Human Rights Campaign - Obama Presidency Oral History Back Human Rights Campaign Index / Organizations Transcripts Mandy Carter ...for three and a half years with the Human Rights Campaign . And I think a lot of people go—an... Janice Langbehn ...the head of GLAAD, or Lambda Legal, or HRC [Human Rights Campaign] . So I calle... ...of GLAAD, or Lambda Legal, or HRC [ Human Rights Campaign ] . So I called Cindy Krieger, the ver... Raffi Freedman-Gurspan ...want to credit organizations like the Human Rights Campaign , like what is now the LGBTQ Chamber o... ...up to a message from a colleague at the Human Rights Campaign . To be honest, I was a little groggy... Barney Frank ...the Obama Presidency Oral History and Human Rights Campaign [HRC] projects. I have the honor o... ...History and Human Rights Campaign [ HRC ] projects. I have the honor o... ...many important and meaningful ways with HRC from its founding in the 1980s on... ...know, Michael—the original name of the Human Rights Campaign was the Gay Rights National Lobb... ...Gay Rights National Lobby [GRNL]. The Human Rights Campaign was originally the fundraising tail t... ...yes, we talked about GRNL and about the Human Rights Campaign as a piece of it. We had anothe... ...was important to Steve and certainly to HRC Fund. Was that something you though... ...tactics versus direct action. As HRC Fund launches and they begin to mayb... ...[Crosstalk] I don't remember HRC doing any direct action. I try to mak... ...book too. I want to go back to then HRC Fund and obviously the emergence of th... ...reinforcing. I had heard people from HRC , especially at that time, describe ho... ...conversations with people like Vic or HRC ? That was very striking to me... ...which I know people who were working at HRC in the 1990s thought that was a rea... ...maybe some of the political actors at HRC was over working with Republicans an... ...at the time. And let me say, not with HRC , but with the gay and lesbian [LGBTQ... ...this for more money? It seemed like HRC desperately wanted to beat him almos... ...the political process. No it wasn't at HRC , it was at ACT UP—somebody putting ... ...or working with organizations like Human Rights Campaign , who, I think, maybe had less trust i... ...up often in these interviews around HRC . How did you handle and deal with th... ...incredible. This makes me think of HRC as an organization that develops... ...But I'm actually curious your sense of HRC becoming increasingly professional an... ...veto. I did have this one criticism of HRC . There would be occasions when leader... ... I would say this. I never saw in HRC or other organizations like that, ... ...I got the sense from individuals within HRC that it wasn't an issue that they wer... ...Obama signing a gay rights bill with Human Rights Campaign people there. But my usual pictur... ...became the executive director of the Human Rights Campaign and got his political start in my 198... Show more... Jon Carson ...Club, and Planned Parenthood, and HRC [Human Rights Campaign] as I was th... ...Club, and Planned Parenthood, and HRC [ Human Rights Campaign ] as I was the Interior Department. An... ...have been over at the Sierra Club, HRC , or Planned Parenthood. That ladde... Judy and Dennis Shepard ...2021. My name is Michael Falco for the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] Oral History and Obama Presidenc... ...Falco for the Human Rights Campaign [ HRC ] Oral History and Obama Presidenc... ...The Shepards have a long connection to Human Rights Campaign , beginning after the 1998 murder o... ...could start by you telling me when the Human Rights Campaign had first come to your attention. ... ...have given ten thousand dollars to the Human Rights Campaign in Matt's name.” We're like, Wow, tha... ...Wow, that is really genius. What's the Human Rights Campaign ? I called to thank him, and he said... ...you would like to meet folks from the Human Rights Campaign , we're having the annual HRC gala i... ...Campaign, we're having the annual HRC gala in Denver [Colorado] in February.... ...I felt I could do the most for. So the HRC is the only one that I really staye... ...you have imagined a connection to HRC without Dennis? Could you imagine ho... ...I had not had the initial connection to HRC , either. We didn't know any of th... ...process like for you, then? Obviously HRC is important to that, but I assume... ...in addition to the friends I made at HRC . The educating part was just bein... ...She still is. Yes, she still is. HRC really lost something so unique an... ...them. You had mentioned the sense of HRC being friends, and once you got ther... ...understanding, all those things. So the HRC folks and those people, only as friend... ...to have that. But the folks at HRC , they really became friends. And eve... ...sense. As you start interacting with HRC , and then the opportunities to spea... ...of you have been in major—I've been to HRC dinners. I know, even that. How man... ...of saying that, I think first at the HRC dinner in 2000 maybe and again a fe... ...And it wasn't officially inclusive at HRC . And when they took a vote to do that... ...community has to be a part of this. HRC never—they couldn't really articulat... ...incredible at the time, given where HRC was with the inclusion of transgende... ...so important that they were included in HRC 's mission. Did you surprise yoursel... ...you evolve in your role on the HRC board—and you said, When Judy speaks... ...Because you were also on the [ HRC ] Foundation board, too, right, an... ...any influence, just perspective. The HRC board is enormous. I also felt like th... ...the staff largely drove the policy of HRC , not the board. The role of the boar... ...except— Oh, I didn't realize that. The HRC experience on the board, was tha... ...relationship, for both of you, with HRC was in part also a desire to build th... ...that work out for you with regard to HRC , and were they able to help you thin... ...connections to an organization like HRC ? Elizabeth leaves, David—as you... ...of it has to do with the effort that HRC made to stay in touch and keep m... ...She doesn't do as many events for HRC as she used to. So she isn't familia... ...Judy's not doing so many events with HRC , because they're on a different focu... ...connections or relationships through HRC , or did that also come through som... ...Patrick [Joseph] Kennedy [II] at the HRC dinner, the first Ted Kennedy Awar... ...tangible for people? And for both HRC and the administration, do you have ... ...your connection to President Obama, to HRC , anything else that's really importan... ...13, 2021. This is Michael Falco for the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] Oral History and Obama Presidenc... ...Falco for the Human Rights Campaign [ HRC ] Oral History and Obama Presidenc... ...supporters, and everybody else like HRC and PFLAG [then Parents, Families, an... ...more deeply about that connection to HRC , and how you know that the hate crime... ...countless others who were part of the HRC lobbying effort. They knew when i... ...people's names. But everyone at HRC was all in. They were all in. It'... ...the ADL [Anti-Defamation League] and HRC . There was a dinner that we were a... ...is a family. When I would go to DC with HRC for board meetings and other things i... ...meet with him again several times at HRC events, and always at White Hous... ...campaign trail, we did an event with HRC and CNN [Cable News Network], and h... ...would want us to be part of either HRC or the Obama library. We're jus... Show more... Valerie Jarrett ...with all those groups, including the HRC [Human Rights Campaign] and so man... ...all those groups, including the HRC [ Human Rights Campaign ] and so many other ones. Yeah, HR... ...and so many other ones. Yeah, HRC was pretty steadily supportive, I hav... Tina Tchen ...Actually, [unclear] a history of the Human Rights Campaign , HRC, right now. Can you hear me okay... ...a history of the Human Rights Campaign, HRC , right now. Can you hear me okay? ... ...Yes, now it's better. Okay, good. So HRC , and the early days of the presidenc... ...and so they––multiple groups, not just HRC , but GLSEN [Gay, Lesbian & Straigh... Brian Bond ...to her to go to—I think it was an HRC [Human Rights Campaign] board o... ...to her to go to—I think it was an HRC [ Human Rights Campaign ] board of governors and directors... ...when she's going to talk to the HRC for that first meeting and things lik... ...stakeholders. It won't surprise you, HRC , CAP [Center for American Progress]... ...you join certain meetings? If HRC was there, you would try and be i... ...advocates on the outside, like CAP and HRC , were very incredibly helpful i... ...and how the organizations, and how HRC , and PFLAG, and GLSEN, and everyone i... ...Valerie having gone to speak to the HRC board— Yes, you did talk about that. ... ...hate crimes. I would be talking to CAP, HRC , the Task Force—whomever else, lot... ...linking with these organizations, like HRC and these other orgs? Is there ever ... ...then the traditional LGBT groups, like HRC and the Task Force. Everybody had ... ...from the Task Force, Joe Solmonese, HRC . You had key legislative people lik... ...you probably don't have to convince HRC , and Task Force, and others to go ou... Show more... 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