By Melanie Nathan, January 26, 2016.
When the National LGBTQ Task Force found itself in the midst of an Anti-Semitic tempest, at their Creating Change Conference this week, San Francisco activist and blogger Michael Petrelis was curious about the organizations financial health and so he explored. It seems its heading for change, perhaps downhill! Carrying Executive Director Rea Carey’s salary of $252,000 into 2015, Task Force had revenue of $5.2 million, a whopping $2.1 million deficit and assets plummeted to a low of $2.1 million, in 2014. They are on extension for their 2015 filings.
Petrelis starts his analysis back in 2011, when the task force had revenues of $8.1 million, a deficit that year of $351,000, and assets listed at $5.5 million (line 22).
Word has it that Task Force has lost some grants along the way and that Creating Change is the only viable project of the organization at this time. Now the question is – will Creating Change survive the horrific taint from this weekend. With its reputation is in tatters, statements to appease critics, many of whom are renowned leaders in the LGBTQ community, have yet to hit the mark. People are angry, hurt and some traumatized. There has been no reconciliation between LGBTQ Task Force and the Jewish LGBTQ community.
Sponsors, of the Creating Change event, such as Gilead, knew about the initial cancellation of the A Wider Bridge Jewish event and the ferocious outcry that ensued. I have no doubt they have been keeping an eye on all that has transpired, including the devastating shut down of the Jewish event and the call by participants for the destruction of Israel, in effect a genocidal chant to kill all Jews.
To avert a total disaster Task Force will probably have to issue a detailed report, with full disclosure and transparency, through a Truth and Reconciliation type process, so that we can all determine the nature of its responsibility and it can decide whether a real apology us due. Only thereafter will cit be in a place to offer dramatic changes to its policies and procedures that may serve to appease community and sponsors alike. Without this Task Force may not see any of its sponsors back next year.
TO SEE THE PETRELIS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS and SCREENSHOTS – READ MORE HERE
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED:
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“Melanie,
“I question whether some of these protesters are even gay. They fail to understand that in Israel, LGBTQ citizens proudly support their Palestinian LGBTQ friends. An awful lot of gay Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza find themselves in bars in Tel Aviv partying with their Israeli counterparts. The support for LGBTQ Palestinians does not end at the party scene, at all.
“What I have always found so ignorant about the Holocaust Deniers and Israeli Haters from Europe and America is that most of them have never even been to Israel or to the West Bank or Gaza. I have been to Israel and the West Bank. When Palestinians are working and cooperating with Israelis a lot of good happens for both sides. When politically motivated violence happens, nothing good comes from it.
“Now I am looking forward to attending and supporting the next Gay Pride celebration in the Promised Land and showing my support for the Jewish nation of Israel and its right to exist. Frankly the world NEEDS Israel to exist.”
– Jim Wherry
The Task Force deserves to be bankrupted and put of business.
Its leader Rea Carey, in an interview with The Advocate could not even bring herself to say whether what happened crossed a line into *not* being a peaceful protest.
In other words, she’s unsure whether what happened at her event is acceptable, and inclined to think that it is acceptable, because she supports “protest” in general.
If you were a property owner or insurer dealing with this person and her organization, would you rent your space to her?