David Mixner: Withhold Your Money

Updated

Following the defeat of same-sex marriage in Maine amid tepid support from President Obama, David Mixner, the gay activist and prominent donor and fund-raiser, has called for what essentially is a boycott of candidates who don't support marriage equality and other gay rights.

It was a message aimed not just at Obama but the Democratic National Committee, which stirred new anger in the days before the Maine vote when it sent out an e-mail calling for residents to help the campaign of Jon Corzine but made no mention of the pending vote in Maine that blocked the implementation of a law legalizing same-sex marriage.

Mixner wrote on his blog, "How can we have any dignity, honor or pride in ourselves if we validate this continued process of ballot box terrorism? How can we stand tall next to each other if we explain away another's cowardliness? How can we allow people to dehumanize our relationships and our very integrity if we give people passes to sit out the battle for our very freedom? No longer are political timelines a reason for delay, no longer are incremental approaches acceptable and no longer can the political process expect us to be patient and wait our turn.

"If we support people who are against full equality, how can we expect others to do differently?" he continued. "No more excuses. Stop it. Close the checkbooks to those who are not fully on our side."

Mixner also was critical of the Human Rights Campaign for supporting Democrat Bill Owens in his successful bid for a New York congressional seat because he was "strongly against marriage equality."

Mixner's words reflect what may be a more serious fissure among gay activists and the Obama administration. Organizations like Equality California have expressed sharp criticism of the administration as well, and have called on the White House to file a brief in support of Ted Olson and David Boies' federal suit seeking to overturn Proposition 8.

Last June, after the Justice Department filed a brief vigorously defending the Defense of Marriage Act, some donors and activists called for a boycott of a Washington fund-raiser for the DNC. But even with picketers outside the event, it had little impact, as the event raised more money than one the previous year. (The Justice Department filing apparently caught the White House by surprise, and they filed a much milder brief later in the summer).

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Mixner has participated in 75 campaigns, and has reportedly raised more than $30 million for candidates and charity organizations across the country, including more than $1 million for openly gay and lesbian candidates.

The DNC's treasurer, Andrew Tobias, who is gay, sent out an e-mail apologizing for the generic e-mails sent to Maine, but doubting that a message from the party would have been needed, anyway. He also said that "there was concern that advocating specifically for a ballot initiative, whether LGBT or otherwise, would set a precedent for every other ballot initiative." That seems to have only stirred more anger from bloggers and activists, who were quick to note that the DNC under Howard Dean donated money to the campaign to defeat Prop 8. One wrote, "If you want to win campaigns, you have to mobilize people, not just send them an e-mail and pat yourself on the back."