon after confirm significant injury, as did the examination of my physician.

What is in dispute is the sequence of events, my exact actions and the exact actions of security.
What is not in doubt is that security did not treat me as a physical threat. They did not search my bag, or me they did not call the police, they did not even ask for ID. So much for the fear that Joe Solmonese would be added to martyrs Jack, Martin and Bobby.

By the way Thomas Johnson-I do not know anything about anybody phoning threats against Joe
(seems a bit grandiose to me). But I would like to point out that you and I belong to the same community-or do we? Is that why there should be different laws for different QUEERS?

So now we come to differences in opinion and maybe social values. The TV tapes and my injuries do indicate excessive force to many of us. You on the other hand may feel that this amount of force is justified for someone who may be attempting to leaflet-or to stretch your point of view, to someone who suddenly began yelling.

Others would say that in the case of a bona fide disruption, the appropriate job of security is to
remove the “disruptive person” in a professional manner respecting the safety of that person and the crowd. For example, many years ago I was in at that very hotel demonstrating against the policies of GW Bush in Central America. The SFPD were called and they removed us from the hotel without incident or injury.

Finally Rod, Frank and Thomas: I have to say that you display an incredible lack of respect for older people and for differences of opinion; and you are additional ignorance of the history of social change in this country is appalling. I have to say that much of what you 3 enjoy today is due to the queens, “trannies” (a dated term), New Yorican’s and Dominicanos who fought at Stonewall. Not to mention the AIDS activists (like myself) who stole hidden medical reports from public health in 1982-83 and released them. Who fought for “safe sex” education and you criticized the CDC for their lack of responsiveness. I worked at San Francisco General Hospital then and had to put up with kiss asses screaming at me in the halls for daring to criticize DPH while men died all around me. Staff hid in the linen closets and cried and then went to meetings to fight some more.

There is a place for lobbying and a place for activism, hopefully in synch with each other, but my brothers, I find that the activists are often way ahead of the lobbyists and damn lucky for you.

But I do have to thank you for making me laugh with your comment, “Do you really wonder why you did not get credentials to the DNC?” Yes, that has always been my greatest hope in life-to be credentialed by the DNC.

So we can look at the tapes (if they still exist) and they may or may not shed light on what exactly happened. I don’t think interviewing people who were there will be particularly useful. I tried to get witness afterward and they “didn’t want to be involved.” Besides your pool is already tainted by the fact that they were attending the event.

But my point remains-EVEN IF I were there to disrupt the proceedings (which I dispute unless leafleting quietly is “disruption”, our laws say that that force cannot exceed the demands of the situation and that short of crying “fire “ in a crowded theater, we retain the right of freedom of expression. Now Bush/Cheney and you may not either. a. If so I will come to the next HRC event and be prepared to be waterboarded…

Catherine Cusic

"And as far as the "HRC has only one real base and that’s rich GLBT folks" comment not true...tons of middle class and others are huge supports of HRC. Stop being a classist and blaming all of your ills on others..."

Midtowner, please let me know how you know this. HRC cooks their membership books so that know one has a clue how many real members they have.

If I was HRC, I wouldn't worry about the protests, as long as the money was rolling in. However, HRC, in their ENDA reasoning, said that the reason they did what they did was because they had to keep relationships with elected officials.

Now that the NYC congressional delegation stayed away from the HRC dinner, and they couldn't get an elected official other than Woolsey to attend their SF dinner, I wonder if their shitting bricks.

If they really care about what elected officials think, and those elected officials are choosing not to attend their events- where is their power base now?

Catherine,

Thank you for all of your activism in the past. You do not know how old I am or if I have a lack of respect for my elders. I actually respect my elders AND differences of opinion. I also know that there is a time and a place for everything. The protest was outside and there was dedicated space for that.

I have a feeling you knew what you were getting into when you bought your ticket and then walked toward the stage as Joe Solmonese was speaking.

What I will say is that I look forward to seeing the tapes and hope that you are justified. But come on, you just admitted that in the past you have stolen private medical records.

By the way...you account of saying quietly, "I bought a ticket, I have a right to quietly leaflet the crowd" is entirely WRONG. The first think you started yelling was, "Liar, Liar, he's a liar...."
The next thing that happened was your stack of roughly 50 8 1/2 b 11 leaflets hit my head and landed in my lap.

I look forward to seeing the tape. I can't imagine that the other 700 people in the room are all wrong too....

I am very glad that I read this story and the numerous posts that have followed; it has helped me to see what is really important.

Why on earth is the Human Rights Campaign hiring thugs in the first place? This seems to be in direct conflict with their mission. Have I missed something? What’s next? HRC torture techniques mixers? Who in their right mind could justify twisting the arm of any 63 year old woman with such might to cause this amount of bruising? That is barbaric and inhumane treatment under any circumstances.

We should be apologizing to Christine for having endured this abuse that was inflicted by OUR community and thanking her for her bravery and commitment in speaking up for the rights of other LGB – T - Americans.

Yet again we see how the HRC is not out for the regular LBTQ community. I stopped giving after learning how many people on their payroll are making huge sums of cash, while still having private practices to rake it in even more.

HRC is nothing more than elitists who do nothing for the average hard working gay stiff such as myself.

The opinions of HRC shills^Wsupporters here are doing absolutely nothing to improve my view of the HRC :-(

Thankyou, Catherine Cusic, for being "loud and obnoxious". It sounds like we need a lot more of that.