>From: KEVYN JACOBS >Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 18:41:04 CST Closeted Gay Man Donates $400,000 Farm to HRCF Among the Largest to any Gay Organization in History Washington, DC (EGCM) John James Vasey lived in a hotel for transients in Portland, Oregon. He led a quiet life, and before his death in 1992, few who knew him were aware that he was rich, or that he was gay. When Vasey became ill with leukemia in the early 1980's, he decided to write a will. In it, he left an estate worth several hundred thousand dollars, including an Illinois farm which he donated to a national gay organization. As he contemplated his will, Vasey called William Shepherd, an attorney about whom he had read in the local Portland gay press. Shepherd and his wife were the founders of Parents of Gays in Oregon, a support group for families of lesbians and gay men. Shepherd helped Vasey draft his will, in which the donor laid out his plans to fund the fight to end discrimination against lesbians and gay men. As his executor, Vasey chose another prominent activist, Jerry Weller, who served at the time as co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Gay Rights National Lobby. Weller never met Vasey, and always assumed the man was poor. Vasey named Shepherd to be the trustee of the farm in Illinois, with the understanding that it would be turned over to the Gay Rights National Lobby, which could then sell it. By the time of Vasey's death, however, the Gay Rights National Lobby no longer existed. In 1986, faced with financial problems, the Board of GRNL agreed to merge with the Human Rights Campaign Fund. As a result of that merger and Vasey's generosity, the Human Rights Campaign Fund has inherited Vasey's farm, worth more than $400,000. "This is an extraordinary act of generosity," notes Tim McFeeley, executive director of the Campaign Fund. "Mr. Vasey's decision to contribute his farm to the Gay Rights National Lobby was directly related to his high regard for the work of Jerry Weller and GRNL. Jerry's incredible work for lesbian and gay Americans inspired Mr. Vasey to do something himself. His financial support will enable us to continue the fight to end discrimination and secure full equality for lesbian and gay Americans. " Weller was honored by the Human Rights Campaign Fund at an event in Portland, Oregon on Saturday July 16th. In addition to his service on the Board of the Gay Rights National Lobby, Weller also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign Fund when it was founded in 1980. "Jerry Weller has made a tremendous contribution to the gay and lesbian community in Oregon and nationally, and we wanted to let him know how appreciated he is," McFeeley said. When speaking of the Vasey farm, McFeeley also stressed the importance and benefit of long-term continuity in the lesbian and gay community. "We need to build institutions that can meet the challenges of change," he said. "Organizations that have difficulties should look to other groups with similar goals and join together in common cause." He praised the decision made by Vic Basile, executive director of the Campaign Fund in 1986, to merge HRCF with GRNL, rather than allow the lobbying organization to permanently shut down. "Had the Gay Rights National Lobby closed its books and gone out of business, rather than merging with HRCF, this gift would not have come to us," McFeeley said. In its fifteen year history, the Campaign Fund has also merged with the Fairness Fund, a national grassroots program, and with National Coming Out Day, an educational program encouraging lesbians and gay men to be honest about their sexuality with family, friends and coworkers. "This is a perfect example of long-term planning at its best, " McFeeley said. "It is also a great example of the kind of generosity that will enable us to continue the hard work of ending discrimination. If more individuals followed the lead of Mr. Vasey, our community's institutions would be in a much better position to combat the growing influence of the Radical Right," McFeeley said. "Bequests such as this one make a real difference in our work. I think Mr. Vasey did something extraordinary for our community and our cause. " For more information contact: Gregory King; Human Rights Campaign Fund; 1101 14th Street NW #200; Washington, DC 20005; 202-628-4160 Voice; 202-347-5323 Fax. The entire contents of The Electronic Gay Community Magazine are Copyright 1994 by The Land of Awes Computer Information System (telephone 316-269-0913 Voice, 316-269-4208 FAX/BBS) but may be reproduced by any means without permission from the publishers provided that this copyright notice remains with each article.