Oh sweet, Holy Jesus. This is a papal face-palm!
From By Lou Chibbaro Jr. at the Washington Blade:
Catholic Charities USA, the nation’s largest network of faith-based agencies providing services to the poor, has hired a Washington lobbying firm owned by a gay man to promote a recently launched anti-poverty initiative before Congress and the Obama administration.
In a little noticed development, Catholic Charities USA retained the Sheridan Group, founded in 1991 by social worker and gay rights advocate Tom Sheridan, to coordinate the development of legislation and related advocacy programs aimed at “starting a new national conversation on poverty and opportunity.”
Lobbying disclosure reports filed with the House and Senate show that Catholic Charities USA paid the Sheridan Group $476,750 between April 2010 and April 2011 for lobbying services and advocacy work related to the Catholic organization’s anti-poverty projects.
A reminder it was the Catholic Charities that issued an ultimatum to Washington DC that if they passed marriage equality, they'd turn their backs on the poor and disadvantaged, shutting down their charity services for the District.
Over in Massachusetts, Catholic Charities choose bigotry over placing orphaned children in same-sex households, pulling out of the adoption business since the state wouldn't fund their discriminatory practices anymore. Catholic Charities is having a similar temper tantrum over the gays in Illinois right now.
It's certainly fair to say the Catholic Church is the most formidable force the LGBT community faces in the quest for equality, and Catholic Charities is just a tool in their gay-fighting arsenal. From these legislative extortion tactics, to the Catholic Bishops Conference lobbying the Housing and Urban Development Department not to enact non-discrimination protection, to the Catholic Church being a top funder of the National Organization For Marriage.
Ah, how ironic a "gay rights activist" should be drawing a big fat paycheck to do their bidding.
Who is Tom Sheridan? He has a bio up at Change.org, which says:
President, The Sheridan Group
A social worker by training and an advocate by trade, Tom Sheridan brings a unique perspective to his work as a public policy strategist in Washington, DC, where The Hill newspaper has called him "A powerbroker for those without a voice."
Tom began his career at the National Association of Social Workers and the Child Welfare League before joining the AIDS Action Council in the late 1980s, quickly becoming the influential leader in establishing the nation's first AIDS lobby, which eventually would involve more than 140 national organizations. He was the chief architect and strategist on the enactment of landmark legislation for the HIV/AIDS community, including the Ryan White CARE Act, as well as the chair of the lobby effort on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
At Change, Sheridan waxed euphoric about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal saying, "We're Winning the Battle of Ideas."
Here's an idea how we can win the battle, Mr. Sheridan: How about not working for the enemy?