FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 8, 2005

Contacts:
Toni Broaddus, Equality Federation Executive Director, 415-377-7771
Andrea Hildebran, Equality Federation Co-Chair, 502-387-0625
Dan Furmansky, Executive Director, Equality Maryland, 301-461-4900

Equality Federation Hosts Largest Ever meeting of State LGBT Leaders

130 Movement Leaders Gather in Kentucky To Share Strategies and Elect Leadership

Louisville, Kentucky -- Leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights movement returned to their home states from Kentucky today after four days of meetings where they shared strategies, information, and resources to build stronger and more powerful statewide organizations. The annual gathering of Equality Federation members was the largest ever, attended by 130 representatives of forty statewide and thirteen national organizations, including Equality Maryland.

"Our movement has never been stronger," said Toni Broaddus, Executive Director of the Federation. "The passion and determination of state LGBT leaders was evident in the packed meeting rooms and hallways and in the lively discussions about our work in every state in this country. While right wing extremists attempt to defeat us with the political tactics of fear and division, we are banding together to strengthen our movement through respect, collaboration and unity."

Topics discussed at the meeting included marriage, legislative attacks on LGBT parents and their children, strategies for fighting ballot measure campaigns, the use of technology to build the movement, electoral strategies and political action committees, safe schools legislation, anti-discrimination policies, hate crimes laws, and strategies for increasing the diversity of our movement through work that increases participation of transgender people and communities of color.

"The Federation Summer Meeting is an outstanding opportunity to meet and share with leaders from around the country who are doing the same hard work as we are doing here in Maryland to build a strong grassroots movement for LGBT equality," said Furmansky. "I was able to share the strategies we are using here with other state leaders, and I came home with new ideas and strategies that I learned from other states. The energy and expertise at the meetings was incredible, and I am proud that Equality Maryland is part of such a vibrant movement."

"The Federation Meeting was a great opportunity for both well-established state groups and emerging new organizations to meet and share their knowledge," said newly elected Equality Federation Vice-Chair Jeremy Pittman, who serves as the Deputy Campaign Director for MassEquality. "I am excited to participate as a board member of this dynamic organization, and I look forward to sharing the strategies that have been successful in Massachusetts with other state leaders."

Equality Federation member organizations also elected a new Board of Directors to lead their national coalition. Ian Palmquist, Executive Director of Programs for Equality North Carolina and Andrea Hildebran, Executive Director of Kentucky Fairness Alliance, were elected to serve second terms as Federation Co-Chairs. Sharon Semmens, past Board Chair of Georgia Equality, and Jeremy Pittman, Deputy Campaign Director of Mass Equality, were elected to serve as Vice-Chairs. Josh Freker, Communications Director of Action Wisconsin will serve a second term as Secretary and Christopher Neff of Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance in Washington, D.C. will serve as Treasurer. Other Directors are: Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California; Monica Meyer, Public Policy Director, OutFront Minnesota; Ron Wheeler, Equality New Mexico; Rhonda White, Tennessee Equality Project; Carmen Vazquez, Deputy Executive Director, Empire State Pride Agenda (NY); Lori Stone Sirtosky, Indiana Equality; Deon Young, Milwaukee LGBT Center; Stratton Pollitzer, Deputy Director, Equality Florida; and Julie Brueggemann, Executive Director, PROMO (MO).

This year's Equality Federation summer meeting was hosted by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, which faced its own constitutional amendment battle in 2004. KFA's Executive Director, Andrea Hildebran, was re-elected at the meeting to serve her second term as a Co-Chair of the Federation.

Equality Federation is a network of state organizations committed to working together and with national and local groups to strengthen statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organizing and to secure full civil rights in every U.S. state and territory. For more information, please visit our website at www.equalityfederation.org.

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