From: Hrccomm@aol.com Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 11:02:31 -0500 Subject: Candace Gingrich to Appear Tonight on Friends! _________________________________________________________________ NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: communications@hrcusa.org WWW: http://www.hrcusa.org _________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, January 18, 1996 CANDACE GINGRICH TO HEAD HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN 1996 VOTER MOBILIZATION PROJECT HELP CANDACE WITH HER MISSION! FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO HRC'S WEBSITE http://www.hrcusa.org. Los Angeles -- The Human Rights Campaign announced here today that Candace Gingrich, House Speaker Newt Gingrich's sister, will spearhead the organization's voter mobilization project for the 1996 elections. The announcement was made in conjunction with several West Coast media appearances associated with Gingrich's role in an episode of the hit NBC series "Friends," airing 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. "This election will determine the political direction of the country into the next millennium," said Gingrich, who joined the staff of the Human Rights Campaign last year. "If and only if we organize for the challenges of the 1996 election can we turn the country away from extremism and back toward the core American values of fairness and equality." Last year, Gingrich toured 51 U.S. cities for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project, which encourages people to be open and honest about their sexual orientation. In announcing plans for the 1996 voter mobilization, Human Rights Campaign Communications Director David M. Smith said that Gingrich will tour the country again this year, urging people to register to vote and stressing the importance of organizing to get gay and other fair-minded people to the polls on Election Day. "Only 39 percent of registered voters decided the 1994 elections, which resulted in a Congress that is largely unfriendly to including gay people in basic protection from discrimination," said Smith. "A key element of our 1996 work will be to raise awareness of issues important to lesbian, gay and bisexual people in this campaign, and stress the importance of getting involved with the campaigns of candidates who support treating lesbian and gay people fairly." The voter mobilization project will include Gingrich's speaking tour, a public education advertising campaign featuring well-known lesbian and gay personalities and traditional buttons and bumper stickers, which will debut in April 1996. In addition to the national voter mobilization project, the Human Rights Campaign announced that it will be involved in more than 150 congressional races -- both Democratic and Republican -- in more than 40 states, providing financial as well as technical assistance. HRC will also mount a special campaign in North Carolina, as "retiring Jesse Helms will be a major priority in 1996," according to HRC Political Director Daniel Zingale. "At every opportunity, Helms continues to use his Senate seat to politically attack the lives lesbian and gay people." In conjunction with its Campaign 96 activities, HRC will also sponsor a political convention on Aug. 16, 17, and 18 in Chicago, between the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. HRC's convention will assist and train voters who want to become active in the political campaigns of fair-minded candidates. "So much is at stake this election year," said Elizabeth Birch, HRC's executive director. "We will strategize, mobilize and speak out. We will help mainstream America understand the issues, and we'll work on critical campaigns to make sure fair-minded candidates defeat those who discriminate. We must ensure that America's vote delivers a fair-minded White House and Congress in 1996." The Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country, effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support, and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community. -30-