Meet Equality Ohio’s New Executive Director, Ed Mullen
by Chris Hayes
Fueled by the passage of Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, nearly 60 individuals from across Ohio and the nation came together on April 22 – 23, 2005 and co-created vision and mission statements that would best serve Ohio’s LGBT community well into the future. That meeting was the impetus that created Equality Ohio, our statewide organization fighting for LGBT rights. Just as the State saw a shift in power politically, so has Equality Ohio managerially. Last month EO announced the hiring of their new Executive Director Ed Mullen, and attorney, activist and state candidate from Illinois.
Many of you got to know Lynn Bowman, the organization’s first Executive Director over her five-year tenure, and probably far fewer of you got to know Bowman’s predecessor Sue Doerfer who commanded the ship last year. We at outlook wanted to make sure you got to know EO’s new ED ASAP and sat down to lunch with Ed to find out more about him, his vision for EO and how we can work with the new powers to be at the Statehouse.
Chris Hayes: Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, past jobs, experience, age, husband, family etc, basic bio stuff.
Ed Mullen: I grew up in Albany, NY, moved to Philadelphia for college (Penn), DC for law school (George Washington) and then lived in San Francisco and Chicago (had been getting warmer with every move before Chicago). I am 43, and the gray hair started coming in way too quickly about a year ago. Currently single and “in between dances” as the song goes, and I have two awesome dogs – Roscoe (boxer) and Dakota (Golden mix). Two fun nephews and an adorable niece still in Albany.
My most recent job was Managing Attorney at Access Living where I litigated civil rights cases on behalf of people with disabilities and engaged in public advocacy and education on disability rights issues. Previously, I was a partner at a large law firm, litigating complex commercial lawsuits (lawyer-speak for representing big companies in big dollar litigation). At the law firm, I chaired the firm-wide pro bono program, and over the years litigated several gay rights cases.
I have been politically active for many years, and I ran for State Representative in Illinois and have worked on the campaigns of many openly gay candidates. In Chicago, I was chair of a political action committee called Northside Democracy for America, which was committed to electing socially progressive, fiscally responsible and ethically committed candidates to office at all levels.
CH: How are you finding Columbus so far?
EM: Columbus is an incredibly welcoming city. Everyone I talk to is very informative and willing to help me acclimate. The folks at Equality Ohio – staff and Board – are clearly very committed to my success and the success of the organization, and that has helped ease the transition. The supporters and coalition partners of Equality Ohio have also been very excited about the opportunities the future holds.
CH: What is your philosophy for leading Equality Ohio? How is it different from philosophies of the past?
EM: Equality Ohio should be an active and visible leader in the struggle for full equality and inclusion for LGBT people throughout Ohio. For Equality Ohio to succeed we must engage our community and allies throughout the state, broaden our outreach to racial and ethnic minorities, youth, seniors and the transgender community, and be aggressive and strategic politically. I am committed to an Equality Ohio that maximizes the LGBT community as a political and social force in Ohio.
CH: Where do you see the organization right now? Where does it need to go?
EM: Equality Ohio is a young organization that has built a strong base of support, from staff and Board to funders to volunteers, and accomplished a lot in its short tenure. We need to build on that base to make Equality Ohio a stronger organization that has the power to lead in challenging times.
Equality Ohio needs to do outreach throughout the LGBT community to make sure that our community knows what we are doing and how they can be engaged. We also need to do outreach among allies to educate them about the challenges and discrimination we face and how they can be part of the solution. And, we need to educate those who are not currently pro-equality and change hearts and minds.
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