NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE POLICY INSTITUTE 1734 14th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20009 (202) 332-6483/FAX (202) 332-0207 TTY (202) 332-6219/lob_ngltf@aol.com 600 ATTEND WORKPLACE ORGANIZING CONFERENCE High Ranking Gay Clinton Administration Official Calls for Activism to Focus on American Business Palo Alto, California - - (October 19, 1993) -- More than 600 human resource executives, gay, lesbian and bisexual employee group organizers, and activists attended the Third Annual Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Workplace Issues Organizing Conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Policy Institute, this past weekend at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Conferees attended workshops and plenary sessions designed to foster organizing in the workplace for non-discrimination policies and domestic partnership programs in American businesses. "While we must continue working diligently for a gay and lesbian Federal civil rights bill," said Peri Jude Radecic, who becomes executive director of the Task Force on November 1. "It is imperative that we maintain a parallel strategy of affecting change in the workplace by organizing for non-discrimination policies and domestic partnership benefits -- if necessary -- one corporation at a time." A highlight of the three-day conference was the keynote address given by David Cruise, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cruise, spoke for the first time publicly as an "identified" gay man. "I want to recommend that we focus our demands for change, our crusade for understanding, our petitions for redress on American business," said Cruise, whose remarks were greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. On Friday at a press conference at the Apple Computer Research and Development Center, NGLTF released the results of a survey of Fortune 1000 companies to establish a baseline reading of the quality of work life for gay men and lesbians in corporate America. While many companies include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies, the results revealed that Fortune 1000 companies have a long way to go in ensuring that gay, lesbian and bisexual employees are treated equally in the workplace. The pioneering work of companies not in the Fortune 1000 list, such as Lotus Development Corporation and Borland International, was applauded (Both have domestic partnership programs). "The results of this survey are in effect a corporate report card and, while there are a few companies with high marks, the majority of the Fortune 1000 are flunking," said Chris Collins, NGLTF Board Co-chair. "NGLTF intends to conduct this survey annually to monitor the progress of American companies toward creating safe, hospitable, and non-discriminatory work environments for gay and lesbian employees," said Radecic. After the press conference at Apple's R&D Center, Silicon Valley celebrated the 20th Anniversary of NGLTF at a fundraising dinner that featured pop singer Oleta Adams, and special awards presented to Apple Computer, Lotus Development Corporation, Digital Queers, and the Conference organizing committee who has produced the Conference for the past three years. NGLTF is the grassroots organizing arm of the gay and lesbian movement, and is currently re-focusing its energies on state and local organizing while providing the linkage to a national vision of gay, lesbian, and bisexual equality. [Editors: To receive a copy of the survey, who attended the conference, or a transcript of David Cruise's speech, contact Robin Kane at (202) 332-6483 ext. 3311] - end.