Victory in the News

Supporting Bonnie Dumanis

Bonnie Dumanis is the first openly gay District Attorney in the U.S. Her courageous candidacy and successful election shattered a glass ceiling. It made history and inspired the LGBT community nationwide.

During her campaigns, Bonnie was endorsed by the Victory Fund – four times. Their endorsement is significant because the Victory Fund carefully screens LGBT candidates and only supports those whom they deem worthy.

For Gay Aspiring Politicians, a Workshop on Campaign Strategies

Modeled on Emily’s List, the political action committee that works to elect Democratic women, the fund, with a budget of more than $5 million culled largely from gay donors, is a powerful force behind this trend, raising money, providing strategic advice and endorsing candidates like Ms. Baldwin, one of its rising stars.

In 1991, the year the fund was founded, it endorsed two candidates. Last year, it endorsed 164. The fund also helps closeted officials come out, and, through its Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, runs boot camps like the one in Pittsburgh several times a year.

The idea, said Chuck Wolfe, the fund’s president and chief executive, is to build a “back bench” of politicians who can win at the local level and work their way up. Across the country, only five statewide officeholders are openly gay. Mr. Wolfe says he believes voters would accept a gay candidate for president, though he expects it will take 20 more years to produce a credible candidate.

Fund holds boot camp here for gay politicians

As a gay man running for City Council in Houston, which already has a lesbian mayor, Josh Verde figured that he would have no trouble talking to voters about his sexuality. Then he came to Pittsburgh, to a boot camp for openly gay candidates, and promptly flubbed his lines.

"I have a boyfriend," Mr. Verde announced during a mock interview with a campaign consultant posing as a reporter. Instantly, he regretted the words. "It sounded like high school," he said later, amending his language to say, "I'm in a relationship."

Mr. Verde, 31, a law student and aviation consultant, was one of roughly three dozen openly gay aspiring politicians who spent last weekend in a Pittsburgh hotel conference room for a crash course in campaign strategy. Run by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to elect gay men and lesbians from both parties to public office, the three-day session offered stark evidence of how far gay politicians have come, and how quickly.

Victory Fund To Honor GOP Senator At Fundraiser

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has selected a Republican U.S. senator to honor with an award for her work last year in building GOP support for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.The Victory Fund will award Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) with the 2011 Gay & Lesbian Leadership Award at the event, which will take place Oct. 5 in D.C.

Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, confirmed Collins would be present at the event, the 11th annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards.
Dison said his organization wanted to honor Collins primarily because of her role in passing legislation allowing for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.

“It’s primarily because of her leadership — especially leadership on the Republican side of the aisle — on repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” Dison said.

Kim Coco Iwamoto and Kathy Padilla are among the 14 Bohnett Fellows

The 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows were recently announced by the David Bohnett Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute.

The GLLI and the Bohnett Foundation get together to send openly TBLG people who are accomplished, mid-career professionals who are leaders in government and non-profit organizations to Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. 

Kim Coco Iwamoto and Kathy Padilla are among the 14 Bohnett Fellows who will receive scholarships for the program that counts among its graduates Houston mayor Annise Parker, Campbell, CA Councilman Evan Low and Arizona State Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Gay Georgia lawmakers invited to prestigious leadership course

The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, a nonpartisan professional development organization for LGBT leaders, announced yesterday its 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, which included out Georgia lawmakers Alex Wan and Karla Drenner.

The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute will send the fellows to Harvard's Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, a two-month leadership course held in June and July, aimed at helping seasoned professionals connect with constituents.

Michigan State University senior Mitchell Rivard earns D.C. internship with Nancy Pelosi

Mitchell Rivard isn’t sure yet if he wants run for political office one day, but the Michigan State University senior knows who he does want running.“I’m interested in making sure we have the right leaders elected to office,” said Rivard, 21, of Frankenlust Township. “I have a deep-seated passion for getting women elected to office.

Rivard’s eight-week internship is part of the Victory Congressional Internship program, a new program from the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute that provides outstanding, young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered leaders with a summer experience on Capitol Hill.

Good Sandra Bernhard vibrations

Out There just scored a phone interview with the great comedienne/actress/singer Sandra Bernhard , who's coming to San Francisco later this month for some shows and appearances. She called us at our offices from her home in New York City at the appointed time, completely punctual.

Bernhard's new album was released this week. Her Marines' Memorial performances are on Fri.-Sat., June 24 & 25. She'll also be appearing on SF Pride's mainstage performing a 15-20-minute musical set. On Thurs., June 23, the VIP Kick-off Party to Celebrate Pride 2011 will transpire at the elegant Bentley Reserve in SF, 6-9:30 p.m., with hostess Bernhard performing. That soiree will be presented by PG&E and host Mark Rhoades, and it's benefiting the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.

Alex Wan, Karla Drenner chosen for Harvard leadership program

Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan and Georgia State Rep. Karla Drenner are among just 14 LGBT leaders in the country to receive scholarships to attend the Senior Executives in State & Local Government professional development program at Harvard.

The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute announced on Wednesday the 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, and Wan and Drenner made the cut.

Drenner was Georgia’s first openly gay legislator, followed years later by Rep. Simone Bell and just last week, Rep. Rashad Taylor.

Georgia State Rep. Rashad Taylor comes out as gay

State Rep. Rashad Taylor, the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly, came out as gay last month during a hastily called press conference.

First elected in 2008, Taylor becomes the third openly gay member of the state House, joining state Reps. Karla Drenner and Simone Bell. He also becomes just the sixth openly gay African-American state legislator in the U.S., according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Taylor came out during an emotional event at the Rush Center at the end of May.

Harvey Milk Has An Important Place In History, But He’s Not The First.

Harvey Milk is often lauded as the first openly gay elected official in America – and he’s certainly an important and historical figure – but the claim that he was the first is false.  In fact, Harvey was the fifth openly gay elected official in the U.S.  Ann Arbor’s Kathy Kozachenko was actually the first, just 3 years before Harvey.

The Victory Fund’s Gay Politics Blog has more on the four openly gay elected officials that preceded the famous Mr. Milk.

Tammy Baldwin eyes Senate run

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s office is, thus far, silent on whether the openly gay legislator might make a bid for the U.S. Senate. But buzz about that possibility is hot, particularly within the LGBT community because, if successful, Baldwin would become the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate.

“This would obviously be a top priority for us,” said Victory Fund president Chuck Wolfe, according to the website. “This would be a remarkable milestone for LGBT Americans. Congresswoman Baldwin is one of the most admired public officials I know. She would have the strong support of those who want to see our economy work for all Americans, and who believe that all voices deserve a place at the table.”

The Victory Fund even launched a petition where people can “tell Tammy Baldwin we need her voice in the Senate.” Sign it by going here.

Our First Openly Gay U.S. Senator?

Openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is reportedly mulling a run to replace the retiring Sen. Herb Kohl, who leaves office in 2012. If successful, Baldwin would become the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history. The Victory Fund is already promising Baldwin their full support.

Victory Fund: Sources Say Tammy Baldwin "Very Likely" To Run For Kohl's Senate Seat

The news of the retirement of Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) has set off a flurry of speculation about the House's only out lesbian, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and whether she would run fr the seat. Although other possible names include former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), the Victory Fund's Denis Dison told Metro Weekly that sources close to Baldwin have said she is likely to run.

The Victory Fund then posted the following:

Sources close to Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., have told the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund she is very likely to run for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Sen. Herb Kohl, who has decided not to run for reelection in 2012. If Baldwin runs and wins, she would become the nation’s first openly LGBT member of the U.S. senate.

Tammy Baldwin Will 'Very Likely' Run for Senate; Would Be First Openly Gay Senator

Sources close to Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., have told the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund she is very likely to run for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Sen. Herb Kohl, who has decided not to run for reelection in 2012.  If Baldwin runs and wins, she would become the nation’s first openly LGBT member of the U.S. senate.

“This would obviously be a top priority for us.  Tammy Baldwin has been an outstanding congresswoman, and she’d be an outstanding senator,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Baldwin repeatedly.  In 1998, when Baldwin became the first openly LGBT candidate to win election to the U.S. Congress as a freshman, the Victory Fund raised nearly a quarter million dollars for her campaign.

Baldwin For Senate?

The opportunity for Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to become a U.S. senator in the wake of an announcement that a Senate seat will be open in 2012 to represent Wisconsin has LGBT advocates pushing her to pursue higher office.

In a statement, Chuck Wolfe, president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Baldwin’s run for U.S. Senate would be a “top priority” for his organization.“ This would be a remarkable milestone for LGBT Americans,” Wolfe said. “Congresswoman Baldwin is one of the most admired public officials I know. She would have the strong support of those who want to see our economy work for all Americans, and who believe that all voices deserve a place at the table.”

Gay California Mayor Seeks U.S. House Seat

A gay Republican from California could become the first person in a same-sex marriage elected to Congress if he wins a U.S. House seat in an upcoming special election.

Mike Gin, who’s served as mayor of Redondo Beach, Calif., since 2005, said economic and education issues would be his priorities if elected to Congress, but he would welcome any benefit that his visibility as a gay member of Congress in a same-sex marriage would impart to LGBT youth.

Gin said he’s pursuing an endorsement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, said he couldn’t comment on candidates that his organization has yet to endorse. The Victory Fund has endorsed Gin in his previous runs for political office as mayor of Redondo Beach.

Denver Lesbian Wins City Council Race

Out politician Robin Kniech will become the first openly LGBT member of Denver’s city council.

“I ran to work for all Denver families,” Kniech said Tuesday, “but I know this is a meaningful day for our LGBT community. We were happy to earn so many important endorsements, but I’m especially grateful to the Victory Fund for everything they did for our campaign.”

Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe hailed Kniech’s election as an “important milestone for the city.

Indiana's First Openly Gay Politician?

Congratulations to Indianapolis activist Zach Adamson on winning yesterday's primary race to be one of four official Democrat candidates for the Indianapolis City-County Council. Zach has been an incredible force in Indianapolis democratic politics. He's put in countless hours working on other campaigns, supporting many different progressive causes, and working to better the eastside of Indianapolis.

Zach is a member of the Stonewall Democrats and has been endorsed by the Victory Fund.

Ortega, Kniech leaders in Council at-large race

Former councilwoman Debbie Ortega, who represented District 9 for 16 years before stepping aside because of term limits, returned to the council Tuesday night by winning one of two at-large City Council seats.

Newcomer Robin Kniech appeared to edge out former Denver fire chief Rich Gonzales and Josh Davies for the second seat.

Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Washington-based Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which endorsed Kniech, said there hasn't been an openly gay or lesbian Denver City Council member, according to the group's research.

Log Cabin Republicans share the Hilton Anatole with the right-wing Heritage Foundation

Kittleman followed the first openly gay man to run for lieutenant governor, Richard Tisei of Massachusetts, who was introduced by Chuck Wolfe of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Tisei, a former state senator who lost his bid for lieutenant governor in November, noted that three of the four Massachusetts Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage were appointed by Republican governors.

Experts: Judge's sexual orientation is non-issue

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political action committee and recruitment organization for gay politicians, said there are now 102 openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender judges in the U.S.

Gabrielle Giffords' intern savior Daniel Hernandez takes a Houston Victory lap

It was the Victory Fund, an organization that works to elect LGBT leaders to public office, that helped propel Mayor Annise Parker to her current post as head of Houston. Now celebrating its 20th year, the organization held a celebratory champagne brunch in the hallowed halls of The Corinthian downtown on Sunday.

Serving as event honoree was Daniel Hernandez, Jr., the lauded intern to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who ran to the congreswoman's side after she fell from a gunshot to the head during the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson.

Introducing Hernandez at Sunday's event was Christine Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council and prospective candidate for New York City mayor. Also offering celebratory addresses were Mayor Annise Parker and Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island.

The modest, 21-year-old Hernandez, whose previous experience includes volunteering for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, claims his race to Giffords' collapsed body was an automatic reaction, not an act of bravery. Calling upon skills learned during a certified nurses' assisting program, he prevented Giffords from choking on her own blood while stanching the bleeding with his hand. The intern held his mentor's hand and told her that he would get ahold of her family.

"People have stopped me on the street," he told CultureMap of his new hero status. Nevertheless, he's not letting the fanfare detract from his goals as a junior at the University of Arizona.

Because of his compact schedule in Houston, Hernandez did not make it by to visit Giffords at TIRR Memorial Hermann, He left the brunch directly for the airport to return to Tucson and prepare for an election on Thursday, where he is running for  student body president.
More than an ambitious intern with a knack for first aid, Hernandez works actively as an advocate for higher education in his home state. "I've lived in Arizona my whole life, so I'm kind of used to working in that red state system," he said.

While not studying, interning or campaigning for the student government, Hernandez works with the non-profit Arizona Students' Association, rallying support for higher education.

"I'm up at the state capitol interacting with legislators on a pretty regular basis, so I can work on issues that may not get a lot of traction in the red state of Arizona, such as the importance of investing in higher education," Hernandez said.

Confronted with countless requests for public appearances, Hernandez has quickly learned how to pick and choose which events to attend.
I want to make sure the only ones I do are things that I believe in — things like the Victory Fund, which encourages LGBT people who are eligible to run for office. It's something that I'm very excited about, because I've been working for years trying to get gay people to become more engaged civically and become more involved in public service. The Victory Fund trains people for office, endorses them and helps them with their campaign."

As for his political goals following graduation, Hernandez said, "Right now, I just want to get through the next year and a half," citing his decision to take summer courses to compensate for classes dropped this semester because of the Giffords tragedy.
Concluded the overwhelmingly composed college student, "I act like a 40-year-old sometimes, but I'm still only 21, so I still have a lot of time to think about what I want to do in the future."

Intern Of Gabrielle Giffords Honored At Houston Reception

Daniel Hernandez, the intern who helped save Gabrielle Giffords's life when she was shot in Tucson, was honored at a reception in Houston on Sunday. Hasti Taghi reports.

Giffords' intern Hernandez honored in Houston

Some call him the hero of the January 8 shooting, and Sunday Daniel Hernandez was honored at a special brunch in Houston.

Hernandez, an intern to Gabriel Giffords, gave first aid to the congresswoman after she was shot in January, helping save her life.

Sunday he talked about how her recovery is progressing.

"She's doing remarkably well considering what happened.  And you know what, you'll be able to ask her how she's doing, sooner rather than later, because she's just been doing extremely well," said Hernandez.

The "Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund" held Sunday's event.  The group promotes politicians like Giffords who support gay rights.

Chi. Elects 2nd Gay Alderman

Windy City Times reports that some of the campaign materials distributed by Phelan were perceived as homophobic. One flier claimed Cappleman would address crime in the ward through “anger management classes and flowers,” plus “planters, public art, decorative pedestrian lightposts and streetscaping.”
 
“Never believe that you can’t change politics as usual. You can, and we have,” Cappleman told supporters Tuesday night, according to GayPolitics.com. He also thanked the Gay and Lesbian Victory fund for its assistance. Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said LGBT Chicagoans have “gained another authentic voice on their city council, but more than that, they’ve gained a real fighter.”
 
Cappleman, who ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2007, will represent Chicago’s diverse 46th ward, a north lakefront area that includes portions of Boystown and Andersonville, both heavily LGBT enclaves, as well as Uptown, historically a magnet for recent immigrants. It is just north of the 44th ward, which encompasses much of Boystown and is represented by the city’s other openly gay alderman, restaurateur Tom Tunney, who won a third term in February with no opposition.

Gay Hill staffer remembered for humor, dedication

The booming voice of Katy Perry accompanying a techno-dance beat of her song “Firework” jolted Kyle Murphy from sleep a couple months ago at 3 a.m.

Curious about the disturbance, Murphy arose from bed to find his best friend and roommate Christopher Crowe dancing on top of their kitchen island.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Murphy said. “He had brought some friends home and the first thing I saw was him standing on the island in our kitchen dancing to Katy Perry. He was kind of the life of the party.”

For Murphy, who had known Crowe for more than five years since they interned together at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the memory represents Crowe’s over-the-top personality and willingness to go to great lengths to entertain others.

“Somebody had collected some quotes he used to say in his office, and one of them was ‘I say ‘no’ to drugs, and that’s it,’” Murphy said. “And that kind of, I felt like, summed up his personality.”

Crowe died last week at the Washington Hospital Center from a staph infection that damaged his heart after he contracted meningitis last summer.

Crowe, 29, who was gay, served as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and as a staffer for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). The death of the Kentucky native struck many Capitol Hill staffers and LGBT advocates with grief and prompted fond recollections of his life this week.

Johnson issued a statement expressing sorrow over the loss of her longtime staffer and sympathy for his family and loved ones.

“He was respected by his colleagues for his professionalism; he was beloved by many for his generous spirit and good humor,” Johnson said. “He was a person who enjoyed life and always had a smile to share. He never met a stranger.”

Many friends who worked with him on Capitol Hill and in LGBT advocacy had similar recollections of Crowe’s outgoing personality, which they said enabled him to make fast friends.

Marcus Paulsen, who’s gay and an administrative coordinator for the nonprofit group Community Wealth Ventures, said Crowe had a unique way of making others feel at ease.

“He was always laughing, and it didn’t matter if you told the dumbest joke,” Paulsen said. “He always would find it funny and could find something hysterical about it.”

A Dallas native, Paulsen said Crowe helped him obtain a position as an intern, and later a staffer, in Johnson’s office, where the two worked together for a year-and-a-half.

Paulsen recalled a time in December 2009 when he and Crowe participated in a retreat for staffers in Johnson’s office in Texas. Identifying the experience as one of his fondest memories of Crowe, Paulsen said people he knew from his home state easily made friends with Crowe.

“For me, it was kind of two worlds coming together: my D.C. life and my Texas life,” Paulsen said. “I wasn’t really sure how people would react to some of my D.C. friends and Chris, but he just had this way of becoming really close with people and everybody just absolutely adored him.”

Jason Mida, the Victory Fund’s vice president of development, knew Crowe from his days as an intern at the organization in 2005 and said Crowe had a unique way of drawing others to him.

“It didn’t matter who you were, it didn’t matter what your political affiliation was,” said Mida, who’s gay. “People were drawn to Chris. He was a ball of life and people wanted to be around him because you just felt better. You felt better about yourself; you felt better about things in general when he was around.”

Scott Simpson, press secretary of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, knew Crowe from working together on the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and said he admired the confidence that gave Crowe the ability to speak with anyone.

“He had an ease about dealing with any range of people,” Simpson said. “Chris wouldn’t think twice about calling up the highest-level person in an agency or to the lowest-level person.”

Simpson said Crowe’s care for others enabled him to stay engaged with friends even as he struggled with meningitis for several months.

“This was a man who was in the emergency room,” Simpson said. “He was sending e-mails, text messages, asking how things are going, asking if he can help. If you didn’t know that Chris was sick, if you weren’t informed about it, people never knew.”

While always eager to have a good time with others, Crowe was also known among his friends as a passionate worker in both legislative affairs and LGBT advocacy.

Murphy, a communications specialist for the National Minority AIDS Council, recalled that Crowe’s dedication enabled him to rise quickly to become a high-level staffer for Johnson and to get elected as president of LGBT Congressional Staff Association.

“Everything that I heard about him was that he was amazing — not the greatest writer — but he had dyslexia, but he worked through that very well and didn’t let anything hold him back,” Murphy said.

Simpson recalled his days as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association before he left Capitol Hill when Crowe served as his deputy. The two worked on recreating the association after it had long been dormant.

Even though their work in recreating the association involved activity on rewriting bylaws and other less-than-exciting tasks, Crowe found ways to make the work enjoyable.

“Chris made people come to these meetings and actually enjoy themselves and actually laugh,” Simpson said. “He understood that in order to commit people to make change, they had to have a good time and that, I believe, was his secret weapon.”

As evidence of Crowe’s jovial personality, Simpson noted that Crowe would only refer to him as “Girl!” during the course of their work together. Simpson joked that he didn’t know if Crowe actually knew his name.

In his days as a Victory Fund intern, Mida said Crowe was dedicated and passionate about LGBT advocacy. He took a personal interest in working to elect Vivian Paige, a lesbian who ran in 2005 for city treasurer in Norfolk, Va.

“I remember how visibly upset he was when Vivian lost that night,” Mida said. “We’d only been there a few days, but he was so invested. I think that across the board —whether it was his work and whether it was relationships with folks — he immediately became invested in folks, and as a result, people were invested in him.”

Among the activities that friends cited as Crowe’s favorite was travel. In his work on foreign affairs issues for Johnson, Crowe would often take opportunities to go abroad as part of his work as a congressional staffer.

Murphy recalled that Crowe traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as part of his work for Johnson, which Murphy said gave Crowe “a travel bug.”

Among the trips that Murphy took with Crowe was an expedition with him and his mother on a Key West cruise in 2009.

“We were both redheads and so we just kind of looked like brothers, so we just starting telling everybody that we were brothers from that cruise ship on — and I referred to his mom as ‘Mama,’” Murphy said.

Murphy recalled that he and Crowe went to Peru in 2008 and Crowe traveled with other friends to Bangkok and Hong Kong. Before Crowe’s death, Murphy said his friend had asked him to put together another trip together.

But dreams for travel and ambitions for further work on LGBT issues and politics were cut short. Murphy, who was present at the hospital where Crowe died, was the first of his friends to know.

“His mom had called me and was kind of frantic telling me the doctors had come out of the operating room saying they didn’t know if he was going to make it, so I rushed to the hospital,” Murphy said. “By the time I got there, he had passed.”

Murphy said in the operating waiting room he encountered Crowe’s mother, who was crying and at first unable to speak, but then said, “We lost him.” Murphy said the news was devastating, but he took on the responsibility of sending e-mails to Crowe’s friends and fellow Hill staffers to inform them.

Paulsen was one of the recipients of the e-mails and, in a state of shock, said he immediately left work upon hearing the news.

“I walked all the way over to Chris’ apartment to be with his roommate and family,” Paulsen said. “At first I couldn’t process it, but it was just very sad.”

Another e-mail recipient, Simpson said Crowe’s death came as a surprise because those who knew him thought he could just “smile through” his disease to become healthy.

“It didn’t seem real,” Simpson said. “I knew that Chris was sick, but it was never always clear that it would be this bad.”

Simpson observed that deaths at a young age are relatively uncommon in the younger generation of gay men — unlike what older gay men faced during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early ’90s.

“We’re not used to death,” Simpson said. “He was the first of my peers to pass on. If you talk to gay men who are in their 40s and 50s, they had peers pass away all the time. That was one of those moments that I started to understand that this was just a hint of what gay men who were around in the ’80s were going through.”

Still, the memory of Crowe and his sparkling personality remain an inspiration for those who knew him.

Paulsen said he would always remember Crowe’s ability to find greater potential in others.

“He found some talents in me when we worked together and he made sure to always bring those up to the congresswoman or the chief of staff,” Paulsen said. “I think that’s what I’ll take from him — to try to make sure I see these things that might not be visible to everybody else and make sure that they’re aware of some of their talents.”

Murphy, who said he’s often a wallflower in social situations or nervous around guys he likes, expressed admiration for what he said was Crowe’s ability to embrace every situation head on and would try to emulate that approach to life.

“I think that’s something we and all of his friends really appreciated and his family, too,” Murphy said. “It’s something we’ll all probably try to live up to.”

For Simpson, Crowe’s memory inspires him to be proud of who he is and helps him stay grounded.

“Chris was aware of who he was and he fucking loved it, and played it up,” Simpson said. “Chris just knew that you have to be OK with who you are, but you have to be not just OK with it, but you have to own it and love it.”

A memorial service for Crowe is set to take place on Thursday at 12 pm in Room LJ-119 in the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and the LGBT Congressional Staff Association are hosting the event. House chaplain Rev. Daniel Coughlin is set to officiate over the service.

Chicago has another openly gay alderman

Congrats to Alderman-elect James Cappleman. From the Victory Fund:

James Cappleman has won a runoff election Tuesday to represent the 46th Ward on the Chicago City Council. Cappleman will become Chicago’s second openly gay alderman on a city council of 50 members.

“This victory is about the future of Chicago and the future of the 46th Ward and all who live here. We set out to change our community, and I’m so grateful that the Victory Fund stood with us and helped us do that. Never believe that you can’t change politics as usual. You can, and we have,” said Cappleman, who celebrated his win Tuesday night.

Openly-gay candidate James Cappleman wins Chicago's 46th ward

Cappleman will become the second openly-gay alderman for the City of Chicago, joining the 44th ward's Tom Tunney.

Cappleman received the endorsement of 48th ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith, the LGBT advocacy organizations Equality Illinois and Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and a number of high-profile Democrats including Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Heather Steans and State Rep. Deb Mell.

Cohen's campaign victories

Sherrie Cohen just hit the trifecta of elections. The community organizer and LGBT candidate for City Council-at-Large just learned that she is one of only two Pennsylvania candidates who has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund; the other is Bruce Kraus, who is running for reelection to Pittsburgh City Council. Not only has Victory Fund endorsed Cohen’s candidacy, she is one of its “focus” candidates.

So if, like me, at first you didn’t believe that Cohen’s chances were good, it might be time to sit up and take note of her campaign, since it is about as hot as a campaign can get.

The Victory Fund is a national LGBT organization that works with out candidates to get them elected. Endorsement brings both funds and organizational support along with it. It is also a seal that says, “We believe this person is in a good place to win.”

As the Victory Fund itself stated, “Sherrie Cohen was endorsed by the Victory Fund Saturday at a meeting of our Victory Campaign Board. She’s among our “Focus Candidates” ... as with all of the Victory Fund’s endorsements, the board’s decision to endorse means Cohen meets our endorsement criteria, among which is a requirement that the candidate must be deemed viable in the race.”

And the Victory Fund knows what it is doing: After all, this year the Victory Fund is celebrating 20 years of helping to elect openly LGBT candidates to public office. Since its founding, the number of out elected officials serving in the United States has gone from 49 to more than 400.

As to that trifecta. Cohen filed more signatures than any other citywide candidate from both parties for an at-large seat — and it’s a big field of more than 60 candidates in both Democrat and Republican parties. In the first financial filing of the campaign season, her campaign had raised more funds than any other candidate for an at-large seat. And, finally, she drew a top ballot spot. This campaign is really on a roll.

But let’s save the final word for the Victory Fund.

“It’s important to have authentic LGBT voices in government. People like Sherrie, who have the courage to step up and run for office while being open and honest about themselves, are making sure our community has a place at the table.”

Political Scene: Raises, longevity bonuses for some at State House

Cicilline key speaker at gay fundraisers

U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline has raised his profile in the gay community of late.

Cicilline was the keynote speaker at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s National Champagne Brunch in Washington, D.C., on March 20.

About 1,200 people attended the brunch, which was held at the Hilton Washington to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary, according to the Advocate, a national gay and lesbian newsmagazine.

Earlier this month, members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in the D.C. metro area threw the former Providence mayor a fundraiser at the city’s W Hotel.

Cicilline will also be a featured speaker in Houston on April 17 for another Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund event, to be held at The Corinthian in the city’s downtown.

He’ll be joined by Houston Mayor Annise Parker and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for that event.

Cicilline was Providence’s first openly gay mayor and, now, he’s Rhode Island’s first openly gay congressman.

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is a Washington, D.C.-based group that provides financial and campaign support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates at all levels of government.

Dufty continues to retool mayoral campaign

Shortly thereafter Dufty announced he was abandoning his self-imposed restriction to limit donations at $200 from only people who live and work in San Francisco. That led to his gaining the endorsement last weekend of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, as the Bay Area Reporter reported on its website Saturday.

"Bevan is obviously highly qualified to lead San Francisco, and his passion for the city is well-known. He's focused on one goal – improving the lives of all San Franciscans through government that works," stated Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, in officially announcing the endorsement this week. "Bevan's commitment to city neighborhoods is legendary, and as a parent he's focused on making sure San Francisco's future is even brighter than its illustrious past."

Pushing to see Dufty receive the endorsement were a trio of lesbian friends: former San Francisco Supervisor Leslie Katz, who sits on the Victory campaign board, and Joyce Newstat and Laura Spanjian, who helped organize the fund's 2009 annual meeting in San Francisco. Newstat also sits on the fund's Leadership Institute board of directors.

Dufty, who attended the national group's training for candidates last month in Las Vegas, was in Washington, D.C. last weekend to attend the fund's 20th anniversary brunch and met with its executive committee about being endorsed. He is hoping it will give him the same boost in attracting financial support nationally as Annise Parker saw when she first ran for mayor of Houston two years ago, becoming that city's first lesbian mayor.

"The Victory Fund played a very important role of raising national visibility about her campaign and providing ongoing counsel and support," said Dufty. "I called the Victory Fund endorsement a tough love endorsement because they carefully assess a candidate's viability. They were direct with me that I had made some decisions about my campaign that were making good statements but the best statement I could make was to win this election."

SAN FRANCISCO: Victory Fund Endorses Supervisor Bevan Dufty For Mayor

Openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty has picked up the endorsement of the Victory Fund in his bid to become mayor. That's a critical development for Dufty, who faces a mayoral field cluttered with almost two dozen declared candidates. SF Weekly reports:

The Victory Fund's endorsement signals a huge shift for Dufty's campaign, political consultants said. The group is known for its fund-raising prowess and it has a strong national donor network that helped Annise Parker get elected as the first openly gay mayor in Houston, Texas. And if it can help Houston elect a gay mayor, than San Francisco should be a no-brainer. "He can raise significant money from that community," said Jim Ross, a local campaign consultant. "This is really good." Ross pointed out that Dufty remains one of the most popular politicians, and comes from the largest voting district, which puts him in a strong position. More importantly, he can now access money from LGBT communities across the nation, which will help him make a comeback in this race.

San Francisco's mayor will be chosen by a ranked-choice method: "Under ranked-choice voting, voters list their first, second and third choices. If no candidate wins more than half the vote, last-place candidates are eliminated and second- and third-place votes from those ballots are redistributed until someone wins a majority." Confusing!

Victory Fund: Dufty for SF Mayor

Bevan Dufty's mayoral aspirations were recently in trouble, but an endorsement from the Victory Fund may help the former city supervisor became San Francisco's first openly gay mayor.

The Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBT candidates to higher office and helped lesbian Annise Parker became mayor of Houston, recently announced their endorsement of Dufty for mayor. Edwin Lee is San Francisco's current mayor, but Lee is serving out the term of Gavin Newsom, elected last year as California's lieutenant governor. A mayoral election will take place in November — Lee will not be one of the people running.

The San Francisco Weekly reports that the Victory Fund endorsement will help Dufty increase donors to his campaign. "Dufty remains one of the most popular politicians, and comes from the largest voting district, which puts him in a strong position," reports the Weekly. "More importantly, he can now access money from LGBT communities across the nation, which will help him make a comeback in this race."

Bevan Dufty: Is He Making a Comeback in the Mayor's Race?

In his effort to reboot his collapsing campaign, which he is now calling Dufty 2.0., the former supervisor zeroed-in on just the right target.

Yesterday, he picked up the endorsement of the Victory Fund, a national gay and lesbian organization that helped get the first openly gay mayor elected in Houston, Texas. 

What this really means for Dufty is that he just might be back in the race -- financially speaking.

It was Dufty's self-imposed campaign cap -- which restricted him to $200 per donor -- that was setting him back, despite the fact that he had been collecting cash for more than two years.

The most recent campaign finance statements show that Dufty had raised only $108,305, as of December, although he said last month he had $225,000 in the bank. Still, that's weak compared to a less recognizable name like Joana Rees, who has managed to rake in more than $150,000 in the four months of her candidacy. 

The Victory Fund's endorsement signals a huge shift for Dufty's campaign, political consultants said. The group is known for its fund-raising prowess and it has a strong national donor network that helped Annise Parker get elected as the first openly gay mayor in Houston, Texas.

And if it can help Houston elect a gay mayor, than San Francisco should be a no-brainer.

Cicilline Brunches With Victory Fund

As a freshman member of the Rhode Island legislature in the mid 1990s, David Cicilline, now the fourth openly gay member of Congress, was given advice by colleagues about how to deal with virulently antigay forces who would spew their rhetoric for hours at committee meetings: "Let the crazies be crazy."

"But I was determined — and every nutty, unproven, mean-spirited, homophobic statement they made, I challenged," Cicilline told a crowd of about 1,200 people at the Washington Hilton Sunday. "The committee meeting dragged on for six hours, but no one left believing their arguments had an ounce of legitimacy. And for those watching and particularly for young LGBT kids, it made a difference."

Praised by event organizers for upping the percentage of openly gay congressional representatives by 33% (he joins Jared Polis of Colorado, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts), Cicilline was the keynote speaker at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's National Champagne Brunch in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary.

Cicilline, a cosponsor of House legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act introduced last week, called the Obama administration's February decision to no longer defend DOMA in court "a shining example of refusing to use the power of the presidency to sustain blatant discrimination against our community" and urged Congress to repeal the "horribly discriminatory law" it passed in 1996 (the Republican House leadership's position on defending DOMA in multiple lawsuits makes that a highly unlikely prospect in this term, though a Senate version of the bill introduced last week by California senator Dianne Feinstein was hailed by advocates as a breakthrough step forward).

"There's just so much more work ahead. Passing a fully inclusive ENDA is a top priority," Cicilline said, referring to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. "We need to wipe our laws clean of DOMA and treat all married couples equally. And we must gain the American right to sponsor our same-gender partners for immigration."

Speakers at the event included Victory Fund cofounders Vic Basile and Terry Bean; president and CEO Chuck Wolfe; Oregon secretary of state Kate Brown; Sherry Harris, the group's first endorsee, who won a Seattle city council race in 1991; and Chris Armstrong, the University of Michigan's gay student assembly president who rose to national prominence after the state's assistant attorney general attacked him for promoting a "radical homosexual agenda."

Out Vote

Since 1991 the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has propelled thousands of out LGBT candidates to electoral firsts at all levels of government. Based in Washington, D.C., the group provides financial and campaign support to candidates with the conviction that increasing the number of out elected officials improves the political climate for equality. “The Victory Fund gave me early support and mentoring that were crucial in my first run for state assembly and then for Congress,” says U.S. representative Tammy Baldwin. On the occasion of the group’s 20th anniversary, Baldwin and several other recipients of Victory Fund support spoke of their experiences in office and gave advice to aspiring candidates.

Tammy Baldwin

U.S. representative from Wisconsin

First political office held: Van Hise Middle School student council. “Our small group of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders took on problems that many people either ignored or thought they just couldn’t change. I learned that the actions of a small group of people could make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”



Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “I honestly believe that the vast majority of voters care much more about my positions on the issues that affect their lives than my sexual orientation. When I meet with constituents, I talk about our shared values: ensuring health care for all, creating jobs and growing a sustainable economy, protecting our environment, and supporting quality public education, among other things. I believe that my commitment to these causes is what my constituents care most about.”

David Cicilline 

U.S. representative from Rhode Island

First political office held: Narragansett High School class president.

Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “Be honest about who you are, recognize your talents, and fight hard to win. America needs you.”

Bonnie Dumanis 

San Diego County district attorney

First political office held: “The first leadership position I ever held was in high school when I was president of the United Synagogue Youth, an international group that brings Jewish teenagers closer to Judaism and Israel through learning and social interaction.”

Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “My advice to LGBT candidates is to be yourself, be authentic and hold your head up high.”

Annise Parker

Mayor of Houston

First political office held: Founding member of the first LGBT support group at Rice University in 1979.

Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “A favorite quote by Andre Gide: ‘It is better to be hated for what one is than loved for what one is not.”

20 years of ‘Victory’

Sometimes being conspicuous is a good thing.

It was for Sherry Harris, an electrical engineer in Seattle who holds the record for being the first candidate ever endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that works to help LGBT candidates get elected to public office at all levels of government.

The group, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend with a Sunday brunch at the Hilton in Washington (go to victoryfund.org for details), helped Harris win a four-year term on Seattle City Council.

Harris, who’ll be in town this weekend to speak at the brunch, remembers that her involvement with the then-new fund in 1991, started innocuously.

She was in D.C. to meet with former U.S. Rep. Jolene Unsoeld (D-Wash.) and heard about the Fund through friends.

“Someone just told us about it, I’m not sure who,” Harris says. “But we went over to their offices. … They were going to be having an event while I was there and said, ‘Why don’t you come to this event?,’ and referred me to that. I was happy to hear about the organization but I wasn’t expecting anything.”

Harris was asked to speak that night and found herself with support. She says a “process” the Fund put her through — which it does to this day to vet candidates – was “more of a formality” in those early years.

On a mailing list sent to Fund supporters, Harris says her status as a black lesbian helped her stand out.

“I seemed to draw a lot of money,” she says. “I did very well. Back then there were almost no black women running. I think I stood out because I was so unusual.”

Though Harris served only one term — she lost her bid for a second — she is essential to the Victory Fund story. It, too, began somewhat innocuously.

Two gay political activists — Vic Basile and Terry Bean — had noticed that a group called Emily’s List had, since 1985, done wonders at helping female candidates campaign competitively against better-funded male opponents by establishing a network of donors who agreed to contribute at least $100 to two or more List-endorsed candidates. Basile and Bean wondered if the model could be adapted to help more gays and lesbians get into office. After researching the idea, they came to feel such an entity was desperately needed.

“I believe it helps change people’s opinions about members of our community and lets everybody else know there isn’t a special agenda, they have the same agenda,” says Chuck Wolfe, Victory Fund president. “They’re there working on what their constituents need. Their transportation needs, from fixing potholes to building a new highway connector. They’re there doing what everybody else is doing and the idea that they’re there and simply changing the fabric of leadership in their community has a huge advantage for us. It pays dividends in so many ways but more importantly, it lets everybody see that there’s no reason to be exclusionary in hiring practices, in the business sense. It has ramifications across sectors.”

The organization has grown enormously in the last two decades. Initially, the only employee was the first director, William Waybourn, a former Blade co-owner. About $30,000 was directed to candidates that first year. In recent years, more than $1 million has been given each year. The Fund now employees 21 full-time staff members and has endorsed 952 LGBT candidates over 20 years that has resulted in 637 wins. Last year was the organization’s most successful with 107 races won out of 167 endorsed.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), now in her seventh term in the House, credits the Fund for helping her achieve her goals.

“The Victory Fund’s early support and mentoring not only helped me get elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, but gave me the encouragement, skills and crucial financial backing to run for a seat in Congress,” Baldwin wrote in an e-mail. “By propelling openly LGBT candidates into office, the Victory Fund continues to change the face of American politics for the better.”

State Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Iowa) said in an e-mail that his years in office, aided by the Fund, have helped achieve pro-gay strides there.

“Iowa is well positioned on equality issues having adopted the non-discrimination act and applied this to [LGBT] citizens,” McCly wrote. “Iowa has also adopted anti-bullying legislation that bans school and cyber bullying based upon real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. I have had the privilege to serve while these progressive decisions were adopted and signed into law. I believe that having a visible, out gay state senator has positively impacted the public debate and ensured positive results.”

Harris, who enjoyed her time in politics but is now content in the private sector, agrees.

“It’s very important that we be open and show our presence in this country where there’s still discrimination and prejudice to this day,” she says. “It is very important for gay and lesbian candidates to run and to have people in these rooms speaking on our behalf. … It makes a profound difference when we have a seat at the table.”

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) first became a Victory Fund candidate in the early ‘00s when he ran successfully for mayor of Providence, R.I.

“They’ve done a spectacular job over the last 20 years to ensure members of our community are elected to office,” he says. “I’m a firm believer that one of the most powerful and effective ways we move forward is by having members of our community serving in elected office. There’s no question the Victory Fund has done it very successfully.”

Gay candidates sometimes seek help from the Fund; other times the Fund contacts them. Many candidates go through a four-day training program that’s held four times a year. Between 150 and 200 are trained each year.

Candidates are evaluated for their “viability” as opposed to “winability,” Wolfe says. He says the Fund looks for “reasonable investments” and potential leaders who’ll be “solid” once they’re in office.

Fund staff occasionally help closeted officials to come out in a planned, strategic way. The Fund made a “case study” video using gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) as an example.

A Victory Fund endorsement can mean direct cash, independent expenditures, bundled money, technical assistance, field work or staffing, depending on the needs of the candidate.

Additional anniversary brunches will be held in Houston (April 17), Sacramento, Calif. (Oct. 23) and New York (Sept. 18). A San Diego brunch was held in February. The Fund is based in Washington.

EXCLUSIVE: Md. lawmaker comes out

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund also praised Murphy’s announcement.

“It’s still a courageous thing for public officials who are gay or lesbian to serve openly and honestly, so we applaud Delegate Murphy’s decision,” said Denis Dison, Victory Fund’s vice president of communications. “As we’ve seen during the current debate over marriage, out lawmakers can have a tremendous impact on both their colleagues and their constituents, and the Maryland LGBT Caucus has certainly been at the center of this fight.

“With eight openly gay and lesbian members of the legislature, Maryland now has the largest LGBT caucus of state legislators in the country.”

Murphy has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2007. He was born in Washington, D.C., and attended American University and George Washington University.

Gay legislators having impact in marriage debates

According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which recruits and supports gay political candidates, the number of openly gay and lesbian legislators nationwide has increased from 44 in 2003, when it started counting, to 85.

Chuck Wolfe, the fund's president, said gay legislators were having an impact even in relatively conservative states where gay marriage has no short-term prospect of winning approval. He cited the example of Arkansas Rep. Kathy Webb, whose heartfelt arguments played a role in the rejection of a bill to bar gays from adopting or foster-parenting.

Gay lawmakers "are people, as opposed to issues," Wolfe said. "The impact of having one of your colleagues directly affected by the legislation on the table is very powerful."

Bevan Dufty scraps self-imposed campaign cap

The move also allows Dufty, the only openly gay candidate in the race, to accept contributions from supporters across the country. He is seeking the backing of the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

"The reality is he had friends in a lot of places that wanted to contribute ... that wanted to elect a gay candidate," said Dufty's new campaign manager, Michael Terris. "It made a lot more sense to welcome everybody into the fold then tell them they couldn't help."

For First Time, White House Picks a Man to be Social Secretary

Mr. Bernard has a long history working in the gay rights community. He has served on the board of A.N.G.L.E (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. He also worked on LGBT advisory committees of the Los Angelese County Sheriff, Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles mayor’s office.

White House Taps Gay Man, Jeremy Bernard, for New Social Secretary

"He previously served as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee."

The White House Gets Its First Male Social Secretary

A San Antonio, Tex., native, Bernard previously served as the White House liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities and a finance consultant for Obama's presidential campaign.

Bernard also will be the first openly gay White House social secretary, having been a board member of of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, as well as several LGBT advisory committees to Los Angeles government.

Obama Appoints Openly Gay Man as White House Social Secretary

Bernard has also been active in gay rights causes, serving as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee, and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee.  

Jeremy Bernard, former board member of gay Victory Fund, is new White House Social Secretary

The White House today announced Jeremy Bernard has been named Special Assistant to the President and Social Secretary.  He joins the White House staff from the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where he serves as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador.  Prior to this role, he worked as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Jeremy shares our vision for the White House as the People’s House, one that celebrates our history and culture in dynamic and inclusive ways.  We look forward to Jeremy continuing to showcase America’s arts and culture to our nation and the world through the many events at the White House,” the President said.

“I am deeply humbled to join the White House staff as Social Secretary and support President Obama and the First Lady in this role,” said Jeremy Bernard.  “I have long admired the arts and education programs that have become hallmarks of the Obama White House and I am eager to continue these efforts in the years ahead.”

“I look forward to working with Jeremy to continue the great work of the Social Office, from fun and educational student workshops to elegant State Dinners that welcome world leaders to the White House.  Jeremy’s creativity, perspective and skills will be a welcome addition to our East Wing team, as we showcase the White House and celebrating America’s arts and culture,” said Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.

“What stood out in Jeremy’s work at the National Endowment for the Humanities was his humor, good will, and high standard of professionalism,” said National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Bernard currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy of Paris.  He served as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2008 to 2010.  Previously, Bernard was a California Finance Consultant for the Obama for American campaign.  He was a Principal of B&G Associates from 2007 to 2009, Vice-President of Mapleton Investments from 1999 to 2006 and Director of Government Affairs of Falcon Cable TV from 1996 to 2006.  Appointed by President Clinton, Bernard served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2009.  He previously served as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.  He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee.

Wash. State Senate Introduces Marriage Bill

Monday's senate bill was introduced by gay state senator Ed Murray of Seattle, reports the Victory Fund's Gay Politics blog.

"Gay and lesbian families in Washington now enjoy the same state spousal rights that their married straight friends enjoy — except for the name ‘marriage,'" Murray said in a release. "The recognition that their loving, lifelong commitment is no different from the loving, lifelong commitment of straight couples is the final step to achieving full equality. I believe the legislature and the public are both ready to take that final step."

I Advocate ... Joel Burns

...The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The Victory Fund and its research and education arm, the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, arguably give you the most bang for your buck of any LGBT organization. Thanks in part to their financial and consulting resources, I became the first openly LGBT elected official in Fort Worth history. This support allowed me to speak up in the aftermath of the 2009 raid on Fort Worth’s Rainbow Lounge, to expand Fort Worth’s nondiscrimination ordinance, and to craft and pass a measure providing domestic-partner benefits for city employees. As a friend of mine, Houston councilwoman Sue Lovell, likes to say, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” The Victory Fund helps LGBT America secure that place at the table. VictoryFund.org

S.F. Plans Gay Walk of Fame

Dufty is running for mayor of San Francisco this year — he says he's raised $125,000 already and is preparing for a Victory Fund campaign training event in Las Vegas later this month.

"I got the biggest present when [state senator] Mark Leno decided not to run for mayor," Dufty says with a laugh. Aside from his LGBT voter base, Dufty is "working on building a base that includes the Westside, Republican voters, and the Chinese and Latino communities, and demonstrating my proven ability to build city services when our budget is challenging."

Out Md. Lawmakers Influence Marriage Debate

The Victory Fund, which endorses out LGBT candidates for elected office, reports on the presence of a record seven out state legislators in Maryland as of this year, and what their advocacy and presence means for the marriage equality bill. One first-time sponsor of the bill, Del. Eric M. Bromwell, credited out lawmakers with influencing his support, according to the Maryland Gazette.