2008 Annual Report 1 Letters

20 ANNUAL 08 REPORT POLITICSOF THEPOSSIBLE THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FOUNDATION WE STAND FOR THE POLITICS OF POSSIBILITY Believing in the politics of the possible — without ever losing sight of the fundamental goals of the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement — is the cornerstone of our work at the Human Rights Campaign. In 2008, we put that strategy into practice across a broad spectrum of objectives, from the highest levels of national politics and legislation, to the daily lives of millions of LGBT Americans in their homes, workplaces, faith communities, schools and neighborhoods. In these pages, you will learn what a force of 725,000 members and supporters can accomplish when it pools its resolve and resources to accomplish its goals and push forward the boundaries of what will be achieved in the future. It can’t all happen in a single election, Congress, news cycle or year. But the work of the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation proves every day that it is happening, steadily and irrevocably, to the benefit of every American who believes in the one thing that has always been possible in our country: equality for all. LETTERS ELECTIONS LEGISLATION COMMUNICATING FOUNDATION FINANCIALS SUPPORT 2 4 5 8 10 14 17 HRC President Joe HRC works as never The limits of possibility Hundreds of thousands Record progress in A strong, diversified The lists of our supporters Solmonese and the before to lay the ground- prove painfully evident engage with HRC at corporate America, a funding base ensures who make HRC’s work co-chairs of HRC and the work for historic gains in a closely divided prides, through local new initiative to promote the continued strength possible. HRC Foundation boards in the 2008 elections. Congress confronting organizing and on equality in healthcare and of America’s leading discuss the possibilities. a hostile administration. the nationwide True advances in the religion LGBT rights organization. Colors tour. and faith area. HRC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT 1 LETTERS ruling and potentially invalidate the Non-Discrimination Act achieved a of the possible in virtually every area FROM THE thousands of joyful marriages it made partial yet historic victory when the of LGBT life, as you’ll read in the PRESIDENT possible. Newlywed couples from House voted for the first time ever to pages that follow and in the letters one end of the state to the other ban workplace discrimination based below. have emerged from city halls, mar- on sexual orientation. Other bills gained riage licenses in hand, to the catcalls ground as we placed them squarely Possibilities aren’t handed to us. and campaigning of people whose on Congress’s radar, as further evi- They are created by us. Not always foremost priority — at a time of war, dence that no matter what happens as quickly as we would like, and global warming, and rampant housing in the states, these issues — and our rarely in the absence of vigorous foreclosures — is the denial of those advocacy — are not going away. opposition. But those possibilities families’ rights to be recognized and will continue to emerge and multiply, protected under the law. This past fiscal year, HRC implemented so long as we never lose sight of During this past fiscal year, advocates its largest and most comprehensive our fundamental goals. That’s been for the possible in American politics HRC devoted significant resources political education and action initiative true of every movement for social held strong — from coast to coast to defeating the anti-marriage equality ever in the 2008 campaign. We began change, and it’s especially true of — against those determined to keep amendments in California and Florida, that work early on, decisively and visibly, the movement for equality. America back. In Florida, right-wing as well as a third amendment in Arizona. in August 2007 with our LGBT Presiden- activists gathered enough signatures And we continued to fight for a series tial Forum in Los Angeles, co-sponsored HRC is proud to be at its forefront, to put an amendment on the state of incremental victories that would with the Logo cable television network. and we thank you for being right ballot that would foreclose the pos- provide rights and protections for LGBT Six leading Democratic contenders there with us. sibility of marriage equality for all. In couples and families outside of marriage participated in the event, the first of its California, hopeful activists on the law, and for LGBT individuals of all kind in U.S. political history. Grassroots Sincerely, other side of the issue anticipated circumstances facing discrimination activities in Iowa, New Hampshire, a potential state Supreme Court in the workplace, the military, immi- Florida and other early primary and ruling — since realized — to extend gration law and beyond. caucus states ensured that candidates full marriage equality to same-sex encountered LGBT issues, voters and couples in the nation’s biggest state. In Congress, no fewer than 10 pieces advocates at virtually every turn in the of legislation were introduced to marathon campaign. Joe Solmonese As this annual report goes to press, advance equality for LGBT Americans. President, Human Rights Campaign the monumental victory in Califor- The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes These political and legislative efforts and Human Rights Campaign nia is endangered by Proposition Prevention Act passed both the House were amplified by a wealth of other Foundation 8, which would nullify the court’s and Senate, while the Employment activities to advance the boundaries FROM THE HRC BOARD CO-CHAIRS The rights and interests of LGBT the country to rally further support In the decade since, Congress has elect a president who will sign both a Americans were a prominent feature for the policy’s repeal. consistently failed to enact legisla- fully inclusive ENDA and the Matthew of the country’s political, legislative tion to add sexual orientation and Shepard Act into law. and cultural landscape throughout Just weeks after Gen. Pace’s remarks gender identity to the list of catego- 2008 — bubbling up in their own (and subsequent retirement), a ries protected by federal hate crimes If the 2008 elections bring the change undeniable way, as well as being recording of statements made by law. The attainment of that urgent for which so many Americans are brought to the forefront by the Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern goal came closer than ever in 2007, yearning, the work of HRC in the past work of HRC. ignited a firestorm of criticism and as both houses of Congress passed year has laid essential groundwork an outpouring of condemnation from the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes for making the attainment of LGBT The physical landscape of our nation’s members and supporters of HRC. Prevention Act. But the threat of equality one of its most important capital was movingly altered with “I honestly think homosexuality is a presidential veto ultimately kept manifestations. “12,000 Flags for 12,000 Patriots,” the biggest threat our nation has,” the measure from becoming law. an installation on the National Mall said Kern, “even more so than Sincerely, co-sponsored by HRC and a coalition terrorism or Islam.” A more complex matrix of political of organizations to call attention to challenges confronted ENDA, the the gay and lesbian servicemembers These inflammatory remarks under- Employment Non-Discrimination Act. discharged since the discriminatory scored the continuing reality of A version of the bill made history on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that anti-gay hate crimes and the attitudes Nov. 7, 2007, when the House voted went into effect in 1993. Remarks that foster them. In February, 15-year- for the first time to ban workplace by Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of old Lawrence King of Oxnard, Calif., discrimination on the basis of sexual the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in which was shot and killed by a schoolmate orientation. The urgency of passing he described homosexual acts as while attending a class at E.O. Green a fully inclusive ENDA, protecting “immoral,” heightened awareness Junior High School. It was the most every member of the LGBT com- of HRC’s “A Legacy of Service Tour,” shocking and widely publicized anti- munity, deepened our resolve to Henry Robin and Mary Snider which brought openly gay veterans of LGBT hate crime fatality since the make maximum gains in the 2008 Human Rights Campaign Board the Iraq war to communities across murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998. congressional elections, and to Co-Chairs FROM THE HRC FOUNdatioN BOARD CO-CHAIRS LGBT equality was a reality in more 45 percent of the hospitals answered for Equality guide, the third edition The work of the HRC Foundation is lives than ever in 2008 as a direct “yes” to providing equal rights to of which was published in 2008. an important adjunct to the political result of the work of the Human LGBT patients. The good news: Together, the two projects represent efforts of HRC itself — making certain Rights Campaign Foundation. Some Healthcare institutions are now on the best of “bottom-up” pressure that equality is moving forward on all of the most exciting progress was notice that HRC is watching and for positive progress toward equality fronts in American society, enlight- produced by HRC’s new Healthcare measuring, and will now begin to in private sector America. ening lawmakers to what’s possible Equality Index, which began compete for steadily increasing by putting it into practice in the daily applying the same strategies that rankings on the HEI in coming years. Building on the huge success of lives of millions of American citizens.

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