Hillary
Clinton's campaign announced today the formation
of "LGBT Americans for Hillary"--a
national steering committee made up of more than 65
LGBT leaders (full list included below), all of whom
have personally endorsed Clinton for president.
This committee will work with the campaign on several areas
including political outreach, communications, policy
advice and counsel, and fund-raising. The press
release noted that the move came on the eve of the
38th anniversary of Stonewall, June 28, 1969--you have
to hand it to Clinton and her advisors on this one.
Among others, every major openly gay elected official from
New York State is on the list--including all
four gay members of the state legislature and out New
York City Council speaker Christine Quinn.
"I've seen how Hillary Clinton's
experience, commitment, and leadership have made a
difference for the LGBT community," said Speaker
Quinn, who is expected to run for mayor in 2009.
"From her efforts to defeat the Federal
Marriage Amendment to standing up for our rights in
employment practices, there is no one else in this
race who will fight harder for the LGBT
community."
Clinton met with LGBT leaders last year to strategize
leading up to the Federal Marriage Amendment vote last
summer and met again with about 40 activists and
elected officials in October during her Senate reelection
campaign for a Q&A with members of the press present.
The steering committee also includes people from
Clinton's past, such as former U.S. assistant
attorney general Eldie Acheson, who went to college
with Clinton, and Neel Lattimore, who worked for her when
she was first lady. Other people include
activists such as retired members of the military who
have worked to overturn "don't ask,
don't tell," advocates in the fight against
HIV/AIDS, and the attorney who argued and won the
landmark Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas.
It is likely no accident that the release included a
statement from someone on Obama turf, Chicago-based
Jose Zuniga, president of the International
Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. "Her
commitment to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' and her
steadfast work to improve access to care and treatment
for people living with HIV/AIDS are just two of the
reasons why I support Hillary Clinton for president,"
said Zuniga, who attained the rank of sergeant before
being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1993
after coming out as a gay man.
As president, the statement says, Clinton would work with
the community to make sure that all Americans in
committed relationships have equal economic benefits
and rights (so far, she backs civil unions); work
to end discrimination in adoption laws; put an end to what
she has called "the failed policy" of
"don't ask, don't tell"; and sign into law
expanded federal hate-crimes legislation and the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) if they are approved by
Congress. (Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate)
LGBT Americans for Hillary steering committee members:
* Eldie
Acheson, former U.S. assistant attorney general;
founding director, public policy and government
affairs, National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force
* Roberta
Achtenberg, former assistant secretary, U.S. Dept. of
Housing and Urban Development
* Toni
Atkins, San Diego City Council member
* Dr.
Christopher Barley, activist, philanthropist
* Greg
Berlanti, creator/producer, TV series, Brothers and Sisters
* Elizabeth
Birch, former executive director, Human Rights
Campaign
* Mary
Breslauer, former cochair, Kerry-Edwards 2004 LGBT
steering committee; communications consultant
* Tonio
Burgos, member, Democratic National Committee LGBT
Caucus
* Ilene
Chaiken, creator/producer, Showtime series The L Word
* Rocco
Claps, former LGBT outreach director, Democratic
National Committee; Illinois LGBT activist
* Bruce
Cohen, Oscar-winning film producer
* Roberta
Conroy, member, National Leadership Council, Lambda
Legal
* Joan
Darrah, retired U.S. Navy captain
* Q. Todd
Dickinson, former under secretary of commerce for
intellectual
property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office
* Thomas
Duane, New York State senator
* Ingrid
Duran, board member, Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation
* Steve
Elmendorf, deputy campaign manager, Kerry-Edwards 2004
* Shelley
Freeman, business leader, Los Angeles Police
commissioner
* Ethan Geto,
longtime gay-rights advocate
* John Gile,
executive director, Project Angel Food
* Emily
Giske, member, Democratic National Committee LGBT
Caucus
* Deborah
Glick, New York assembly member
* Steven
Goldstein, chair, Garden State Equality
* Chad
Griffin, CEO, Chad Griffin Consulting Inc.
* Rebecca
Haag, executive director, AIDS Action Council;
executive director, AIDS Action Committee of
Massachusetts
* Yashar
Hedayat, businessman
* Lisa
Henderson, general manager, Olivia Cruises
* Stephen
Herbits, businessman
* Fred
Hochberg, former deputy then acting administrator,
U.S. Small Business Administration; dean of the Milano
School for Management and Urban Policy, the New School
* John Isa,
board of directors and business council member, Human
Rights Campaign
* Gloria
Johnson, board member, National Stonewall Democrats
* Christine
Kehoe, California State senator
* Keith Kerr,
retired colonel, U.S. Army; retired brigadier general,
California National Reserve
* Kasey
Kincaid, attorney, Iowa grassroots activist
* Billie Jean
King, sports legend and social pioneer
* Sheila
James Kuehl, California State senator
* Mark Kvare,
board member, National Stonewall Democrats
* Neel
Lattimore, special advisor for strategic
communications, Children's Defense Fund; former
press secretary for the first lady
* Bruce
Lehman, former U.S. assistant secretary of Commerce
and commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
* Sue Lovell,
Houston City Council member
* Claire
Lucas, chair, Democratic National Committee LGBT
Leadership Council; board member, National Stonewall
Democrats
* Linda Gray
Murphy, board member, National Stonewall Democrats
* Daniel
O'Donnell, New York assembly member
* Dixon
Osburn, LGBT activist on "don't ask, don't tell"
policy
* Annise
Parker, Houston city controller
* Catherine
Pino, board member, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce
* Julian
Potter, former special assistant to the president as
liaison to the gay and lesbian community
* Christine
Quinn, speaker, New York City Council
* Hilary
Rosen, president, OurChart.com; media industry
consultant
* Peter
Rosenstein, D.C.-based LGBT community activist
* Mirian
Saez, member, Democratic National Committee LGBT
Caucus
* Greg
Sargent, attorney, New Hampshire LGBT
activist
* Jayne Baron
Sherman, cochair, In the Life Media; former board
chair, Lambda Legal
* Melissa
Sklarz, director, New York Trans Rights Organization;
vice chair, National Stonewall
Democrats
* Paul M.
Smith, board member, Lambda Legal; attorney who
successfully argued the landmark Supreme Court case
Lawrence v. Texas, establishing the right to
privacy for gay Americans
* Jeff Soref,
former chair of the Democratic National Committee LGBT
Caucus; former cochair, National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force
* Laura
Spanjian, board member, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund;
board member, Equality California
* Campbell
Spencer, former national LGBT outreach director for
the Democratic National Committee and Gore-Lieberman
2000
* Rick
Stafford, chair, Democratic National Committee LGBT
Caucus; cochair, National Stonewall Democrats
*
Jill Stauffer, board of directors, Human Rights
Campaign
* Sally
Susman, business leader
* Rev.
Deborah Tammearu, Episcopal priest, Diocese of New
York
* Matthew
Titone, New York State assembly
member
* Jeffrey
Tooke, board member, National Stonewall Democrats
* Olive F.
Watson, activist and philanthropist
* Paula Redd
Zeman, vice chair, National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force; vice chair, Black Democrats of Westchester
* Bob
Zuckerman, board member, National Stonewall Democrats
* Jose
Zuniga, retired U.S. Army sergeant and former Soldier
of the Year; executive director, International
Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
