Date: Wed, 24 Aug 94 13:11:12 EDT
From: RAKNGLTF@aol.com

NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE POLICY INSTITUTE

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:  Peri Jude Radecic: (202) 332-6483, ext. 3302  
  Chris Collins (415) 979-0220; 
  Deborah Johnson-Rolon (408) 688-6113
     
PERI JUDE RADECIC NAMED NGLTF DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY, 
STEPS DOWN AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Washington, D.C., August 24, 1994...The board of directors of the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) today announced that Peri Jude Radecic
will step down as executive director at the end of her one-year contract in
November.  Radecic, who for the past year as head of NGLTF oversaw several
successful grassroots gay rights campaigns, will move over to become NGLTF
Director of Public Policy following the naming of her successor.

 The NGLTF Board will immediately begin a nationwide search for a new
executive director. To ensure a smooth transition during the search, Chris
Collins, NGLTF board co-chair, will come to the D.C. NGLTF office and assist
with fundraising and other organizational duties. In addition, the board will
hire and interim Chief Operating Officer this month to oversee day-to-day mana
gement of the organization. 

 Radecic served as executive director during a period of transition at NGLTF
and the movement.  During her tenure, NGLTF established and built the highly
recognized Fight the Right Project, which has organized and trained scores of
activists in more than 25 cities and 20 states. The project has assisted
activists and campaigns around the country battle proposed anti-gay
initiatives and has seen the number of threatened ballot measures drop from
10 to 2 this year.

 Radecic also oversaw NGLTF's involvement in helping Georgia activists get
the Olympic Volleyball competition pulled from Cobb County; has personally
advocated to the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of Brenda and Wanda
Henson of Camp Sister Spirit in Ovett, Mississippi; and directed NGLTF's
efforts around Apple Computer staying in Williamson County, Texas, following
that community's anti-gay attack on Apple's support of gay rights. 

 Radecic will serve as executive director until a replacement is named. As
Director of Public Policy, she will coordinate the Task Force's advocacy
programs, including lobbying, Fight the Right, anti-violence and lesbian
health work, Workplace and Campus projects, and other work.

  Prior to being named executive director one year ago, Radecic served as
NGLTF Director of Public Policy, Legislative Director and lobbyist for nearly
six years. It was during that time that Radecic championed gay and lesbian
rights during the 100th, 101st and 102nd Congresses, an explosive time of
political progress with the passing of the federal Hate Crime Statistics Act,
Americans with Disabilities Act and other historic legislation.

 "Peri is an accomplished strategist.  Her skills are best used in bringing
various program issues together, developing and harnessing the power of the
grassroots, and translating that power into action on Capitol Hill," said
NGLTF Board co-chairs Chris Collins and Deborah Johnson-Rolon.

 "NGLTF will now shore up its fundraising, strengthen its programs, manage
its operations and redouble its commitment to serve the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender communities," said the co-chairs.

 "I relish the opportunity to deal with overall program coordination that is
needed to make NGLTF work for our colleagues at the grassroots," said
Radecic, 34. "We need information and energy to flow from activists to
Capitol Hill, and we also need to inform our constituents of policy issues in
Washington. That's what I do best."

 Grassroots activists saluted Radecic's advocacy during her tenure as
executive director.  In a recent letter to the NGLTF Board, the leadership of
the Olympics Out of Cobb Coalition said, "Seeing...us...on stage at Stonewall
25 with Peri Jude calling for one million people to descend upon Atlanta in
1996 is one of the most important actions that made us successful.  They
moved the [volleyball] venue out of Cobb County.  Not because they wanted to,
but because Peri Jude...said, 'We will tie the city in an Olympic knot.'  I
want to thank the Task Force for not ignoring us. For asking us, How can we
help?"

--end--