Subject: Largest National Gay/Lesbian Group Seeks Young Activists
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 1996 17:59:24 -0500

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NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 29, 1996

          LARGEST NATIONAL GAY/LESBIAN GROUP SEEKS YOUNG
                                                         ACTIVISTS

            HRC Launches First Youth College for Campaign Training

                                        FOR MORE INFORMATION 
                        GO TO OUR WEBSITE http://www.hrcusa.org

Washington -- The Human Rights Campaign is launching a Youth College for
Campaign Training, a skills-building program that will equip 26 young equal
rights activists to work in political campaigns this fall.
     HRC is seeking applications from people age 18-24 to participate in the
Youth College this August through November, said Gary Schiff, the Youth
College coordinator. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual young people who
have demonstrated their commitment to ending discrimination based on sexual
orientation are strongly encouraged to apply.  
     "The Youth College will train 26 young people to provide a boost to
campaigns across the country and work for the defeat of anti-gay initiatives
and the election of a fair-minded Congress,"  Schiff said. "After the
elections, these young leaders will continue to provide vision and energy in
the fight for lesbian, gay and bisexual equal rights for years to come."
     The Youth College will begin in Chicago with six days of intensive
workshops, teaching the essentials of winning campaigns. From Aug. 13-18,
participants will learn about campaign management, fund-raising, media use
and get-out-the-vote skills. The week ends with Youth College members
participating in OutVote  96, HRC's first national political convention,
which is expected to draw 1,000 activists to Chicago one week before the
Democratic National Convention. 
     Youth College graduates will then be placed in teams of two in a dozen
target states where they will work for three months as campaign staff
members. As full-time campaign workers, Youth College participants will
receive a weekly stipend of $150 for 13 weeks. If they are placed in
campaigns away from home, HRC will provide them with housing. 
     After the elections, HRC will fly all Youth College participants to
Washington for a retreat, including discussion of how to continue using their
new campaign experiences and skills.
     The application deadline is April 30. Application forms may be obtained
by contacting the Human Rights Campaign, 1101 14th St., N.W., Suite 200,
Washington, DC 20005, or by e-mail to [email-masked]. For more
information, contact Gary Schiff at 1-800-866-6263 or 202-628-4160 ext. 8501.
     The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay
political organization, with members throughout the country. It 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.

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