National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               Contact: Peri Jude Radecic
                                    or Robert Bray, (202) 332-6483
                                    Ron.DeVrou@f70.n109.z1.fidonet.org

MARTIN HIRAGA NAMED GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER

Washington, D.C., May 7, 1992...Martin Hiraga last month joined the staff of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute as Grassroots Organizer. 
Hiraga has extensive experience in the gay and lesbian movement and brings with
him skills as a direct action activist, AIDS educator and sign-language
interpreter.  

	Prior to joining the NGLTF staff, Hiraga was HIV Education Coordinator at the
Indochinese Community Center in Washington, D.C., and was employed as a
free-lance sign-language interpreter. He currently serves on the District of
Columbia Mayor's Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs and on the
Ryan White HIV Planning Council for the metro Washington-area.  Before moving to
D.C., Hiraga lived in Rochester, N.Y., where he was staff interpreter at the
Rochester Institute of Technology and faculty advisor to the Bisexual, Gay and
Lesbian Association of R.I.T.  While in Rochester, Hiraga also was a founder of
ACT UP/Rochester and a board member of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley.

	Through his work with the Peace and Justice Education Center in Rochester,
Hiraga has gained skills at building coalitions between the gay and lesbian
community and our non-gay allies.  He also is highly adept at mediating
political differences within the gay and lesbian community.  Hiraga was selected
following an extensive nationwide search.

	As Grassroots Organizer, Hiraga will work at the state and local level to
implement civil rights legislation, repeal sodomy laws, and organize against
anti-gay/lesbian violence.  He will also oversee NGLTF efforts to rescind the
military's ban on gay and lesbian service members.  Hiraga will provide
political strategy development and implementation, technical assistance and
direct organizing support to gay and lesbian activists and non-gay allies around
the country.

	"I am thrilled to be working at NGLTF to support local and state activists,"
Hiraga said.  "They are, after all, the backbone of our movement."

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[Editors' note: photos of Martin Hiraga are available from NGLTF. Please contact
Robin Kane, (202) 332-6483 or Ron.DeVrou@f70.n109.z1.fidonet.org]