From Bob Summersgill The following is excerpted from the Washing Blade. Written by Lisa Keen. These are the six largest national gay and lesbian organizations. Human Rights Campaign Fund 1012 14th Street, NW Suite 607 Washington, DC 20005 The Human Rights Campaign Fund is the largest and wealthiest of the national Gay political groups, and it has been for many years. Founded in 1980, it started out as a political action committee (PAC), collecting money to give to candidates for Congress. By the end of the 1987-88 election cycle, it registered tenth among all 4,729 PACs in terms of the largest increases in income. But, in 1989, it "reorganized" itself to operate as a political membership organization with its PAC as a subsidiary. So where the PAC ranked number 12 during the 1987-88 election cycle among similar membership PACs, by the next election cycle it was ranked with the third highest in receipts. But while the PAC's budget seemed to decline, the organization's budget actually grew. And the PAC still did well, ranking 34th largest among the 609 membership PACs during the 1989-90 cycle, with $560,993, and ranking 23rd among 625 membership PACs during the last election cycle, with $858,621. And the dollar figure on the contributions HRCF made to candidates continued to grow from $286,323 in the 1987-88 cycle to $480,621 in 1989-90 to $712,684 in the 1991-92 cycle. HRCF's image is more conservative than that of most Gay organizations, due in part to its reliance on mainstream in-the-system tactics, such as lobbying, and in part to its highly visible donor pool, through black-tie galas often held at ritzy hotels. HRCF gets the largest chunk of its income-about 41 percent-from these gala dinners and benefit events it hosts in about 25 cities around the country, including D.C. It has an estimated 325,000 people on its mailing lists, which accounts for 73 percent of the names on the mailing lists for all six of the top national Gay political organizations. It employs 36 people full-time - seven are fun-time lobbyists, two lobby part-time. Cochairs: Steve Shellebarger from Columbus, Ohio; and Linda Blackmore from San Francisco. Top priorities for 1993: Gays in the military, presidential nominees, women's health and AIDS, and the federal Gay civil rights bill. Projects/departments: Its operation is divided into five departments: the Political Department (for PAC contributions), Public Policy Dept. (for lobbying and grass-roots organizing), Membership Dept. (for running its Speak Out campaign of getting Gays to pay in advance for telegram messages to be sent to their members of Congress), Development Dept. (for organizing its dinners and fund-raising events), and its Communications Dept. (for press communication and preparing its cable television program Momentum). Most common request: "Political updates on current legislative issues and general information on HRCF." Most common complaint: "Why isn't HRCF involved in local issues?" Next board meeting: Sept. 17-19 in Dallas. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force 1734 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 332-6483 The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is neither the largest nor the oldest of the big six, but it is hands-down the best known. That's due in part to its up-front Gay name, in part due to its longevity (it is the second oldest of the national groups), and in part due to its history of being led by a string of high-profile leaders. Politically, its image has always been left-leaning, with appeal to people who have more time and energy to give than they do money. Founded in November 1973, NGLTF celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It has been at the center of national Gay political action longer than any other group - in 1974, it helped lobby the American Psychiatric Association to declassify homosexuality as a disease; in 1977, it helped organize the first official meeting between Gays and the White House; in 1978, it convinced immigration officials to stop certifying Gay foreigners as psychopathic personalities; and, in 1985, it brought a case before the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Oklahoma from barring teachers from talking about homosexuality. Its annual Creating Change conference has become a big draw among grass-roots activists around the country. NGLTF gets the bulk of its income (52 percent) from dues, contributions, and direct mail responses from members. It has a staff of 24 full-time equivalent positions, and a mailing list with about 65,000 names. Task Force Executive Torie Osborn announced Sept. 2 that she will leave the organization after only six months in office. The board, meeting in Detroit this weekend, is expected to launch a search for her replacement immediately. [Peri Jude Radacic was selected.] Cochairs: Elizabeth Birch of Santa Cruz and Curtis Shepard of Los Angeles. Top priorities for 1993: Fighting right-wing organizations, the March on Washington, Gays in the military, and Lesbian health organizing. Projects/departments: Ten projects: Anti-Violence Project, Privacy Project (sodomy laws), Civil Rights Project, Military Freedom Initiative, Campus Project, Workplace Project, Health Project, Fight-the-Right Program, Media Program, Creating Change Conference (in North Carolina this year, Dallas next year). Most common request: "Organizing assistance, publications, legislative information." Most common complaint: "Why can't NGLTF do ______. [The blank is] any ... issue that is of importance to that activist at the moment." Next board meeting: September 10-12 in Detroit. Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund 666 Broadway Suite 1200 New York, NY 10012-2317 (212) 995-8585 Lambda considers its formal founding date to be in May of 1973 but, as the oldest of the national Gay political organizations, it really was already active in 1972, according to a recent history retrospective by former legal director Paula Ettelbrick. It was during that year, said Ettelbrick, that a New York court denied the group's application for nonprofit incorporation to fight court cases for Gays because, according to the court, Lambda's goals were "neither benevolent nor charitable, nor ... is there a demonstrated need for this organization." In fact, Lambda's mission of Gay and AIDS-related litigation has made it one of the busiest of the national Gay groups. From its very first case winning its own incorporation papers - through today's work on such high profile controversies as Gays in the military and the anti-Gay initiative in Colorado, Lambda has marshaled the legal know how for the movement. In the past year, Lambda opened up its second regional office. The first opened in Los Angeles in 1990; the second opened in Chicago in June. Lambda's largest source of income is individual contributions (34 percent). It employs 23 full-time equivalents, which includes eight attorneys, and has 21,000 people on its mailing list. Penny Perkins, Lambda's press spokesperson, said the group is currently involved in 49 cases; in 1991, it was estimated to be between 35 and 50. Cochairs: Harry Harlkin Jr. of Atlanta and Elizabeth McNarnara of New York City. Top priorities for 1993: "Referendum challenges, military policy, access to health care, marriage/domestic partnership/family law, employment/public accommodations." Projects/departments: AIDS Project, Family Law Project Most common request: "Legal assistance" Most common complaint: "People who believe they have a good case and want to know why we don't represent them." Next board meeting: Oct. 2-3 in Chicago. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays 1012 14th Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 638-4200 In past years, the Blade survey has not included Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays because it's not a typical Gay political organization - its members aren't Gay. But, as the organization has grown and taken a more and more visible role in lobbying for Gay-related bills, against anti-Gay initiatives, and providing a unique voice for equal treatment of Gays - that distinction has begun to ring hollow. It marches in the marches, protests in the protests, and harangues high officials to do the right thing. "Our mission is Gay," says P-FLAG Executive Director Sandra Gillis, who took office just three months ago. And its budget is the fourth largest of the national Gay political organizations. And, in fact, Gillis is Gay and a parent herself with a Gay son and Lesbian daughter. Through more than 300 chapters across the country, P-FLAG also provides basic services to an ever-broadening concept of "the Gay community." It holds workshops for Gays wanting to know how to come out to their parents; it sponsors support groups for parents who are wrestling with the news that their child is Gay. It publishes a quarterly newspaper, a bimonthly newsletter, and free copies of a reading list for parents who need a resource. And it does all this with the smallest staff of the big six: only four fun-time employees. It is one of only three among the big six that spends any staff time lobbying. Cochairs: None. President: Mitzi Henderson of California Top priorities for 1993: Federal Gay civil rights bill and "confronting anti-Gay state and municipal initiatives." Projects/departments: "Peer support networks [for] families, youth, straight spouses, etc.; HIV and AIDS peer support network; publications; speakers bureau." Most common request: "Information on coming out for parents" Most common complaint: "Not enough information/chapters." Next board meeting: Tentatively Nov. 13-14 in D.C. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street, NW 7th floor Washington, DC 20005 (202) 842-8679 The Victory Fund is one of the new kids on the block; it was founded in May 1991 to raise money for openly Gay candidates for public office and help train them to run strong campaigns. In that short time, it has raised an annual budget of $611,215 the fourth largest of the national Gay political groups, mostly through individual contributions. The Victory Fund does not take on the cause of any Gay candidate. Its criteria requires that the candidate be openly Gay, that he or she endorses the federal Gay civil rights bill, that he or she has " aggressive positions on AIDS funding and anti-discrimination issues," is pro-choice, and is "viable." Its first candidate was a success: Sherry Harris beat an incumbent for a Seattle Council seat, and became the first openly Lesbian African American to win public office. The latest report from the Federal Elections Commission lists the Victory Fund as the 43rd largest money raiser among die 1,377 similar "non-connected PACS" (independent PACs, not affiliated with larger organizations). The Victory Fund's staff is still relatively small -- five full-time and one part-time -- as is its mailing list: 4,500 people. Cochairs: Joy Tomchin of New York City and R. Scott Hitt of Los Angeles. Top priorities for 1993: "Increase the number of qualified lesbian and gay elected and appointed officials at all levels of government," and "Build a national network of donors and members to accomplish the above goal." Projects/departments: "Recruitment/training of qualified openly lesbian and gay candidates. As well as the recruitment of qualified campaign managers, willing to work with gay and lesbian candidates through the Victory Fund Training Institute." Most common request: "There are two common requests ... the first comes from individuals who are not members and want information about our organization. The second request comes from our members asking for additional information on the candidates, and in some cases how they can contact the campaign and offer their services to the campaign as a volunteer or host for a reception." Most common complaint: "That we don't have frequent enough mailings to keep members informed. Next board meeting: Nov. 6-7 in Miami. National Center for Lesbian Rights 1663 Mission Street Suite 550 San Francisco, Calif. 94103 (415) 621-0674 The National Center for Lesbian Rights is the most specialized of the big six: Litigation for Lesbians. Although smaller than Lambda - six attorneys and 25 to 30 cases - it has carved its niche by focusing on family issues, such as custody and domestic partnerships And, this particular arena has become increasingly contentious on the national movement's battlefield and increasingly important to individual Gays. This year alone, the center has fielded 411 requests for help, most of them in the family law area. Paula Ettelbrick, formerly of Lambda and now head of the Center's new Policy Project Office in New York, says the Center is "providing real support and analysis for some of the issues coming down the road" in this area, particularly those involving Lesbians who bear children using alternative insemination and a Gay male sperm donor. "We're taking the lead in trying to walk through how the community responds" to conflicts in these arrangements, said Ettelbrick. The Policy Project in New York, noted Ettelbrick, is also enabling the Center to expand dramatically. By locating in New York, it gives the San Francisco-based organization a broader geographic reach, she said. And it is taking a step "beyond just litigation and direct legal work into doing national policy work and lesbian health care." Cochairs: Diane Sabin and Cynthia Goldstein, both of San Francisco. Top priorities for 1993: Improving outreach and broadening our national case docket. Projects/departments: Lesbian of Color Project, Employment Law Project, Youth Law Project, and Legal Dept. Most common request: Advice and legal representation Most common complaint: People want more outreach and community education. Next board meeting: Nov. 17 in San Francisco. - Bob Summersgill | Xq28 -- Thanks Mom! XE605C @ GWUVM.GWU.EDU |