Equality California Honchos Wanda Sykes, Stuart Milk & Others Won't Meet Public During Executive Director Search?

The search for a new executive director for gay rights powerhouse Equality California (EQCA) is still underway, even though ordinary gay folks know very little about it.

Blogger Michael Petrelis has been constantly demanding that EQCA hold town hall meetings so the public can give their input and hear what's happening during the important hiring process -- whoever lands the job will lead an organization that helps create laws and policies on the behalf of some 850,000 gays and lesbians in California.

Equality California board members will ultimately hire the next executive director, but they appear to have no desire to hold town hall meetings and face regular gays and lesbians -- the very people who help fund the group through small and large donations.

Asked if Equality California has held town hall meetings as Petrelis and others have suggested, Cary Davidson, chairman of EQCA's search committee, says in a prepared statement to L.A. Weekly:

"Morris & Berger [the consulting firm spearheading the effort to replace outgoing executive director Geoff Kors] have contacted more than 1,000 people in the course of the search and are continuing to have conversations. They have spoken with people from grassroots organizations, unions, large and small nonprofits, foundations, elected officials, and a diverse array of advocacy organizations, per the recommendation of the search committee."

Davidson is a practicing attorney, so we'll simplify his answer: No town halls meetings have been conducted. Not only that, the above list of people and groups are largely gay rights insiders, not the general public.

Davidson does suggest that people send recommendations via the Equality California web site.

"Community members are encouraged to contact Morris & Berger directly to provide input and candidate recommendations," Davidson says in a prepared statement.

That heavily hints that EQCA board members such as comedienne Wanda Sykes, Harvey Milk's nephew Stuart Milk, and labor union icon Dolores Huerta have no plans to face ordinary gays and lesbians in person and hear what they have to say.

We aren't surprised when you consider EQCA's reputation for not playing well with others.

Read L.A. Weekly's cover story "Mission Drift at Gay Inc." to understand exactly how Equality California works behind the scenes.

Davidson does inform us that the "search committee has received many applications and hopes to name a new [executive director] by the beginning of June."

Wonder if people will go to the EQCA web site and recommend town hall meetings? What will happen then?

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.

Tags:

Cary Davidson, Equality California, executive director search, Geoff Kors, Michael Petrelis, Patrick Range McDonald, Stuart Milk, Wanda Sykes

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DADT

I worked with EQCA at one point and even though Kors did more than his fair share for the gay politics of California, he was hardly beloved and few will miss him around the state capitol. The board of EQCA was worse. I know of several members who stepped down because they shared my beliefs (or lack therein) regarding this organization. Pompous, pretensious, and downright rude board members like Cary Davidson give EQCA its negative "checkbook activism" image; they are people who are more concerned with A-list affairs at private mansions and exhorbitantly high-ticket fundraising dinners with celebrity hosts than actually getting their hands dirty and getting results. Worse: they are an unkind lot, unappreciative of "the little people" who help them in any way. I was only associated with the organization for 6 mos or less, but the self-congratulatory elbow rubbing and general snobbery I experienced left me with little faith in the organization and its leaders. The board of EQCA will conduct their executive search in secret, make unilateral decisions with high-priced consultants rather than consult with real constituents, then have a pricey dinner where they will toast their own efforts, beg all attendees for more cash, and expand their empire-- not for the benefit of all gays and lesbians, but for the benefit of the RICH AND POWERFUL gays and lesbians associated with the organization. Thanks for the legacy, Kors!

Fed up

EQCA's credibility has been permanently damaged, because of its botched and thoroughly incompetent handling of the No on Prop 8 campaign. It's laughable that they could ever imagine that they'd be called on to represent the average gay/lesbian voter in CA, regardless of any open forums they might dare to conduct. This is one gay man who will NEVER donate another dollar to EQCA, and I'm not alone.

MPetrelis

hi patrick,

thanks for keeping tabs on EQCA, their board, the search for a new ED and the sad lack of open forums with the group. i wish i knew what their irrational fear of town halls was based on, because if i did i would then suggest they get over that fear! btw, i have left voice mails and sent emails to the search firm, and guess what. they've not gotten back to me. so much for dialoging with them. only weak gay leaders and inept gay groups fear open forums. -michael