Liberal bloggers boycott Democrats to compel action on LGBT issues

A movement among prominent liberal bloggers to cease contributions to Democrats until they address key issues in the gay community is quickly gaining steam.

The "Don't ask, don't give" campaign -- launched this week by AMERICAblog founders John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay -- imposes an indefinite donor boycott on the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America until Congress and the president pass a stalled bill addressing workplace discrimination, repeal a longstanding ban on gays from openly serving in the military and expand federal marriage rules to cover same-sex couples.

All of those issues, the bloggers argue in a petition, are causes Democrats promised to champion on their respective campaign trails.

"There has been little, if any, pressure from the White House for votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The administration continues to send mixed signals on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).  And we've been told not to expect the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to even be considered until President Obama's second term," Aravosis and Sudbay wrote.

"Until the Democratic Congress passes, and President Obama signs, legislation enacting ENDA, repealing DADT, and repealing DOMA, we ask you to join us in pledging to postpone contributions to the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, and the Obama campaign," they added.

So far, a number of influential liberal bloggers -- including Daily Kos, Dan Savage, two writers at Towle Road, Pam Spaulding from Pam's House Blend and the staff of firedoglake -- have signed onto the movement, which they said they hoped was "temporary."

---