I’ve mentioned before that I contribute to the Human Rights Campaign. I know a lot of people have issues with the HRC, and in fairness, the org isn’t as edgy as it used to be — though also in fairness, “aggro” has never really been the HRC’s style. Some of my friends rag on me for giving to an advocacy group that seems to move slowly and to be slightly out of touch with the desires of many LGBT Americans. “Foot-dragging A-listers”, they call them.

But I’ve always found the Dr. King approach more politically expeditious than that of Mr. X. And given my limited experience with lobbying and backdoor politics (watch it), I’m pretty comfortable with the HRC’s tactics. In fact, I’m pleasantly surprised by their accomplishments.

Even more importantly, to my friends who sneer at me for giving a few bucks a month to the largest LGBT advocacy org in America, I ask: what the fuck are you doing for us? Are you staging advocacy days at the capitol? Attending sit-ins? Giving your hard-earned dough to another LGBT group? Hell, are you people even writing your legislators?

That said, I do have some concerns with HRC, and I’m considering scaling back my contribution. Not because of the way they’ve responded to DADT or this veterans thing, but because of the HRC’s reliance on terrible stock photography:

Look at that. Are they LGBT lobbyists or dental hygienists? I really can’t tell.

HRC, can we please get a little gay design pride up in this bitch?