Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 15:04:46 -0500 From: INLGO@aol.com At the conclusion of the first National Conference of Openly Lesbian and Gay Elected and Appointed Officials, those in attendance issued a press release announcing the existence of this group and enumerating a number of substantive issues and initiatives. Held in West Hollywood, California, the conference was attended by officials and other activists from around the country. Chris Smith, openly gay Member of Parliament from London, England, was the keynote speaker. The original thirteen officials in attendance who signed the statement on November 24, 1985 are listed at the end of the document. Annually since this historic event, conferences have been held in different cities across North America. The group has grown, has adopted a structure, and incorporated a non-profit charitable organization to support them in their work and to perpetuate the mission of education and full participation in the public arena. This organization is now known as the International Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials (INLGO). National Conference of Openly Lesbian and Gay Elected and Appointed Officials ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESS STATEMENT for release November 24, 1985 As elected officials, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to serve as teachers within the institutions of government. We intend to give our perspectives on what is needed by all the people who live in our country, and to demonstrate to our own community that we will always obtain more by reaching for what we need rather than settling for what we can get. We stand here today to appeal to the American people to reject personal prejudice as public policy. Instead we ask them to embrace a vision of America whose rich history we share, and which includes as equal partners, people of color, women, those who hold differing religious views, and people from many lands. We ask not only to be seen and heard, but also to be acknowledged for the work we are doing to provide fair and effective government, and to be supported in our demand that gay and lesbian people be given the respect and justice we deserve. We support and seek to place at the head of our national agenda a vision of human rights which embraces those material and non-material resources which are necessary for each individual to grow into a self-fulfilled, confident, and secure person. To that end, we support local, state, and national legislation outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, religion, sex, marital status, disability status, national or ethnic origin, and age. We support legislative and legal efforts to overturn laws that prohibit consensual sexual activity between adults. We support efforts to ensure that food, shelter, health care, education, and the effective delivery of government services are available to all people regardless of their income. And we support a federal budget that recognizes that social justice at home is a vital and compelling national security interest deserving increased resources and attention. The National Conference of Openly Lesbian and Gay Elected and Appointed Officials is a resource, planning, and support network including lesbian and gay elected and appointed officials from across the United States. The National Conference provides a forum for discussion of shared concerns and problems. It is a springboard for ideas on politics and social issues. It serves as a vehicle for planning and organizing efforts of its participants. We, as elected officials, are committed to using our positions, our abilities, and our power to change laws and lobby colleagues to shape a more just society. We will assist one another in our election and fundraising efforts and will encourage and actively work for the election and appointment of other openly lesbian and gay officials. We support a multiple strategy to deal with AIDS and AIDS related illnesses, including local efforts to protect people from discrimination based on AIDS, increased services to people with AIDS, and increased funding for AIDS research and education at every level of government. We are committed to go as a body of officials to Washington to lobby for increased funding for AIDS research and education and to ensure compassionate and informed care for people with AIDS. We are sending a letter to the Center for Disease Control outlining our conviction that AIDS demands an aggressive, coordinated, and speedy research effort. We will encourage other citizens to mobilize a national effort so that equality and sensitivity characterize America's response to the AIDS crisis. Our families and our relationships are an important part of our lives. As part of our commitment to full equality for gay and lesbian people, we support Domestic Partners legislation and other steps to the legal recognition of our families. We demand equitable treatment in child custody, foster care and adoption. We support efforts to ensure that children are placed with loving and caring people and recognize that the ability to provide a loving and nurturing environment is the only appropriate test of a home. We are also deeply concerned that children develop a positive and healthy attitude towards sex and their sexual identity. We support equality for women, including economic justice, passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and reproductive freedom. There are many other ways in which laws and administrative practices in such basic areas as immigration and employment discriminate against gays and lesbians. We are committed to combat all such forms of discrimination and to assure that gays and lesbians can play a full part in the life of our country. To further this work and to continue and expand our networking and support efforts, we will hold an annual conference. We are excited by this historic gathering of the nation's openly lesbian and gay elected and appointed officials. We are impressed with our diversity: we are male and female; Republican and Democrat; urban and rural; local, state, and national; East Coast, West Coast, Southern, and Mid-Western. We are proud of the compassion and commitment we have brought to this conference and we recognize our individual abilities and collective strengths as elected leaders to fulfill our goals. OPENLY LESBIAN AND GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS - Press Statement November 24, 1985 The Hon. David Scondras City Council Member Boston, Massachusetts The Hon. Robert Ebersole Town Clerk, Tax Collector and Treasurer Lunenburg, Massachusetts The Hon. Allan Spear State Senator Minnesota The Hon. Karen Clark State Representative Minnesota The Hon. Brian Coyle City Council Member Minneapolis, Minnesota The Hon. Richard Wagner Supervisor Dane County, Wisconsin The Hon. Kathleen Nichols Supervisor Dane County, Wisconsin The Hon. Harry Britt Supervisor San Francisco, California The Hon. John Heilman Mayor West Hollywood, California The Hon. Valerie Terrigno City Council Member West Hollywood, California The Hon. Steve Schulte City Council Member West Hollywood, California The Hon. John Laird City Council Member Santa Cruz, California The Hon. Robert Gentry City Council Member Laguna Beach, California