Infighting May Bring Down Gay Rights Group

Less than a month after the much lauded National Equality March, march organizers, Equality Across America are already having leadership problems. Bill Browning of the Bilerico Project is reporting that Kip Williams and Robin McGehee, Co-Directors of the National Equality March have resigned due to direction and funding of the newly minted org.

From the Bilerico blog:

EAA founder Cleve Jones confirmed that both activists had stepped down from their leadership positions. Everyone involved agreed that the parting of ways resulted from concerns about financial security and the leadership of the new organization.

"We're still not sure this is a viable organization," Jones said. "It's still not clear to me that EAA is going to happen yet. There needs to be a working group to take EAA forward. I'll be inviting [the March's] steering committee and executive committee members to participate."

Executive committee members elected Tanner Efinger as the interim Project Director responsible for the org's legal contracts with the Tide Foundation. Underlying tensions in the committees, however, have many frustrated activists at the breaking point as various factions vie for control of the organization's leadership.

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Or perhaps this is the time the old timers should let the youngsters take the reigns? I hope the organization pulls itself together, it would be a shame to squander our grass roots efforts and honest enthusiasm at a time when we are really looking for new leadership.