by Rex Wockner
The two top people in the Human Rights Campaign's communications department have left the nation's biggest gay rights group.
Communications Director Brad Luna's job was eliminated in a reorganization. Shortly thereafter, Deputy Communications Director Trevor Thomas announced his departure to take up a similar position with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
The two will be replaced by Fred Sainz, who starts work May 10 as vice president of communications and marketing, and by a new hire who will carry the title of press secretary.
Sainz is currently in a similar job at the Gill Foundation. Prior to that he was press secretary to pro-gay San Diego Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders.
Insiders insist that Luna's and Thomas' departures were unrelated to the recent debacle that resulted when HRC staged a rally against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with comedian Kathy Griffin.
The rally was crashed by DADT activist Lt. Dan Choi, who says Griffin and HRC President Joe Solmonese told him they would accompany him on a march to the White House at the rally's conclusion.
Solmonese and Griffin then did not march with Choi, who made headlines when he and former Capt. Jim Pietrangelo handcuffed themselves to the White House fence and were arrested.
HRC suffered stronger-than-usual criticism for allegedly not keeping its word to Choi, for using a comedian to address a serious issue and for purportedly again being out of touch with rank-and-file activists.
After Choi's civil disobedience action and the media coverage it garnered, the White House and Congress stepped up activity aimed at ending the military's ban on open gays. Choi's action was never mentioned by military officials as the reason for loosening enforcement of the ban, although many have speculated that his and similar pressure on the White House has sped up the process of repeal.
Luna could not be reached for comment as of deadline. Thomas, informed of the gist of this report, e-mailed: "Thank you for reaching out. I think that sounds good. I don't have anything to add."
