 | |
| From the 2009 HRC Dinner |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2011
President
Obama’s Remarks at HRC National Dinner to be Webcast Live
Supporters from
across the country can watch the President speak live at www.HRC.org
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Friday, September 30, 2011
President Obama’s Remarks at HRC National Dinner to be Webcast Live
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Columbus Dispatch: [A German] Village Landmark, Schmidt's
The story is here
Schmidt’s Restaurant, celebrated for its brats and cream puffs, has thrived as a family business for 44 years
By Denise Trowbridge 
Eric Albrecht | DISPATCH
Cream puffs. German beer. Bahama Mamas.
It has to be Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus, the German Village dining spot that is the heart of the Schmidt family business, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
The family business began as a meat-packing company in 1886 but has grown into a restaurant, now 44 years old. The restaurant serves 25,000 people each month, sells more than 14,000 cream puffs at more than 50 festivals every summer, caters hundreds of events each year and sells sausages in stores nationwide.
Schmidt’s has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food and the Food Network’s Best of Ohio.
But Schmidt’s is the restaurant that almost wasn’t.
Eric Albrecht | DISPATCH The founder of Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus, George Schmidt, 90, is surrounded by his children, who operate the German Village business. From left are John Schmidt, Linda Sue “Susie” Schmidt, Sandy Karram, Geoff Schmidt, Georganne Hedrick and Andrew Schmidt
In 1966, the 81-year-old J. Fred Schmidt Meat Packing House went out of business.
George Schmidt, Fred’s grandson, planned to move to Florida to open a travel agency. “I had to feed my family,” he said.
The Ohio State Fair changed his mind. Schmidt’s had been a food vendor at the fair since 1914, a tradition he continued even in uncertain times.
Sales were brisk, so he decided to open a deli in 1967 in the packing house’s old livery stable at the corner of Kossuth Street and Pearl Alley — one of the few pieces of real estate that wasn’t liquidated when the business closed.
He was sure the deli would be profitable.
“At the time, Ohio Bell had their headquarters right around the corner, and even before the doors opened, (workers) were coming by and asking when we were going to open,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt’s was a little more modest then, serving mostly sandwiches. But the menu quickly expanded to include the German home-cooked specialties the restaurant is known for today.
Most of the recipes came from the German women who worked as cooks in the restaurant. Betty Tressult contributed the recipe for Schmidt’s now-famous cream puff.
The entire Schmidt family worked in the restaurant to turn it from a sandwich shop into a landmark. “At a very young age, all of my kids were introduced into the restaurant, whether dishwashing or cashiering,” Schmidt said. “We all worked together. Everyone participated.
“I’m very proud of what Schmidt’s has become, and I’m thankful for my family,” said Schmidt, now 90.
George’s six children — Geoff, John, Andrew, Sandy, Georganne and Linda Sue — are the fourth generation to run the family business.
Andrew, who now runs the catering division with sister Georganne, said he got his start in the family business as a middle-schooler, washing dishes.
“Most summers, we worked at the restaurant,” he said. “I always looked forward to working with my mom and dad on Saturday nights. After we closed, my parents always took us to the Perkins pancake house at midnight. It felt like the middle of the night.”
It was a labor of love with many hands participating.
“Work was really a family-and-friend thing,” said Geoff Schmidt, noting that his football buddies were often hired as cooks and dishwashers. Geoff was the very first busboy, but he worked his way up to sausage maker. Now, he’s the company president.
“The hours were long, but it was very fun.”
The restaurant’s popularity grew.
The Schmidts helped organize the city’s first Oktoberfest in 1967 and have been instrumental in keeping it alive. They opened the Fudge Haus next door in 1971. And on March 6, 1986, Columbus celebrated Bahama Mama Day, as declared by city officials, in honor of the sausage that Schmidt’s is credited with inventing.
But not everything has been rosy.
At one point, Schmidt’s had six locations in central Ohio, in German Village, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, the Ohio Center, Westerville and near Morse Road. The multiple restaurants turned out to be a costly mistake. All but the original closed.
“We just weren’t successful running restaurants outside of German Village,” Geoff Schmidt said.
Then in 1983, the German Village Schmidt’s was engulfed in flames.
The restaurant didn’t open its doors again for nearly five months.
“I remember driving into the village at 2 in the morning and seeing the glow (of the fire) and the smoke from the other side of town,” said John Schmidt, who leads the family business’s festivals division. “That was a scary time.”
There was a silver lining, he said.
The insurance settlement was enough to rebuild the restaurant, and the fire unwittingly led to the creation of the company’s catering division.
After the fire, they set up a tent in the parking lot and served patrons there. And “instead of turning away the banquet business from upstairs, we asked folks if we could bring Schmidt’s to them,” said Andrew Schmidt. “That went so well, we created an entire catering division.”
The hard times seem well behind them. The company has grown to a full catering division, a festival division and the restaurant. In addition, Schmidt’s sausage is sold at food retailers nationwide. They even have their own packing house again, churning out Schmidt’s sausages right here in central Ohio.
They’re also grooming a new generation to take over the business. George’s grandsons, Matt and Kyle Schmidt, are assistant managers at the restaurant.
Schmidt’s success, George Schmidt said, is based on a very simple principle: “Put out the best product you know how, and then keep it steady.”
His kids? They’re just trying to make sure they keep it that way.
“It’s my father’s concept, so we can’t take any credit for that,” Geoff Schmidt said with a laugh. “Our job as brothers and sisters is to not screw up what he started.”
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
HRC Applauds Wal-Mart for Adding Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Protections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2011
Human Rights Campaign Applauds Wal-Mart for Adding Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Protections
Nation’s largest private employer sets standard with protections for transgender workers
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – today praised Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, for adding gender identity and expression to its employment non-discrimination policy. The company’s nondiscrimination policy already included sexual orientation.
“What matters in the workplace is how you do your job, not your gender identity or sexual orientation,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “As the nation’s largest private employer, Wal-Mart shows that doing the right thing is also good for business. We urge them to continue to move forward by ensuring all of their LGBT employees receive equal benefits.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation tracks corporate workplace policies and rates companies on their treatment of LGBT employees through the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The CEI has helped lead a sea-change in the workplaces practices of corporate America by assessing more than 30 specific policies and practices covering nearly every aspect of employment for LGBT workers from non-discrimination protections and the training surrounding those policies to domestic partnership and legal dependent benefits to gender transition guidelines and LGBT employee resource groups. Visit our website at www.hrc.org/resources/entry/corporate-equality-index-2011 for a complete look at the survey. Last year a record 844 American companies and law firms were rated in the CEI.
“Congress needs to follow their lead and make the Employment Non-Discrimination Act the law of the land,” added Solmonese.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
Business First: Insurance against falling home prices debuts in Ohio
Insurance against falling home prices debuts in Ohio
Business First
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 9:58am EDTA San Francisco insurer will roll out coverage against falling housing values in Ohio, the first state where it is selling policies for owners of single-family houses and condos.
Home Value Insurance Co. will use calculations by the Case-Shiller Home Price Index to decide payouts if homeowner policyholders sell their houses below the insured values. The company, founded in 2009 and headed by former investment banker Scott Ryles, will sell its Home Value Protection policies through independent agents.
As Columbus Business First reported last month, the company has set up an office in Columbus and has been meeting with area insurance agents.
Ryles, the privately held company’s CEO and chairman, said Ohio was picked for its high percentage of homeownership and general demographics. The company indicated it intends to introduce its policies in other states.
Details on how the policies work can be found here.
The Ohio Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of single-family homes in the state jumped in August for a second consecutive month, but prices continued to slip. More than 10,000 houses were sold in the state last month, up 22 percent from a year earlier, and the average price sank to $138,304, off 1.6 percent from August 2010. Prices for the first eight months of the year were down more than 3 percent to $134,310, the organization reported.
Vote for Columbus as a Great LGBT Destination
Vote for Columbus as a Great LGBT Destination!
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Make sure to vote for Columbus in the "NEWNOWNEXT DESTINATION" category.
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Make sure to vote for Columbus in the "NEWNOWNEXT DESTINATION" category.
Click Here to Vote
Human Rights Campaign Launches Dynamic New Online Home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2011
Human Rights Campaign Launches Dynamic New Online Home
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, recently re-launched its online presence with a new website, www.hrc.org, offering visitors a more personalized interaction with HRC than ever before. The new experience will allow users to more easily search for HRC content, such as coming out resources, the Buyer’s Guide and state-specific information for LGBT individuals and families.
“HRC’s new online home brings to bear the wide range of work our members support in a powerful new way,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Whether it’s a young person looking for coming out resources, a mom looking to take action so her lesbian daughter can get married, or a transgender person who needs help transitioning at work – this new site is a powerful tool in our work to educate and empower LGBT Americans and our supporters.”
The new website offers visitors easy ways to quickly take action on a wide array of HRC initiatives, from campaigns aimed at ending bullying to exposing anti-gay rhetoric and organizations. Users can now more easily share content with friends and family over social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. As part of the new rollout, geotagging technology will soon ensure users are receiving information on events and actions specific to their local community. And visitors can easily engage in major campaigns or breaking news items – such as the recent implementation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal or one of HRC’s campaigns – from the HRC homepage.
The site redesign included reorganizing and consolidating 20,000 pages of content down to 8,000, establishing a new look and feel, creating templates and design standards for campaign microsites, and integrating a powerful and flexible publishing system - all with the goal of creating and maintaining a consistent online presence for HRC. Additionally, by taking visual cues from the already iconic brand identity and the HRC building in Washington D.C., the homepage gives a concise first impression of what HRC is working towards, both as an organization and a campaign.
HRC last redesigned its website in 2005. As a result, the new site represents the most pertinent and refined content from multiple campaigns and HRC’s key issue areas – including coming out, marriage equality, hate crimes, LGBT families, state and federal advocacy, workplace equality, transgender, straight supporters and youth and campus engagement. HRC’s digital media team managed the redesign process and worked with Blue State Digital, the firm responsible for President Obama’s successful online organizing and fundraising efforts in 2008.
HRC’s online retail store, Shop.HRC.org, also relaunched as part of the redesign. Visit HRC’s new online presence at www.hrc.org.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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NPR: Census Releases Data On Same-Sex Couples
Listen to the story here
The post is here
Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on married same-sex couples. Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in six states and the District of Columbia. Michele Norris talks to Gary Gates, a demographer with the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, about the new numbers
The post is here
September 27, 2011
Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on married same-sex couples. Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in six states and the District of Columbia. Michele Norris talks to Gary Gates, a demographer with the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, about the new numbers
MICHELE NORRIS, host: Today, the Census Bureau released new estimates of the number of married, same-sex couples in the United States. As of now, same-sex marriage is legal in six states and the District of Columbia. And the Census puts the number of married, same-sex couples at just over 130,000.
Gary Gates is a demographer who peer-reviewed these Census numbers. He's with the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy. Welcome to the program, Mr. Williams(ph).
GARY GATES: Thank you very much. It's great to be here.
NORRIS: Now first, as we noted, these are revised numbers. Tell us what that means.
GATES: They are. Well, so the Census has been releasing numbers all summer for their counts of same-sex couples. And what they realized was, these numbers are kind of over-representing same-sex couples because of some errors among other kinds of couples. If a different-sex couple makes an error such that they record the wrong sex for one partner, they look like a same-sex couple. And there are so many different-sex couples that if only a few of them make that error, there's a large group of same-sex couples who might be incorrectly coded as such. And so the Census has created new estimates that they think are more accurate.
NORRIS: And let's just clarify how the Census defines a same-sex couple.
GATES: A same-sex couple is a couple where one person is identified as either the husband, wife or unmarried partner of the other, and they're both adults, and they're both of the same sex.
NORRIS: And as we mentioned, 131,000 of these same-sex couples identify themselves as being in a marriage.
GATES: Well, they identify as husband and wife. Our analyses suggest that quite a few of those are perhaps not necessarily legally married. We think that about 70 percent of them might be legally married, but some of them are in civil unions and domestic partnerships. And some of them just view their relationship as spouses, even though they've not been legally married.
NORRIS: As we mentioned, there are 131,000 married couples in same-sex relationships. How many same-sex couples are not married?
GATES: About 514,000 additional same-sex couples use the term unmarried partner. But what's interesting about that is that we did a survey suggesting that at least 4 percent of those couples are actually legally married, and they used the term unmarried partner because they thought it was a federal survey, and the federal government doesn't recognize their marriage. So they thought the term unmarried partner was more accurate.
NORRIS: And when we look at these figures, what do we learn?
GATES: First of all, we learn that there are same-sex couples virtually everywhere in the United States, and we learn that many of these couples look quite a bit like their different-sex counterparts. Perhaps almost one in five of them are raising children. Many of them live outside of some of the urban areas that people normally associate with the gay and lesbian population. And, you know, that's the kind of information that we can't get anywhere else but on the census.
NORRIS: Is there anything that is at all controversial in these numbers? Are people saying that this is an over-representation or an undercount?
GATES: Well, I think at this point, it's clear that it's an undercount. I think that many same-sex couples still use terms like roommate, explicitly to hide their identity. So - I'm someone who works a lot with data around LGBT people, and those data are almost always controversial to someone.
So someone either thinks they're too high or too low, and that's a common issue because we don't have a lot of data. And so when we do get data, people pay a lot of attention to it.
NORRIS: Gary Gates, it's been good to talk to you. Thank you very much.
GATES: My pleasure.
NORRIS: Gary Gates is with the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy.
Columbus Dispatch: Bill seeks protections for gays
By Alex Stuckey
Bonnie McGinnis considered herself a “good teacher.”
“I loved my job,” McGinnis said. “I got excellent teaching evaluations. ... Students left my class completely prepared.”
But five years into her teaching job, she said, she became subject to a “witch hunt” after being “outed” as a lesbian. As a result, she said, she felt compelled to resign.
“I was harassed and feared for my life,” she said. “My name was smeared and my reputation ruined.”
McGinnis believes this would not have happened had the Equal Housing and Employment Act existed five years ago.
“I would still be in the classroom today,” she said at a Statehouse event to introduce House Bill 335.
The bill would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the categories of people protected from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
It would protect their rights just as race, gender, religion and other categories have been protected for years. The bill includes a religion exemption, does not require the construction of any facilities and only applies to businesses with 15 or more employees.
The Rev. Michael Brown of the Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Church in Bowling Green was on hand yesterday for the bill’s introduction.
“They aren’t asking for special rights, just the same rights as everyone else,” Brown said. “I thought this was settled in the ’60s when poor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died.”
Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said the bill she is co-sponsoring is important because people who know they are safe will do a better job.
In addition, she said, “It’s good for business to say Ohio does not allow discrimination. It’ll make a difference who takes a second look to bring business to Ohio.”
About 17 cities across the state, including Columbus, have enacted equality laws for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ed Mullen, executive director of Equality Ohio, said it’s time for the state to follow suit.
“There are 100,000 people in the LGBT community in Ohio,” Mullen said. “These cities have open doors and thrive confidently. It’s not only good policy, its good politics.”
The Ohio House passed a similar bill last year, but the Senate never acted on it.
A like bill was introduced in September that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Although no one is sure how far this bill will go, Kim Welter, Equality Ohio’s director of programs and outreach, said she is confident it will pass eventually.
“We get further every time,” Welter said. “We’re going to keep educating.”
Rep. Ross McGregor, R-Springfield, remains hopeful that this could be the year.
“I have faith in my legislative colleagues,” McGregor said. “We’d like to see it on the governor’s desk.”
Alex Stuckey is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News Bureau.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Capital Blog: Ohio State Representatives Introduce HB 335 To Prevent Firings Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity VIDEO
Posted on September 27, 2011 State Reps. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) speak at a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse about the Equal Housing/Equal Employment Act, legislation they are reintroducing to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Comparable legislation passed the Ohio House last session, when the chamber was controlled by Democrats. Other speakers includes Ed Mullen, Executive Director of Equality Ohio, and Bonnie McGinness, a former school teacher who said she left the profession after it was made public that she was a lesbian:
And here’s the release:
COLUMBUS – State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) today introduced House Bill 335, legislation that will encourage economic development and job growth by preventing firings based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This bi-partisan legislation extends Ohio Civil Rights Law to employment and housing protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity to the covered characteristics currently identified as unlawful discriminatory practices.
“This bill provides for the simple universal right of all citizens to equal treatment under the law, based on the premise that all are created equal including those Ohio citizens who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered,” said Rep. Antonio.
“Ohio can no longer afford to drive away the talented workforce of tomorrow by not enacting this legislation. A creative and vibrant workforce is what is required to create a 21st century economy in the state of Ohio,” Rep. McGregor said. “By enacting House Bill 335 we are saying that Ohio is a place where everyone can live and work free of discrimination.”
The legislation is nearly identical to legislation passed in the Ohio House last session as House Bill 176. It never received a hearing in the Ohio Senate.
“Following the example set with the repeal of the military policy of Don’t ask Don’t, Tell, it’s time for Ohio to join with the 21 states and over 650 Fortune 500 companies across the country who know that banning LGBT discrimination is good for employees and good for business, ” said Rep. Antonio.
The bill will next be referred to the appropriate Ohio House committee for consideration.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Columbus Dispatch: Barbara Klass Sokol, 1933-2011
Barbara with Senator Sherrod BrownBarbara Klass Sokol, died Friday, September 23, 2011, at Kobacker House after a battle with cancer. Born in Dayton, Ohio on March 18, 1933, she graduated from Stanford University and pursued her graduate degree at USC.
Barbara will be remembered for her high level of energy, humanitarianism, love of the arts and the Democratic Party. She developed deep personal friendships with people around the world. She was active in many local charities. She was an outgoing, caring philanthropist with a genuine interest in people from all walks of life.
She supported a broad range of social concerns from the GLBT community to Catholic Social Services, from health organizations such as the Cancer Society and the AIDS Task Force to cultural organizations such as the Cincinnati Opera and Columbus Symphony. Barbara also cared deeply about good government and spent a great deal of time and effort working to get good people elected at the state and local level.
A Democrat to the core, she invested many hours, days, weeks and months raising money for candidates.
Surviving are her son, John Sokol; daughter-in-law, Elizabeth; son, James Sokol of San Francisco; daughter, Carla Sokol; sister, Marylyn Sigel of Homerville; sister, Joan Klass of San Francisco; brother, Don Klass of Waynesville; and her three grandchildren that she loved very much, Grayson, Parker, and Jonathan Sokol, all of Columbus, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in her memory to the Faith Mission, 315 East Long Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 or Mid-Ohio Food Bank, 1625 West Mound Street, Columbus, OH 43223.
There will be no calling hours or public funeral services. The family will have a private gathering. Arrangements are by SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL. Please visit www.Schoedinger.com to share a favorite memory of Barbara.
Advocate: MSNBC Blast Oklahoma Legislator Who Compares Gays To Terrorists VIDEO
Thomas Roberts Blasts Sally Kern
By Neal BrovermanFollowing Sunday's suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, MSNBC host Thomas Roberts talked with the Human Rights Campaign's Fred Sainz about the damage caused by Sally Kern, the Oklahoma legislator who twice compared gays to terrorists.
"What planet does this woman live on?" Roberts asked in reference to Kern's remarks, especially timed to the momentous step forward of "don't ask, don't tell'"s repeal.
HRC's vice president of communications, Fred Sainz, said that Kern's statements on gays contribute to the low self-esteem and self-hatred of young LGBT people.
"I do believe [remarks like Kern's] are the equivalent of hate speech because they do serve as the basis for discrimination and oftentimes they lead to very real consequences in our society," Sainz said on MSNBC. Watch the video below.
Sainz said HRC is starting an effort called Call It Out, where respected officials are taken to task for antigay comments.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
American Experience: Stonewall Uprising
When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.
Chapter 1
Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 2Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 3Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 4Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 5Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 6Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 7Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 8Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Chapter 9Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Business First: Columbus-area home sales were hot in August
Regional home sales increased 15.4 percent in August compared to August 2010 as the number of homes put in contract surged more than 50 percent.
The Columbus Board of Realtors real estate trade group reported the sale of 1,946 homes through its multiple listing service that covers members’ listings in nine greater Columbus counties and parts of 11 other counties. That compares to 1,686 single-family homes and condos sold in August 2010.
The association had 3,059 new listings hit the market last month among the 15,192 residential properties for sale.
In addition to the home sales, the real estate board reported another 2,478 homes went into contract last month, a 50.5 percent increase over the August 2010 level of 1,646 homes in contract.
The 2011 president of the Realtors group, Rick Benjamin, said August traditionally is a strong sales month.
“Families with children usually choose the summer months to make a move and strive to close before the start of school,” he said in a news release.
The Realtors group reported double-digit increases in average prices in the Bexley, Upper Arlington, Westerville and Grandview Heights schools districts as well as the German Village neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus.
The average sales price throughout the MLS territory rose just 1 percent to $171,027 in August 2011 vs. the $169,301 average price paid in August 2010. The median price – the price marking the distribution midpoint of all sales – was $135,000 for August 2011 vs. $139,950 in August 2010.
Year to date, the statistics show 13,324 residential properties sold in the Columbus MLS territory in 2011, which represents a 6.6 percent decline from the 14,266 sold during the first eight months of 2010.
President Barack Obama to Deliver Keynote Address at the 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 21, 2011
President Barack Obama to Deliver Keynote Address at the 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner
October 1 event in DC comes on heels of end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today announced that President Barack Obama will deliver the keynote address at the organization’s 15th Annual National Dinner on Saturday, October 1, 2011 in Washington, D.C. President Obama previously addressed the event in 2009.
“We are honored to share this night with President Obama who has a tremendous record of accomplishment for LGBT people,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “On the heels of the end to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ we look forward to celebrating our victories and redoubling our efforts for the fights that remain ahead.”
The event, which is expected to draw nearly 3,000 attendees, will be the evening of Saturday, October 1st at the Washington Convention Center.
More information is available at www.hrcnationaldinner.org.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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