As part of the LGBT Civic Engagement Project, students visited the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) national headquarters in Washington, D.C. The visit was organized by Candace Gingrich-Jones, Associate Director of Youth and Campus Outreach. The Human Rights Campaign [1] is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Founded in 1980, the organization mobilizes grassroots actions, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office and educates the public about LGBT issues.
Candace spoke to students about:
- HRC's history
- The evolution of HRC's activism
- The core focus of HRC's efforts
A series of other speakers also discussed issues affecting the LGBT communities throughout the U.S. and the initiatives that have been put in place to help tackle future discrimination against them.
Speakers included:
- Sharon Groves, Director of the Religion and Faith Program, who spoke about HRC’s efforts to engage with faith communities and congregations for LGBT inclusion and acceptance.
- Alison Delpercio, Assistant Director of the Family Project, who discussed three core efforts of outreach and education (Welcoming Schools, All Children – All Families and the Healthcare Equality Index).
The visit concluded with a call to action from HRC’s Field Team. The representative encouraged TWC interns to volunteer at HRC's phone bank and talk to Maryland residents about the state’s referendum and upholding the same-sex marriage law. Learn more about the Marylanders for Marriage Equality [2] and HRC’s part in this state coalition.
