This story about the influence exerted by telecom giant AT&T over LGBT non-profits continues to unfold and is very confusing. I have been reluctant to post any additional information – such as that six GLAAD board members resigned, presumably over the chaos – because I have been trying to get a handle on the complexity. In fact, a friend and a commenter pointed out some errors of understanding in my last post - for which I deeply apologize. The best explanation so far of what’s going on comes from Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly. Other sites on top of the scandal include The Washington Blade, The Bilerico Project, Politico and Michelangelo Signorile. I am now working on an analysis for Frontiers In LA that goes to press on Friday, so I hope you’ll bear with me.
However – that said – I would be remiss in not posting this important clarification from EQCA’s Interim Director Jim Carroll (see below), with whom I had an extensive interview this afternoon. Carroll and Communication Director Vaishalee Raja they’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on, too. The key point is that they have sent a follow up letter to the FCC withdrawing their previous letter, which Carroll said they had no idea could be construed as supporting AT&T’s opposition to net neutrality. Carroll said emphatically that EQCA supports net neutrality.
Here’s the email Carroll just sent out:
On behalf of Equality California I have sent the letter copied below to the FCC withdrawing our previous letter. As it says in the letter it was never our intention to oppose Net Neutrality.
And on behalf of myself I made an error in an interview yesterday with Chris Geidner in which I said that Equality California doesn’t have a policy with regard to our policy positions. In fact, there is a policy that allows the Executive Director to make decisions on policies that are core to the mission of Equality California. On issues that are outside of our core mission, such as support for our friends in labor or in the reproductive rights community, there is a policy that requires the board to weigh in if a board meeting is timely, or directs the matter to the Executive Committee. In the event of an urgent policy choice the ED can seek counsel from the Board President. I apologize for any confusion this might have created. I’ve only been Interim ED for 7 weeks!
Jim CarrollJune 22, 2011
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW, Room 8-B201
Washington, DC 20554
RE: Withdrawal of letter dated October 12, 2009 – Broadband Industry Practices (WC Docket No. 07-52)
Dear Chairman Genachowski and Commissioners:
On October 12, 2009, Equality California submitted a letter to the Commission urging the preservation of an “open and accessible Internet” and requesting an effort to reach out to the LGBT community. It has come to our attention that the phrase “open and accessible Internet” can be taken to indicate opposition to net neutrality, which was neither our intention nor our organization’s position. We fully support the principles of net neutrality.
Accordingly, we request that you withdraw our letter of October 12, 2009.
Very truly yours,Jim Carroll
Interim Executive Director
Equality California
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
karen,
have you thought about officially becoming EQCA’s blogger? here is another example of how you run info from them, without any challenge or criticism, and don’t point out that there is NOTHING on the EQCA site about this at&t mess.
why is EQCA not writing a damn thing on their site about how they sent a letter to the FCC about at&t issues, have now retracted the letter AND that one of their board members, troup coronado, is central to the mess?
it is very sad that you are not a watchdog over EQCA. i sum up your posts on anything to do with EQCA thus: EQCA said. period.
imho, a big reason why there is so much corruption at gay inc – from glaad to EQCA – is because big bloggers like yourself don’t challenge the groups. if you’ve ever called for EQCA or glaad or gay inc groups to hold regular open meetings and directly hear from community members who are long fed up with them, i missed your call.
oops. i forgot to include this link to EQCA’s blog, which has one june piece up, about the NY state marriage battle, and prior to that the last post was from karen in march:
http://www.carippleeffect.org/
putting aside the more than two-month absence of posts at the EQCA blog, the larger question for me right now is where on their site is there a single word about their problems with AT&T???
As long as corporate shill and LGBT traitor Troup Coronado sits on EQCA’s board they have no credibility and no support from me. Karen, you’re an excellent reporter. So how can an excellent reporter be confused about what AT&T is doing or how GLAAD is complicit? How can an excellent reporter buy this nonsense “clarification” from Jim Carroll? Why are you not excellently reporting this recently revealed (by others, not you) corruption at some of the most important LGBT organizations? Troup Coronado must resign or be removed from the board of EQCA before he causes any more damage to our community. And the extent of the damage that he’s already caused must be revealed. It would be great if you were helping to reveal it.