Sunday, March 22, 2009

On Chris Finney -- Part Deux

My last blog post was long and rambling, so I'll try to condense it down:

The NAACP of Cincinnati has hired Chris Finney to be their Director of Legal Redress, despite his conservative and anti-gay history. The national NAACP, the local NAACP, and the local chairperson (Christopher Smitherman) have, in the past, been in general support of LGBT rights in the city and in the country as a whole.

Thus, QueerCincinnati.com's take on the whole situation is thus: Why Chris Finney?

I think it's a fair question, considering Finney's history as a conservative firebrand quick to shout an opponent down and do anything to win a campaign. Are we appealing to what people believe as "central Cincinnati conservativism," does it indicate a shift to a more aggressive local NAACP, or does the pick indicate the NAACP, locally, is moving away from its progressive roots to move more within the conservative halls of the local body politic?

And where does that leave the relationship between the local NAACP and local gay rights organizations?

In short: Why Chris Finney? Totally reasonable to ask, IMHO.

There, much better. It helps to write everything down in one sitting instead of coming back to it a couple of times.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris Finney is an effective pit bull who is politically connected. Probably just that.

Anonymous said...

I don't suppose anyone other than me has called the Ohio Chapter Presidents Offce of the NAACP to complain and bring to their attention Chris Finneys active involvement in Equal Rights Not Special Rights and the CCV of Cincinnati and his work trying on both Issue 3 and other anti-gay measures especially in the light that the NAACP has staed that 'Human rights' are now to be focus of the NAACP.

Anyone else out there pick up a phone?

Street: 233 South High Street
Columbus, oh 43215-4515
Phone: (614) 464-1108

Anonymous said...

Barry and others - Better to go to NAACP national in Baltimore and request a public statement.

Leila McDowell is VP of Communications: lmcdowell@naacpnet.org
(410)580-5777