Former gay outreach director, DNC settle discrimination suit

[PageOneQ]

Source: PageOneQ

Donald Hitchcock and his former employer, the Democratic National Committee, have announced a settlement of Hitchock's discrimination lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

"We appreciate Mr. Hitchcock's intense advocacy of LGBT equality and have never doubted his strong commitment to Democratic principles or the goals of the Democratic Party," DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry said in a statement Thursday evening. "Mr. Hitchcock is and has always been a valued member of the DNC community, including during his employment with the DNC."

Read more: http://pageoneq.com/news/2009/hitchcock0116.html

[Ken Burch]

1. In other words "We love the guy even though we fired him"

"and we're sorry we got caught and had to write him a check".

:eyes:

Really, was what his partner said THAT terrible? Sheesh!!

[closeupready]

6. What did his partner say? I missed this story the first time around.

TIA.

[Ken Burch]

14. It's in the link. In essence, his partner criticized the party for just seeing

the LGBT community as a source of funds, without actually taking its issues seriously.

[closeupready]

15. Then it's a good thing I don't work for the DNC.

:rofl:

[Jamastiene]

2. So, the guy's partner had an opinion and they fired him for that?

So, even if we can keep our jobs if we are gay, our spouses cannot speak their minds or we'll be fired for that too? :wtf: :crazy:

There ought to be laws.

[Fearless]

3. At least... and I know it's a thin silver lining...

The system worked in his favor. Granted he should never have been fired in the first place.

[xchrom]

4. recommend -- even with the payout -- the dnc got what it wanted --

and proved you can still be fired for being an lgbtiq person.

[NOW tense]

5. I think this just shows how slow the top is to change.

Large grassroots efforts to fundamentally change the DNC are needed.

[TechBear_Seattle]

8. Yup

Now tell me again how the Democratic Party support full, equal rights.

[closeupready]

9. Do you have a link to the discussion thread as to what it was his partner said?

I'm just curious. Thanks.

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. You have a star; do a search

:hi:

The firing occured on May 2, 2006, and the lawsuit was filed late in 2007, with a number of articles and posts being made early in 2008. Do a search in the Latest, General and GLBT forums for "Donald Hitchcock." Be warned, though: a lot of the commentary is pretty ugly (which is no surprise, really.) You might also want to Google Hitchcock and "Paul Yandura", who is Hitchcock's partner.

Basically, Yandura published an open letter to DNC chairman Howard Dean, criticizing him for not doing enough to promote GLBT equality. I have not been able to track down the letter itself, sorry.

This is the only link I have bookmarked on the issue:
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/5-5/news/national/dnc.cfm

[closeupready]

12. Thanks.

:)

[Bluenorthwest]

7. A name to know-

Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry. Here is a person with a dogmatic axe to grind and she often calls herself Rev Daughtry and the works. She wanted a purge and so did some of the others at DNC and poor Leah, she did not get her vengence, for it belongs not to Leah.
I hope HItchcock's check was huge.

[Ken Burch]

16. What, might I ask, is the "Reverend's" dogmatic axe?

Did she want a gayrein DNC? Is she in the Provisional Wing of the DLC?

[marshall]

11. Bravo for equal treatment

Friends of mine in the military are told that things their spouses publish in newspapers or online reflect on them and their jobs, especially when the spouses use information gleaned from their partner's connection to government. It would be equally wrong if this man used confidential information he got from his partner's involvement with the DNC OR used his relationship to a DNC worker to promote his opinion.

Equal rights, equal expectations, equal consequences.

[Libertyfirst]

13. Provide equal rights. Folks will accept the equal expectations and

equal consequences.