Candidate: Will Fitzpatrick Home: Cranston, Rhode Island Profession: Computer Programmer/Analyst Office Sought: Rhode Island State Senate Primary Date: September 13, 1994 General Election: November 8, 1994 Will Fitzpatrick for Rhode Island State Senate In November, 1992, Will Fitzpatrick became the first openly gay candidate elected to public office in the history of Rhode Island, unseating a 15-year, anti-gay incumbent with 62 percent of the vote. Despite his stellar record as a freshman Senator, Fitzpatrick has been targeted for defeat by the radical right. It is essential to our struggle for civil rights that Senator Fitzpatrick be re-elected. In the midst of the current anti-gay political backlash, we cannot afford to lose one of only four gay-held state senate seats in the country. The Campaign Expanding upon the grassroots support that elected him in 1992, Senator Fitzpatrick is building upon a broad coalition of supporters that includes Ocean State Action (a coalition of advocacy groups dedicated to education reform, tax reform, choice and civil rights for all), the Coalition to Preserve Choice, the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Education Association PAC for Education, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Vote Environment, the New England Health Care Employees Union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Rhode Island Council 94) and the Employees International Union, Local 134 (AFL-CIO). Dedicated to creating jobs, protecting the environment, improving education and supporting civil rights for all people, Senator Fitzpatrick faces daunting opposition for re-election. The Democratic committee that endorsed his conservative opponent in 1992 is expected to endorse another conservative opponent in 1994. Because he is openly gay, Fitzpatrick is being targeted by right-wing groups in his state. He has already been subjected to personal attacks because of his unequivocal support of civil rights/sexual orientation legislation. The Candidate The Providence Journal-Bulletin describes Fitzpatrick as having "the clean-cut reliable air you'd expect of a reform candidate who knocked off a State House insider in the primary and went on to win Election Day." He works full-time (Rhode Island State Senators are only paid $300 per year) as a computer programmer/analyst with over twelve years of specialized experience in publishing, health care, high-tech manufacturing, law and tax collection. Active in his community, Fitzpatrick has volunteered for the Edgewood Neighborhood Association, for the Trinity Repertory Company and for Literacy Volunteers of America, and serves as a voter registrar. A dedicated advocate of civil rights for all people, Fitzpatrick has been recognized by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Rhode Island for his "efforts to provide a voice in the Rhode Island General Assembly for people with mental illnesses, their friends and families and more specifically, [for his] effort to end discrimination against people with mental illness." Senator Fitzpatrick has distinguished himself during his freshman term by becoming the Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Energy, and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Health, Education and Welfare Committee. He also serves on the Eastern Regional Conference Committee of the Council of State Governments and on the Commission on Religious, Racial and Ethnic Harassment. Among his legislative victories, Fitzpatrick was the prime sponsor of a recycling bill, which is now law, to lessen the waste stream going in the state landfill. He was also the prime sponsor of a bill designed to create jobs and improve decaying areas of his district by adding a blighted section of Cranston to an existing enterprise zone in Providence, thus attracting businesses to the area by offering tax incentives. This too was signed into law. Other successful legislation provides for student representation on the board of governors for higher education. The District State Senate District 11, where Fitzpatrick has been a homeowner for six years, is located south of Providence in Cranston, Rhode Island. A working- and middle-class urban district with a small gay and lesbian population, it is home to a large number of right-wing activists, including the president of the Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee who continues to make an issue of Fitzpatrick's sexual orientation and is leading the opposition against him. Working for the Gay and Lesbian Community A passionate fighter for gay and lesbian rights, Fitzpatrick co-sponsored a hate crimes reporting bill that passed during his first year in office. The bill adds sexual orientation, gender and disability to existing classes to be monitored by state, municipal and campus police, allowing these agencies to record crimes motivated by bigotry and bias. Though located between two states that have extended civil rights protection to gays and lesbians Connecticut and Massachusetts Rhode Island has yet to pass a gay civil rights law. Historically, Rhode Island's efforts to enact this civil rights legislation have been a sad series of missteps; for nine consecutive years, legislation has been filed and has failed. In 1990, the Senate approved the legislation but it died in the House on a 45-45 deadlock vote. In 1991, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee (a strong opponent of civil rights for homosexuals) killed the bill in committee by scheduling a vote during a recess of the legislature when many supportive members of the committee were out of town. Before Fitzpatrick's election in 1992, the legislation was approved by the House but failed in the Senate by a vote of 25-23. Since his election in November 1992, Fitzpatrick has spearheaded the fight to enact state-wide civil rights protection for gays and lesbians. In 1993, the bill passed the Senate by a resounding 30-17 vote. The unprecedented margin in the Senate can be directly attributed both to Fitzpatrick's tireless work on the measure's behalf and to his visible presence as an openly gay elected official. Unfortunately, the bill failed in the House of Representatives. "The legislative battle is over for this year, but the fight will continue," Fitzpatrick vowed. Can He Win? Fitzpatrick's 1992 trouncing of an entrenched incumbent who outspent him 3:1 clearly shows that he can win in the district, but his refusal to hide his sexual orientation and his tireless advocacy for gay and lesbian civil rights has made him the target of the radical right. Capitalizing on Rhode Island's majority Catholic population, anti-choice groups have converted their rhetoric from pro-life to pro-family (i.e., anti- gay). They are calling on their members and right-wing allies to get Fitzpatrick out of office. Why Will Fitzpatrick's Election Matters to You In 1992, Fitzpatrick's campaign for State Senate was rated as one of three "critical" races by the Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. His re-election in 1994 is even more critical for our community. Allowing the radical right to succeed in ousting one of the few openly gay elected officials in the nation would be a terrible blow to lesbians and gay men everywhere. Why Your Contribution Matters to Will Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick must raise early money to mount a professional campaign and discourage other candidates from entering the race. Your contribution will also help counteract right-wing funding that his opponents are sure to receive. To Support Will Fitzpatrick Make your checks payable to: Fitzpatrick Senate Committee And mail them to: The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street, N.W., Suite 707 Washington, DC 20005 Individual and PAC contributions are limited to $1,000 per calendar year. No corporate contributions are allowed. Rhode Island State campaign finance laws require that contributors giving more than $100 provide their employer and employer's address. Paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and authorized by the Fitzpatrick Senate Committee. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund voice: 202-842-8679 fax: 202-289-3863 email: victoryf@aol.com