Date: Wed, 14 Dec 1994 16:31:05 -0500

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National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:  Gregory Fisher (202) 332-6483 ext. 3309
                                         (800) 757-7736 pager
               Beth Barrett       (202) 332-6483 ext. 3215

2320 17th Street NW   Washington, DC   20009
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RADECIC AND DOMI LEAVE TASK FORCE
TO PURSUE OTHER INTERESTS

Vacated Positions To Be Filled by Mid-January


Washington, D.C. --    -- Peri Jude Radecic, director of public policy and
former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
and Tanya Domi, legislative director, will be leaving the Task Force by the
end of the year.  

Radecic served as executive director from 1993 to November 1994 during a
period of transition at NGLTF and the movement. During her tenure Executive
Director, NGLTF established and built the highly recognized Fight the Right
Project, which has organized and trained scores of activists in more the 25
cities and 20 states.

Other campaigns which bear the distinctive Radecic signature include NGLTF's
work with Georgia activists to remove Olympic Volleyball competition from
Cobb County; her personal advocacy to the U.S. Department of Justice on
behalf of Camp Sister Spirit in Ovett, Mississippi and NGLTF's support for
Apple Computer in Williamson County, Texas, following that community's
anti-gay attack on the corporation's pro-gay policies.

Prior to serving as executive director, Radecic was NGLTF's director of
public policy, legislative director and lobbyist, working for the
organization for nearly six years.  It was during those years that Radecic
championed gay and lesbian rights during the 100th, 101st and 102nd
Congresses, an explosive time of political progress which included the
landmark passing of the federal Hate Crime Statistics Act, Americans with
Disabilities Act and other historic legislation important to the lesbian and
gay civil rights movement.

At the end of her one year contract as executive director, Radecic announced
her intention to resume the director of public policy position.  However,
Radecic will leave the organization to enjoy a well deserved sabbatical after
more than seven years at NGLTF while pursuing admission into law school in
the fall. 

"It has been an honor to serve as a staff member of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force," Radecic said, "I have most enjoyed working with so many
dedicated and talented community leaders across the country."

Explaining her decision to leave the Task Force at this time, Radecic said,
"Now that the board has completed its executive director search process, I
can complete my own personal transition and move on.  I have loved my time
with this organization and have grown tremendously here, but it is time for
me to go."

Executive Director Melinda Paras accepted Radecic's resignation with regret.

"Peri Jude will be missed at the Task Force," she said.  "She has been very
gracious during this transition.  I had hoped to work with her more, and I am
sorry that she's leaving us now.  We wish her all the best."

Extolling Radecic's contributions at the Task Force, Paras added that "Peri
virtually invented gay and lesbian lobbying on Capitol Hill, and the policy
department has matured under her direction.  Peri is well loved throughout
the community, and she will, no doubt, continue to make significant
contributions to the lesbian and gay rights movement."

Tanya Domi joined the Task Force in 1992 as the director of the Military
Freedom Project and spearheaded NGLTF's efforts to repeal the military ban.
 Prior to the Task Force, she served in the U.S. Army and worked in staff
capacities in the Hawaii state legislature and in the U.S. House Armed
Services Committee. Domi was a national spokesperson for the repeal effort
and participated in the "Tour of Duty" bus tour of the United States in 1993.
She has coordinated NGLTF's federal and congressional activities for the last
year as the Legislative Director. 

This fall, Domi took a sabbatical to accept a consulting assignment with the
National Democratic Institute as an observer of the democratic elections in
Nepal. She has subsequently accepted a full-time position with NDI and will
be on assignment in Haiti this winter.

Paras said the vacancies created by the departures of Radecic and Domi will
be filled as part of an overall reengineering of the Task Force and its
staff.  By mid-January, Paras plans to  announce significant hires including
the organization's new deputy director, field director, director of the NGLTF
Policy Institute, lobbyist, communications director and other staff
positions.  

"We have important work to accomplish in the first few months of 1995," she
said.  "The bulk of my energies in the next few weeks will be focused on
filling these positions with  the brightest minds available within our
movement as well as individuals who represent the vast diversity of our
community and our supporters."

-end-