Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 16:14:37 -0400 From: Kevin Ivers Subject: MEDIA ADVISORY: Honor Reception at GOP Convention in Philadelphia Joint Media Advisory From the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Log Cabin Republicans: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, July 20, 2000 Contact: Kevin Ivers, Log Cabin Republicans Press RSVP: (202) 347-5306, ext. 12 Sloan C. Wiesen, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Press RSVP: (202) 842-8679, ext. 310 Pager: (800) 759-8888, PIN 1169902 E-mail: swiesen@victoryfund.org GAY GOP ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DELEGATES TO BE HONORED DURING REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe -- the Only Openly Gay Republican in Congress -- To Be Featured Speaker at 'Making History' Reception What: For the first time during a Republican National Convention, a reception will be held to honor openly gay GOP elected officials, convention delegates and alternates. Co-sponsored by the Log Cabin Republicans (the nation's largest gay Republican group) and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund (a nonpartisan group that helps elect qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates), the "Making History" reception will feature America's only openly gay GOP member of Congress * U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona. Who: Featured Speakers: Hon. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., Member, United States House of Representatives Brian K. Bond, Executive Director, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Richard L. Tafel, Executive Director, Log Cabin Republicans Honorees: State Rep. Steve May, R-Ariz. Mayor Dan Stewart, R-Plattsburgh, N.Y. Council Member David Catania, R-D.C. Council Member Bill Schmidt, R-Peekskill, N.Y. Gay GOP Convention Delegates and Alternates Where: The Sofitel Philadelphia Hotel -- Marseilles Room 120 South 17th Street, Philadelphia When: Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000 -- 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT Background: The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is the only national organization whose sole mission is to increase the number of outstanding openly gay and lesbian public officials. Because open representation overcomes discrimination, the Victory Fund has helped to more than triple the number of exemplary openly gay and lesbian elected officials in the United States since the organization's founding in 1991. Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay Republican organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a federal political action committee and a national office headquartered in Washington. Through its "Strategy 2000" campaign, LCR more than quadrupled the number of openly gay delegates and alternates to this year's Republican National Convention compared with participation levels in 1996. - 30 - -- Log Cabin Republicans Kevin Ivers (202) 347-5306 phone Director of Public Affairs (202) 347-5224 fax http://www.lcr.org