HRC Back Story

Dear Friends,

As 2008 draws to a close, America is preparing for the change of our lifetime. Like many LGBT Americans, I have dreamed of and worked for this day to come. In 2009, an ally will occupy the White House. Divisive, anti-gay politics are leaving our executive branch. Our Congress will have more allies than ever. And our next Supreme Court justices will respect our fundamental rights. Through our work, our belief, our unyielding commitment to a better future for ourselves and our families, LGBT people helped to make this happen. All of you who attended Camp Equality training, who volunteered in phone banks, who donated your hard-earned money to a pro-equality candidate, and, most importantly, told your friends and family why our rights matter and how their votes can harm or protect them, to all of you I say thank you. 2008 was OUR year to win.

On the same day that America elected a fair-minded president who is a longstanding ally of civil rights and a professor of constitutional law, voters in California, Arizona, and Florida wrote discrimination into their constitutions. In California, Proposition 8 stripped citizens of the rights that the state's highest court had finally recognized last May. On November 5, as our nation celebrated a historic election, our community's grief turned into anger, and anger turned to action.

LGBT people and allies took to the streets and to the airwaves... we were everywhere. Showing the neighbors who had slighted us who we really are—not just families and friends and coworkers worthy of equal rights, but strong, resilient people who will fight for those rights.

My question to you is, will we?

It's the end of 2008, and the opportunities before us are vast. We can finally pass hate crimes legislation covering our entire community and a fully-inclusive ENDA; we can roll back eight years of bad Bush Administration policy on HIV, workplace protections for federal employees, and benefits for families.

In winning the elections, we did not pass these bills or secure these policies. Rather, we earned a fighting chance to pass them. The election opened a door that had long been locked. But what lies beyond the door is not a room full of treasures; no, what's beyond that door, what we're seeing now, is a steep, spiral staircase. What we won in this election is the chance to climb it. It's more than we've had in my memory, but it's not going to be easy.

And my experience tells me that a "fighting chance" is a good way to describe it, because we're going to have to fight for it.

This is a lesson of Prop 8 and of all of the discriminatory campaigns against us. It's the lesson of eight years of roadblocks to our legislation. The lesson is that when our community is getting ready to win, the other side fights hard. And they fight with lies. When we passed hate crimes in the last Congress, the haters rolled out every lie that they would later use to take away our rights in California. We harm religion. We harm children. We take over the schools. We put preachers in jail. The same lies.

In a way, it's comforting. I mean, if it were palatable to be an out-and-out bigot these days, our opponents could simply take out ads that say "hate the gays? Vote yes on 8!" But we are past that today. Today, people will turn against us if they're given a reason to fear us. And the same few lies serve that purpose every time—whether it's hate crimes or marriage at stake.

Our job is to beat back those same lies. Every time. When hate crimes comes up for a vote in 2009, will those of us who are standing up against the Prop 8 haters come out against those who would kill this bill? We must. We must stand up. We must never forget that even as we focus on the right to marry and the economic and spiritual benefits that it brings, we have a duty to protect our entire community's right to live without fear of being attacked for who we are. And we have a duty to stand up in this fight, and win it, because passing hate crimes legislation ten years after Matthew Shepard's death is a step toward marriage and every other community goal.

And like a spiral staircase, each step upward is a step in full circle: back to facing our enemies, back to the same set of falsehoods that every campaign against us uses, back to the same slanders, the same tired old bigoted players. But I do believe that we are climbing upward, even though we have not yet achieved so many of our goals. More Americans support marriage than ever before, and even in California, Prop 8 succeeded by far less than another anti-marriage initiative just eight years ago. Young people, LGBT or not, overwhelmingly believe in our rights, and are increasingly fighting for them. Employers are treating our families equally; faith communities are embracing us. Although we find ourselves facing the same people again and again, I truly believe that with each year that passes, we do so from higher ground.

But we cannot reach the top if we do not keep the heat on the other side, calling them to task. We cannot reach the top if we do not invest the same energy, time, and even anger into federal laws and policies that we have invested in fighting Proposition 8.

I know that especially after losing California, it is difficult to imagine how working on hate crimes, or an inclusive ENDA, or family benefits, or fair federal workplace policies, is going to move the ball forward for marriage. But it's clear to me that this is our path—upward and around, steadily and surely. It's clear to the right wing, which is why they try to block every measure that would help our community at all.

Martin Luther King once said that faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase. Many of you took that first step in speaking out against Proposition 8, or volunteering for Barack Obama, or coming out. Our equality—in our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities—is that staircase. It is linked together, and one measure follows from the next.

In this holiday season, we too, the LGBT community, are linked together with one future, one path, and one monumental task: to fight hate with truth. That is the next step that we will take together.

Happy holidays, and a happy new year.

Warmly,

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has rolled out today the results of a new survey by Harris Interactive undertaken in the aftermath of Prop 8.  In this look at American attitudes on top LGBT issues, the poll found that the majority of Americans oppose laws that would ban child adoption by gay and lesbian parents:

• Three-quarters of U.S. adults (75%) favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.  Only about two in 10 (22%) say gay and lesbian couples should have no legal recognition. (Gay and lesbian couples are able to marry in two states, and comprehensive civil union or domestic partnership laws exist in only five others and the District of Columbia.)
• U.S. adults are now about evenly divided on whether they support allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry (47% favor to 49% oppose).
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of U.S. adults favor allowing openly gay military personnel to serve in the armed forces. (The current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law bans military service by openly gay personnel.)
• About six in 10 (63%) U.S. adults favor expanding hate crime laws to cover gay and transgender people. (Hate crimes laws cover gay and transgender people in 11 states and the District of Columbia, and an additional – 20 states' laws cover sexual orientation but not gender identity.)
• A slight majority of U.S. adults (51%) favor protecting gay and transgender people under existing laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. (Existing non-discrimination laws cover gay and transgender people in only 12 states and the District of Columbia, and eight other states' laws cover sexual orientation but not gender identity.)
• Nearly seven out of 10 U.S. adults (69%) oppose laws that would ban qualified gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. (In several states, gay and lesbian couples are banned from adopting.)

The Pulse of Equality survey results on adoption are especially encouraging considering that All Children - All Families, a program of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Family Project, launched a recruitment intiative last week to encouarge LGBT families to consider foster parenting and adoption.

The results also show that, as more and more people come out and live their lives openly, Americans are growing in their acceptance of LGBT equality.  This also means they are continuing to reject the efforts of the religious right to divide our country at the expense of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people:

The survey also revealed that there has been greater acceptance of gay and lesbian Americans over the last five years.  Approximately two in 10 Americans (19%) reported that their feelings toward gay and lesbian people have become more favorable over the past five years, with contributing factors including:  knowing someone who is gay or lesbian (79%), the fact that laws have been passed that protect gay and lesbian people (50%), opinions of family or friends (45%) and religious leaders (21%), news coverage of gay and lesbian issues (41%), and seeing gay or lesbian characters on television (34%) and in movies (29%).   Nearly three out of four Americans (73%) personally know or work with a gay or transgender person, and half of those who know or work with someone who is gay or transgender know five or more gay or transgender people.

This letter from HRC's Candace Gingrich responding to her brother Newt calling Prop 8 protestors "gay and secular fascists" is cross-posted on Huffington Post:

Dear Newt,

I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill O’Reilly on FOX News.  I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan, “There you go, again.”

However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked. 

The truth is that you’re living in a world that no longer exists.  I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as - and we embrace what it can be.   You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past. 

Welcome to the 21st century, big bro.  I can understand why you’re so afraid of the energy that has been unleashed after gay and lesbian couples had their rights stripped away from them by a hateful campaign.   I can see why you’re sounding the alarm against the activists who use all the latest tech tools to build these rallies from the ground up in cities across the country. 

This unstoppable progress has at its core a group we at HRC call Generation Equality. They are the most supportive of full LGBT equality than any American generation ever – and when it comes to the politics of division, well, they don’t roll that way.  18-24 year olds voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 and overwhelmingly for Barack Obama.  And the numbers of  young progressive voters will only continue to grow.  According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, about 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Nov. 4, 2008 – the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election. That’s an increase of 3 million more voters compared to 2004.

These are the same people who helped elect Barack Obama and sent a decisive message to your party.  These young people are the future and their energy will continue to drive our country forward.  Even older Americans are turning their backs on the politics of fear and demagoguery that you and your cronies have perfected over the years. 

This is a movement of the people that you most fear.  It’s a movement of progress – and your words on FOX News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes. 

Then again, we’ve seen these tactics before.  We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first.   You give a pass to a religious group – one that looks down upon minorities and women – when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us “fascists” when we fight back.   You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of “traditional” marriage.    And, of course, you’ve also mastered taking the foolish actions of a few people and then indicting an entire population based on those mistakes.    I fail to see how any of these patterns coincide with the values of “historic Christianity” you claim to champion.

Again, nothing new here.  This is just more of the blatant hypocrisy we’re used to hearing.

What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions.   That’s really so ‘90s, Newt.    In this day and age, it’s embarrassing to watch you talk like that.   You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it.

In other words, stop being a hater, big bro.

President-elect Obama's transition team has newly published their vision of support for the civil rights and LGBT community in a straightforward - and timely - plan outlined at Change.gov.

This series of supportive statements on key LGBT issues, including the full repeal of DOMA, is an encouraging sign that our community will indeed have a seat at the new administration's table:

Support for the LGBT Community:

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

The Obama-Biden Plan:

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Barack Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: Barack Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. Obama will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: Barack Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, Barack Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Obama will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. Obama also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. He will continue to speak out on this issue as president.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Barack Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

NOTE FROM CHRIS: My colleague Trevor Thomas reminded me that the above outline is identical to Obama's statement of support for the LGBT community that he posted on his campaign site months ago. In other words, President-elect Obama has been declaring his support for LGBT inclusion since the beginning of his campaign - and he's essentially reiterating his long-held vision for expanding LGBT rights now as he prepares to become the next president of the United States.  That's a great point to note. Thanks, Trev!

GO WANDA!

Comedian Wanda Sykes says the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in California has led to her be more outspoken about being gay.

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked."

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

[Photo credit: Steve Friess at Vegas Happens Here. Steve has also posted audio of Syke's comments at the Las Vegas rally - plus an interview with Wanda - here .]

**UPDATE: Here's the video:

***UPDATE #2: Angela Harvey, an HRC Federal Club member and public speaker, also addressed the crowd at the Las Vegas rally.  She sent us this update on Sunday:

Saturday was a great day!

At a moment's notice, I was asked to speak in front of one of the largest crowds I've ever addressed in my 6 years of professional speaking.  Las Vegas, like many major cities across the United States, had a rally in response to the passing of Prop 8 in California.  The rallies were also geared to rejuvenate our fight for equal rights and marriage equality.  It was wonderful.  Over a thousand people held hands, signs, babies and children and congregated at the LGBT Center of S. Nevada to StandOUT for Equality.

While I hadn't planned to speak, everyone knows that I'm always just minutes away from giving a full blown workshop anyways!   After I spoke, the director of the Center called  Wanda Sykes (yes, THE Wanda Sykes) up to the stage after receiving a tip that she was in the crowd.  When she took the stage, the crowd went wild! I'm sure some gave her such a warm welcome because she was a celebrity, but many cheered because they had no idea she is a lesbian!  She acknowledged that being there and listening to some of the speeches had moved her to make one of the first public acknowledgments about her sexuality.  The crowd cheered and I instantly felt proud.

After Wanda's moment, it was a little surreal as people started putting me in front of TV cameras, shaking my hand, hugging me, congratulating me and telling me how much they enjoyed my speech. The day got even better when Wanda Sykes sent her assistant to find me.  She said I was an inspiration I and that my speech helped Wanda make up her mind that today would be the day she would publicly acknowledge her sexuality and join the fight for equality.  She even wrote her cell number on my hand since neither of us had our business cards!   

Although most people would be excited that a celebrity like Wanda Sykes chose to acknowledge their influence in a life-changing decision, I was simply proud and humbled that I was able to have an impact in someone's life, period. I continue to draw all the encouragement I need by knowing that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in this ongoing fight for equality.

Today, Sue LaVaccare, a member of HRC's Board of Governors, and Carmen Salgado, co-chair of HRC-LA's Diversity subcommittee spoke to hundreds of youth, ages 14 to 23 at Models of Pride in Los Angeles about voting No on Prop 8 and about the work of HRC! 

The youth LOVED the No on 8 pins and stickers and talked about giving them to their parents. They also took hundreds of HRC pamphlets on coming out. 

Some teachers, parents and adult community leaders also stopped by to ask questions, take HRC pamphlets and No on Prop 8 buttons and Stickers.

Here are pictures from the event:

[Left: Jackie Barriga, Kennedy Barriga and Desiree Garcia. Right: Carmen Salgado talking to MOP attendees.]

[Left: Carmen Salgado talking to MOP attendees. Right: Sue and Carmen after a successful day at MOP.]

Actors Sean Penn (pictured, left), James Franco, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and others hit the red carpet on Tuesday at San Francisco's Castro Theatre for the world premiere of Gus Van Sant's  "Milk", the long awaited film on the life of Harvey Milk, America's first openly gay elected official.

The mix of Hollywood and political stars, including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris, Assemblyman Mark Leno, and City Treasurer Jose Cisneros, were greeted by reporters and flashing lights -- and hundreds of marriage equality supporters demonstrating against Prop 8. Our very own Rachel Balick even took part in the rally with Terry McGuire, one of our field organizers (pictured, bottom right).

Marty Rouse, HRC's national field director, sent us a few photos from the streets:

To get the full effect of the No on Prop 8 rally at the premiere, you have to watch this video:

NOTE FROM CHRIS: With exactly one week until election day, we are excited to publish this post from Tyler Oakley, a 19-year-old Michigan State University student and winner of HRC's Come Out and Vote video contest.  HRC staff reviewed the video entries and chose Oakley as the winner.  He will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. and will have the opportunity to be on HRC's XM radio’s show, “The Agenda with Joe Solmonese.”  Be sure to watch Tyler's video in the post below. He packs A LOT in just 1:37!

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Millions of people all around me care. They care about the state of the nation, the direction we're going and the possible outcomes if we continue on that path. They care about what happens to them and they care about what happens to their kids. The only problem is they don't care enough. Having passion for these issues is what makes a person decide whether they vote or not. Understanding the importance of this election fuels their passion to vote.

In the upcoming election, my rights as a citizen could be taken away by people who want to add discrimination into the Constitution. This is hard for the average friend of mine to understand as they sit comfortably in the majority of the country, free of threats to their basic rights. For me and millions of others, it's a constant struggle to gain equality, acceptance and appreciation for our diversity. To reach these goals we need the compassion of the majority. Coming out to vote is a risky leap of faith for anyone -- being honest about what you stand for could put rifts between you and those you love. If you're passionate enough, however, that leap of faith can end up changing the hearts, minds and lives of everyone around you.

The Come Out and Vote campaign put on by HRC encourages us to branch out and take a stand for what we believe in. Here's the video I submitted:

It's not just asking people to vote. It's asking people to educate themselves and to educate others to cast an informed vote come November 4th. It's asking people to see broadly through the eyes of the nation when making a decision that affects everyone around them. It's asking those who have passion for things that will be decided come November 4th to share that passion with those who lack it. If you have enough passion to care, you have enough passion to make others care.

Allan Spear, who served as a Minnesota State Senator for nearly 30 years, eight of them as president of the Senate, has died at age 71. Spear was the first openly gay state legislator and one of the first openly gay elected officials in the nation.

Spear’s 1974 decision to publicly announce that he was gay made headlines nationally. Today, there are approximately 400 openly LGBT state legislators nationwide.

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese has released this statement:

“By living honestly and authentically, Allan Spear knocked down barriers and had an untold influence on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Spear’s courageous decision to come out inspired both LGBT and straight Americans, and today, openly LGBT individuals running and winning elected office across the country can walk on the road that he paved.”

“Allan Spear served his district, state and country with honor and dignity, and he has a rightful place among the pioneers of the LGBT community,” said Solmonese.

Good afternoon,

There’s fantastic news out of Connecticut today: the state Supreme Court has made Connecticut the third state in the nation to recognize marriage equality!

This is a very proud day for Connecticut and a very proud day for every American who believes in the promise of equal rights for all. The Connecticut Supreme Court recognized that gay and lesbian couples who form committed relationships and loving families deserve the same level of respect afforded to straight couples. The court did its job by making clear that the state constitution guarantees the same rights and protections for everyone. This decision strengthens Connecticut families. We congratulate and commend the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Love Makes a Family, which worked closely with GLAD on this case, and, of course, the courageous plaintiff couples and their families who looked to the courts to vindicate their rights. [Special thanks to Jason Kelliher, our Greater New York Steering Committe Co-Chair, for sending us this great picture of the victory rally in Connecticut.]

The victory in Connecticut is thrilling and inspiring. But now we’ve got to redouble our work to defeat Proposition 8 in California. The elections are just 25 days away, and we’re at a critical juncture in the fight to protect marriage equality there.

Marriage Fight in California

The Yes on Prop. 8 operation has kicked its hateful campaign to enshrine discrimination into California’s constitution up a notch, and it’s going to take everything we have to stop them from turning back the clock on progress.

This campaign will be won or lost in the next three and half weeks. The other side is well-funded and well-organized. They’ve got more money than the Vote No on Prop. 8/Equality for All coalition, and they’re using it to run misleading ads that have helped them pull ahead in public opinion polling. The lead we once had has vanished.

Don’t sit by and let it happen. Rise up, take action, and urge your friends and family to do the same. We should all be very afraid of what defeat in California means for our community—and we should use that fear as fuel to stand up and demand equality.

Stop what you’re doing right now and donate to the Human Rights Campaign California Marriage PAC. Times are tough for everyone right now, but, quite simply, we can’t afford to lose this.

And while you’re coming out against Proposition 8, don’t forget that Saturday is National Coming Out Day.

National Coming Out Day

To celebrate, HRC has sponsored a contest in which individuals are invited to create a short video telling the world how they will come out and vote to make a difference in the hearts and minds of their friends, family, classmates, co-workers and country.

The winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. and will have the opportunity to be on my XM radio show, “The Agenda with Joe Solmonese.” The winning video will be featured on HRC’s website, YouTube channel, Facebook and MySpace pages and the HRC Back Story blog at www.HRCBackStory.org. To learn more about the contest, visit www.hrc.org/ComingOutContest.

HRC also released a National Coming Out Day awareness video featuring Perez Hilton and other prominent LGBT individuals. View the video by clicking here.

10th Anniversary of Matthew Shepard's Death

This weekend also marks a somber occasion. On Sunday, October 12th, it will be ten years since the passing of Matthew Shepard. Matthew’s brutal murder brought national attention to the issue of hate crimes against the LGBT community and inspired his mother, Judy Shepard, to become a heroic activist for federal hate crimes legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. A decade later, she’s still fighting.

Earlier this week, the CBS Early Show did a story on the ten year remembrance of Matthew’s tragic death and Judy was interviewed live for the segment. You can view it here. Read an AP story on the same subject here.

HRC's Cathy Nelson: A "CNN Hero"

On a happier note, our own Vice President of Development and Membership, Cathy Nelson, has been designated with the honor of CNN Hero. Cathy was nominated by HRC’s close friend and ally in the fight for LGBT equality, the inimitable Cyndi Lauper. Cathy’s Hero video aired Thursday during Larry King Live and will air again today on CNN Headline News between 8 and 9 pm, between 10 and 11 pm, and on Saturday morning between 1-2 am. You can also watch it online here.

Cathy and Cyndi worked closely to make the True Colors tours so successful, not only in entertaining the many thousands who came to the shows, but by motivating them to participate in the political process. Cathy’s been with HRC since 1989, and I can honestly say that I don’t know what the organization would be without her vision, her passion, and her inspired point of view. Congratulations, Cathy—we love you.

Have a great weekend!

Warmly,