An Open Letter about the GLAAD event
Dear Friends,
Last week, I asked LGBT community leaders to sign on to an open letter to GLAAD to ask them to move their annual fundraising event from a boycotted hotel. LGBT community leaders and organizations signed on to the letter and today I sent the letter to Joan Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD. I have not heard back from her yet but I did hear from Assemblymember Leland Yee who asked if he could also be on the letter. After some thought, I decided that it would be worthwhile for straight allies to ask GLAAD to move their event as well. Please contact me at robert_haaland@hotmail.com as soon as possible to let me know if you will sign on as an individual or if your organization will sign on. The response within the LGBT community has been great. People really got how important it is that Local 2 was the first union in the country to secure domestic partner benefits for their workers and to force the hotels to give to a HIV/AIDS fund. Below are the current signers. My thanks to those who understand the linkages and common ground between LGBT Civil Rights and Labor.
Here is the letter I sent to Joan Garry:
May, 2005
Dear Joan Garry,
Last week, I asked LGBT community leaders to sign on to an open letter to GLAAD to ask you to move your annual fundraising event from a boycotted hotel. LGBT community leaders and organizations signed on to the letter, and yesterday I sent the letter to Peter Zalabak. I have not heard back from him yet.
The response within the LGBT community has been significant. People really got how important it is that Local 2 was the first union in the country to secure domestic partner benefits for their workers and to force the hotels to give to a HIV/AIDS fund. Below are the current signers. My hope is that you will understand the linkages and common ground between LGBT Civil Rights and Labor.
We are also facing a huge battle in California during the next year over Marriage Equality for same sex couples. We really need labor to win this battle in California and it is my hope that they will stick their neck out for us. It is also my hope that you will understand how important our local work is and not undermine our efforts to achieve unity between the LGBT Community and Labor.
Thanks,
Robert Haaland,
San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee,
Former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Here is the text of the Open Letter:
An Open letter to GLAAD from SF community leaders
We are writing to you to express our concern about GLAAD’s upcoming 16th Annual Media Awards San Francisco being held at the Westin St Francis. The Westin St Francis is one of 14 hotels currently engaged in a protracted labor dispute with its employees. . In the fall, the St Francis and 13 other Multi-Employer Group Hotels denied their employees access to their jobs, “locked them out”, trying to starve them into accepting a bad contract. All of this has happened at a time when hotel profits and occupancy rates are at a three year high and continue to climb.
GLAAD has the opportunity to help the hotel employees and the community of San Francisco in this struggle by sending a message to Starwood Corporation. When you move the Annual Media Awards from the boycotted hotels, you help bring the hotel employees one step closer to settling this labor dispute. When groups move their meetings, it shows Starwood and the other hotel corporations that the struggle of the hotel workers extends beyond our union, and that groups like yours do believe in justice. All of this means that GLAAD has the chance to play an instrumental role in ending these bitter contract negotiations. On behalf of all San Francisco hotel workers and their families, please stand in solidarity with us and move your convention out of the St Francis and into a non-boycotted hotel.
Thank you
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Pride at Work
SF Tenants Union
Transgender Law Center
State Senator Carole Migden
Assemblymember Mark Leno
Assemblymember Leland Yee
Tom Ammiano, SF Board of Supervisors
Bevan Dufty, SF Board of Supervisors
Gerardo Sandoval, SF Board of Supervisors
Harry Britt, Former Supervisor
Theresa Sparks, Police Commissioner
Cecilia Chung, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee
Robert Haaland, Democratic County Central Committee*
Michael Goldstein, Democratic County Central Committee*
Saskia Traill, Vice-President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Carol Stuart, Co-Author, Equal Benefits Ordinance
Debra Walker, Former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Laura Spanjian, Co-Chair, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club*
Rafael Mandelman, President, Noe Valley Democratic Club*
Dylan Vade, Transgender Attorney
Peter Wong, former V.P. Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Esperanza Macias, former V.P. Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Jerry Threet, former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
John Newsome, And Castro for All
August Longo, President, FDR Democratic Club*
Howard Wallace, Pride at Work, National Co-Founder
Joey Cain, President, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee
Josie Mooney, President, President, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Tim Paulson, Executive Director, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Joe Julian, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Bill Barnes, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Dennis Antonore, former Planning Commissioner
Matt Brown, former Department of Building Inspection Commissioner
Jane Morrison, Chair of SF Democratic Party, 2002-2004
Connie O' Connor, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Susan Hall, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
David Chiu, Chair, 13th Assembly District Committee
Lisa Williams
Jim Rivaldo, one of the founders of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club
Larry Brinkin
Bruce Mirken, LGBT writer
Tab Buckner
Calvin Gipson
John R. Selig, Activist, Writer and Photographer
Steve Walters, former host/producer of LGBT radio program, Lambda Weekly, Dallas, TX
Michael Bornstein
Catherine Bremer, Andrea Grimes, Ruth Maginnis, Melissa Riley, Eileen Wampole, Officers Librarians’ Guild, San Francisco Public Library/ SEIU Local 790
Vicki Susoev, Betty Williams, Officers Library Employees Union Chapter, San Francisco Public Library, SEIU Local 790
Last week, I asked LGBT community leaders to sign on to an open letter to GLAAD to ask them to move their annual fundraising event from a boycotted hotel. LGBT community leaders and organizations signed on to the letter and today I sent the letter to Joan Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD. I have not heard back from her yet but I did hear from Assemblymember Leland Yee who asked if he could also be on the letter. After some thought, I decided that it would be worthwhile for straight allies to ask GLAAD to move their event as well. Please contact me at robert_haaland@hotmail.com as soon as possible to let me know if you will sign on as an individual or if your organization will sign on. The response within the LGBT community has been great. People really got how important it is that Local 2 was the first union in the country to secure domestic partner benefits for their workers and to force the hotels to give to a HIV/AIDS fund. Below are the current signers. My thanks to those who understand the linkages and common ground between LGBT Civil Rights and Labor.
Here is the letter I sent to Joan Garry:
May, 2005
Dear Joan Garry,
Last week, I asked LGBT community leaders to sign on to an open letter to GLAAD to ask you to move your annual fundraising event from a boycotted hotel. LGBT community leaders and organizations signed on to the letter, and yesterday I sent the letter to Peter Zalabak. I have not heard back from him yet.
The response within the LGBT community has been significant. People really got how important it is that Local 2 was the first union in the country to secure domestic partner benefits for their workers and to force the hotels to give to a HIV/AIDS fund. Below are the current signers. My hope is that you will understand the linkages and common ground between LGBT Civil Rights and Labor.
We are also facing a huge battle in California during the next year over Marriage Equality for same sex couples. We really need labor to win this battle in California and it is my hope that they will stick their neck out for us. It is also my hope that you will understand how important our local work is and not undermine our efforts to achieve unity between the LGBT Community and Labor.
Thanks,
Robert Haaland,
San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee,
Former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Here is the text of the Open Letter:
An Open letter to GLAAD from SF community leaders
We are writing to you to express our concern about GLAAD’s upcoming 16th Annual Media Awards San Francisco being held at the Westin St Francis. The Westin St Francis is one of 14 hotels currently engaged in a protracted labor dispute with its employees. . In the fall, the St Francis and 13 other Multi-Employer Group Hotels denied their employees access to their jobs, “locked them out”, trying to starve them into accepting a bad contract. All of this has happened at a time when hotel profits and occupancy rates are at a three year high and continue to climb.
GLAAD has the opportunity to help the hotel employees and the community of San Francisco in this struggle by sending a message to Starwood Corporation. When you move the Annual Media Awards from the boycotted hotels, you help bring the hotel employees one step closer to settling this labor dispute. When groups move their meetings, it shows Starwood and the other hotel corporations that the struggle of the hotel workers extends beyond our union, and that groups like yours do believe in justice. All of this means that GLAAD has the chance to play an instrumental role in ending these bitter contract negotiations. On behalf of all San Francisco hotel workers and their families, please stand in solidarity with us and move your convention out of the St Francis and into a non-boycotted hotel.
Thank you
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Pride at Work
SF Tenants Union
Transgender Law Center
State Senator Carole Migden
Assemblymember Mark Leno
Assemblymember Leland Yee
Tom Ammiano, SF Board of Supervisors
Bevan Dufty, SF Board of Supervisors
Gerardo Sandoval, SF Board of Supervisors
Harry Britt, Former Supervisor
Theresa Sparks, Police Commissioner
Cecilia Chung, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee
Robert Haaland, Democratic County Central Committee*
Michael Goldstein, Democratic County Central Committee*
Saskia Traill, Vice-President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Carol Stuart, Co-Author, Equal Benefits Ordinance
Debra Walker, Former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Laura Spanjian, Co-Chair, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club*
Rafael Mandelman, President, Noe Valley Democratic Club*
Dylan Vade, Transgender Attorney
Peter Wong, former V.P. Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Esperanza Macias, former V.P. Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Jerry Threet, former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
John Newsome, And Castro for All
August Longo, President, FDR Democratic Club*
Howard Wallace, Pride at Work, National Co-Founder
Joey Cain, President, San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee
Josie Mooney, President, President, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Tim Paulson, Executive Director, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Joe Julian, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Bill Barnes, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Dennis Antonore, former Planning Commissioner
Matt Brown, former Department of Building Inspection Commissioner
Jane Morrison, Chair of SF Democratic Party, 2002-2004
Connie O' Connor, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
Susan Hall, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
David Chiu, Chair, 13th Assembly District Committee
Lisa Williams
Jim Rivaldo, one of the founders of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club
Larry Brinkin
Bruce Mirken, LGBT writer
Tab Buckner
Calvin Gipson
John R. Selig, Activist, Writer and Photographer
Steve Walters, former host/producer of LGBT radio program, Lambda Weekly, Dallas, TX
Michael Bornstein
Catherine Bremer, Andrea Grimes, Ruth Maginnis, Melissa Riley, Eileen Wampole, Officers Librarians’ Guild, San Francisco Public Library/ SEIU Local 790
Vicki Susoev, Betty Williams, Officers Library Employees Union Chapter, San Francisco Public Library, SEIU Local 790
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