National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creates New Department to Focus on Federal Affairs

Powerhouse Team — Including Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General — Hired

Larger Voice in Washington Will Work for New Money,
New Laws, and Equal Protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans

"In both breadth and depth, this team brings an extraordinary and unique combination of knowledge, expertise, and political savvy to our movement. They will lead the way in getting our people a fair share of their tax dollars and in moving forward on new federal antidiscrimination legislation."

—Matt Foreman, Executive Director

MEDIA CONTACT:
Roberta Sklar, Director of Communications
media@theTaskForce.org
646.358.1465

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.— The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force today announced the creation of a new Department of Public Policy and Government Affairs and the hiring of three noted leaders and advocates — including former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Eleanor D. (Eldie) Acheson — to staff the department.

The new department, a significant strengthening of the Task Force's voice in federal matters, will lead two new initiatives — leveraging government resources to meet the pressing health and human service needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and a drive for new, comprehensive legislation to addresses inequities faced by gay people well beyond workplace discrimination. The new initiatives are part of the Task Force's mission to build the grassroots strength of the LGBT movement. The new Public Policy and Government Affairs staff also will expand upon the current Task Force policy work of providing technical assistance, training and strategic advice on legislative and policy matters to state and local LGBT organizations.

"For the past 32 years the Task Force has worked closely with LGBT community organizations across the nation. This new team will not only work hand-in-hand with our local, state and national colleagues but will also seek to magnify their voices and expertise to access federal resources and protections. Together, we will work to respond to the needs our community, from hate violence to economic justice to services for seniors," said Rea Carey, the Task Force's Deputy Executive Director.

The new department will also assume management and coordination of the National Policy Roundtable, comprised of the Executive Directors of national policy-focused LGBT organizations, and the National Religious Leadership Roundtable comprised of interfaith leaders from pro-LGBT faith, spiritual, and religious organizations.

While the new department is a marked ratcheting up of its voice and involvement in Washington, DC, the Task Force has a long and proud history of involvement in federal affairs. In 1974, it was the driving force behind the first gay rights bill introduced in Congress (a bill introduced by Bella Abzug and Ed Koch to amend civil rights laws to include discrimination based on sexual orientation). In the late 1970's the Task Force hired the first full-time gay and lesbian rights lobbyist, and in 1982, the first federal lobbyist on HIV/AIDS. In more recent years, it has led efforts to insure that proposed legislation include protections for transgender people.

The three exceptional leaders hired to staff the department are:

• Eldie Acheson, former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Policy Development, will serve as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs. During her eight-year tenure at the Department of Justice, Ms. Acheson managed the agency's judicial appointment process and had responsibility for a broad array of criminal and civil justice policy and legislative initiatives, including law enforcement, crime and violence control, violence against women, and sexual assault.
• Dave Noble, who stepped down as Executive Director of National Stonewall Democrats last week, has been appointed Political Director.
• Amber Hollibaugh, will serve as Senior Strategist. She comes to the Task Force from SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Seniors) and is one of the nation's leading experts on LGBT senior issues and HIV in women.

(More detailed background information appears at the end of this release.)

They will be joined by a Government Affairs Coordinator in the coming months, as well as two attorneys already on staff — Kara Suffredeni (Legislative Lawyer) and Lisa Mottet (Transgender Civil Rights Project Lawyer) — who will continue to provide legislative and policy assistance to state and local LGBT rights organizations.

Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation (the Task Force) was the first national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization and remains the movement's leading voice for freedom, justice, and equality. We work to build the grassroots political strength of our community by training state and local activists and leaders, working to strengthen the infrastructure of state and local allies, and organizing broad-based campaigns to build public support for complete equality for LGBT people. Our Policy Institute, the community's premiere think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a world that respects and makes visible the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society. Headquartered in Washington, DC, we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Cambridge. The Task Force is a 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in Washington, DC. Contributions to the Task Force are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc. ("NGLTF, Inc."), founded in 1974, works to build the grassroots political power of the LGBT community to win complete equality. We do this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation and pass pro-LGBT legislation and other measures. We also analyze and report on the positions of candidates for public office on issues of importance to the LGBT community. NGLTF, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation incorporated in New York. Contributions to NGLTF, Inc. are not tax-deductible.

Copyright © 2005 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Creating Change(TM) is a trademark of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
The Task Force Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID #52-1624852.

New Staff - Background

Eleanor D. (Eldie) Acheson, Director of the Department of Public Policy and Government Affairs, served as Assistant Attorney General from 1993 to 2001. Her responsibilities included managing the judicial appointment process of the U.S. Department of Justice. During her tenure an exceptionally diverse group of 378 highly qualified people were appointed to the federal bench. Ms. Acheson also had responsibility for a broad array of criminal and civil justice policy and legislative initiatives, including law enforcement, crime and violence control, and civil rights matters such as terrorism, violence against women, sexual assault, violence against abortion providers, and defendant rights, and Native American law enforcement and tribal courts. In her work with the Senate Judicial Committee and members of Congress and their staff from both sides of the aisle, Ms. Acheson developed a reputation as an effective strategist and diplomat. Prior to her work with the Justice Department, Acheson clerked for the late Judge Edward T. Gignoux of the federal district court in Maine and then practiced law in Boston, MA for 19 years with Ropes & Gray as a trial lawyer representing clients in state and federal proceedings. During the most recent presidential campaign, she served as an advisor to John Kerry.

Dave Noble, Political Director, is moving to the Task Force from National Stonewall Democrats, where he served as Executive Director for two years. During his tenure, Stonewall Democrats grew significantly, expanded its major donor base, and launched the Stonewall Student Network. In the 2004 campaign, Stonewall Democrats put staff on the ground in nine states; partnered with the League of Hip Hop Voters, MoveOn.org Student Action, the Young Democrats of America, and The League of Pissed Off Voters to mobilize hundreds of thousands of young voters; and organized 28 get-out-the-vote events with Stonewall's Chrissy Gephardt in targeted states. Previously, Mr. Noble was Executive Director of Young Democrats of America, Communications Director for the Rhode Island State Senate, and Communications Director for the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. He also served as state primary campaign manager for Rhode Island Democratic gubernatorial nominee Myrth York, and as campaign manager for several Rhode Island state legislative candidates.

Amber Hollibaugh, Senior Strategist, comes to the Task Force from SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) where she served as the Director of Education, Advocacy and Community Building. (SAGE is the first national organization dedicated to providing services and advocacy for LGBT seniors.) For many years, she created innovative National HIV and AIDS programs and was the first director of the Lesbian AIDS Project at Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). A well-known activist, artist, writer, and community organizer, Ms. Hollibaugh has been working on cutting edge issues of the LGBT liberation movement since its beginnings in 1969. She is author of My Dangerous Desires: a Queer Girl Dreaming Her Way Home. She also co-produced and directed The Heart of the Matter, a documentary about women's sexuality and HIV risk, which won the 1994 Sundance Festival Freedom of Expression Award and ran on the PBS series, P.O.V. Hollibaugh is on the advisory panel of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, is a board member of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) and is a founding board member of Queers for Economic Justice.

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.