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JOSHUA LYNSEN
Friday, April 04, 2008
In
the
same
speech
in
which
she
said
the
“homosexual
agenda”
is
more
dangerous
than
terrorism,
Oklahoma
state
Rep.
Sally
Kern
blasted
wealthy
gays
for
surreptitiously
influencing
the
electoral
process.
“Little
by
little,
they’re
taking
ground,”
she
said.
“Little
by
little.
But
they’re
doing
it
quietly
—
under
the
table.
They’re
going
into
states
where
the
races
are
close.
They’re
putting
in
lots
of
money.”
Kern,
whose
speech
was
recorded
in
January
and
posted
online
last
month,
said
such
donors
gave
$30
million
to
dozens
of
gay-friendly
candidates
in
2006
and
thus
won
many
allies
and
races.
She
implored
members
of
an
Oklahoma
City
Republican
club
to
learn
more
about
the
strategy
and
counter
it.
But
major
gay
donors
said
Kern
faces
an
uphill
battle.
“She
doesn’t
know
what
she’s
up
against,”
said
Juan
Ahonen-Jover,
who
helped
start
eQualityGiving.
“The
strategy
is
right
on,
and
I
think
we
should
continue
the
strategy,
even
if
it
is,
quote
unquote,
public.”
Ahonen-Jover,
whose
eQuality
Giving
provides
gay
donors
with
advice
and
a
forum
to
discuss
politics
and
funding
strategies,
said
no
one
has
suggested
altering
the
group’s
strategy
in
the
aftermath
of
Kern’s
speech.
He
said
eQualityGiving
members,
as
well
as
others
who
give
tactically,
“think
about
giving
from
a
long-term
strategy”
and
would
not
veer
from
a
plan
that
works,
no
matter
how
public
that
plan
has
become.
“We
all
know
that
there
are
people
out
there
who
want
to
stop
others
from
getting
equal
rights,”
said
Ahonen-Jover,
who
is
gay.
“So
this
is
nothing
new.”
Charlie
Rounds,
a
longtime
political
and
philanthropic
donor,
also
said
he
would
continue
to
give
as
before
despite
Kern’s
comments.
Rounds,
president
of
RSVP
Vacations,
said
it
was
ironic
that
Kern
criticized
a
system
that
conservative
donors
have
used
for
decades
to
advance
their
issues.
“They’ve
been
doing
this
for
years
and
years
and
years,”
he
said.
“So
I
think
it’s
just
us
catching
up.”
Rounds
said
eQualityGiving,
which
he’s
supported
since
its
founding
in
2006,
has
helped
hundreds
of
gay
donors
learn
more
about
the
many
candidates
and
organizations
seeking
support.
“I
have
the
highest
regard
for
eQualityGiving
because
it’s
strategic,”
said
Rounds,
who
is
gay.
“And
in
this
day
and
age,
we
have
to
spend
every
dollar
wisely.”
Billed
as
an
“online
donor
community”
for
gay
equality,
eQualityGiving
helps
point
donors
to
organizations
that
best
advance
certain
causes.
It
also
endorses
candidates
and
lists
“candidates
to
defeat.”
Ahonen-Jover,
a
computer
parts
entrepreneur,
said
he
and
his
partner,
a
hospital
medical
director,
have
spent
$500,000
to
establish
and
maintain
eQualityGiving,
which
fervently
guards
information
about
its
members.
“And
we
are
happy
to
pay
for
it,”
he
said,
“because
we
are
happy
to
provide
that
safe
atmosphere.”
Ahonen-Jover
said
eQualityGiving
has
connected
many
of
the
nation’s
top
gay
donors,
and
that
“all
the
major
names”
are
members,
but
declined
to
provide
specifics.
“I
don’t
want
to
give
the
numbers
or
the
names
for
one
very
simple
reason,”
he
said.
“We
are
very
concerned
about
the
privacy
of
the
individuals.”
In
her
speech,
though,
Kern
did
not
hesitate
to
name
four
major
donors.
Rutt
Bridges,
a
venture
capitalist;
Tim
Gill,
a
software
mogul;
Jared
Polis,
an
entrepreneur
and
congressional
candidate;
and
Pat
Stryker,
a
medical
equipment
heiress
whose
brother
is
gay,
were
mentioned.
Polis,
an
eQualityGiving
member
who
is
gay,
said
he
didn’t
mind
the
reference.
“I’m
proud
to
be
called
out
by
name
for
supporting
equal
rights
and
the
equal
rights
agenda,”
he
said.
“So
it’s
certainly
a
badge
of
honor
that
those
on
the
other
side
feel
that
several
of
us
are
in
some
small
way
responsible
for
some
of
the
advancements
in
equal
rights
over
the
last
several
years.”
A
candidate
for
Colorado’s
second
congressional
district,
which
includes
Boulder
and
surrounding
areas,
Polis
said
there’s
no
reason
for
donors
to
change
strategies
in
the
aftermath
of
Kern’s
speech.
“I
don’t
think
that
she
was
privy
to
any
information
that
wasn’t
widely
available,”
he
said.
“I
think
that
knowing
what
the
equality
movement
is
up
to
and
figuring
out
a
way
to
perpetuate
bigotry
is
another
—
and
is
more
difficult
because
Americans
want
to
be
more
tolerant.”
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