BGLAD speaker discusses gays and the political arena

Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, discussed her organization's efforts to advance the cause of gay and lesbian rights last night in Stiteler Hall as part of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Awareness Days. Birch has been in her current position at HRCF -- the largest gay and lesbian political organization in the country -- for just eight weeks. This was her first visit to a college campus in that capacity. Birch, who formerly served as Worldwide Director of Litigation and Human Resources council for Apple Computer, said this move allows her to bring "very exciting, 21st century tools to the gay and lesbian movement." She spoke about her realization that she was a lesbian -- which came very early in her life while she lived in Canada. "I am one of those children that knew very, very early on about my sexuality, and it was unusual because I felt enormously special about it," she said. "Literally, I sprung whole on the Canadian prairie as a little tiny lesbian," Birch quipped to an audience of approximately 35. In speaking about her work, Birch said HRCF works within the political realm. HRCF "is about amassing power within the conventional American legislative and electoral processes," Birch said. She added that it is necessary for gays and lesbians to be able to influence legislators in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Birch also said gays and lesbians should work on establishing a political field operation in the United States, something which she said has not been done before. "We have never laid down the magical grid, so that?at the congressional district level, we build critical masses around each member [of Congress] to alter behavior at the top," Birch said. She explained that working to increase funding for AIDS research is among HRCF's top legislative priorities for the 104th Congress. In addition, Birch said HRCF will work to have the Employment Non-Discrimination Act introduced. She said that although she does not expect it to pass in the current session of Congress, it serves as an educational tool, and therefore could be passed in the future. Birch added that HRCF is trying to bring moderate Republicans to support their cause. She also said the best way to promote a bipartisan support is by talking about gays and lesbians in the workplace. "It is our best, most fertile ground to organize on right now," she said. She added that this is "an extremely hopeful time" for gays and lesbians in the United States. "This country is way ahead of Congress in terms of gay and lesbian and bisexual issues," she said. "This country has been transformed in the last two years." Birch pointed to the corporate world -- which she called "a very conservative part of American society" -- for evidence of this. She noted that more than half of the Fortune 1000 companies have non-discrimination policies, and about half of these have been implemented in the last year and a half.

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