What Really Happened When OutServe-SLDN Came Undone
Allyson Robinson's departure from military rights group Outserve-SLDN was messy, shrouded in speculation, and leaves behind questions about the organization's future.
BY Sunnivie Brydum
July 30 2013 6:00 AM ET
http://www.advocate.com/politics/military/2013/07/30/what-really-happened-when-outserve-sldn-came-undone (http://www.advocate.com/politics/military/2013/07/30/what-really-happened-when-outserve-sldn-came-undone)
When the first out transgender executive director of a national LGBT organization was asked to resign after less than a year in her post, some activists were quick to suspect anti-trans bias at work. Other observers immediately ruled bias out, citing a financial crisis within the organization.
Weeks later, there is no evidence of explicit transphobia surrounding Allyson Robinson's June ouster at LGBT military advocacy group OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. What happened is a bit more nuanced, based on interviews and documents made available to The Advocate.
Members and observers acknowledged that OutServe-SLDN faced a serious financial crisis, as external donations dropped precipitously after the 2011 repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Several members clarified that allegations the organization was bankrupt are untrue, but sources inside the group confirm that OutServe-SLDN had struggled to meet its payroll in the weeks leading up to the June 22 meeting and had begun quietly laying off nonessential staff and working to minimize its overhead. The organization's 11 full- and part-time employees on payroll had been reduced to six full-time employees and one part-time worker by June 2012.