WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 - The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds the appointment of former board member Roberta Achtenberg to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an advisory panel charged with investigating, reporting on, and making recommendations to the president and Congress on issues concerning civil rights in the United States.

Achtenberg was the first openly gay person ever to be nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate (in 1993, she was appointed to the position of assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by President Bill Clinton). Achtenberg has also worked as a civil rights attorney; is a co-founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights; and is a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, among other positions.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

"The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is a vital voice for fairness, and Roberta Achtenberg's inclusion on the panel will be of great benefit to it and to our country. As an accomplished champion of civil rights and of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Roberta brings a critical and invaluable perspective to the table. We've had the great pleasure of working with Roberta as a member of our board; she is someone who truly embodies the Task Force's belief that no one is free when others are oppressed. As a truth-teller of courage, conscience and conviction, she will serve our nation well as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights."

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit www.theTaskForce.org and follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movements premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge. © 2010 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Phone 202.393.5177. Fax 202.393.2241. TTY 202.393.2284. theTaskForce@theTaskForce.org.

 Share on Facebook

Share on MySpace!

    Share on Delicious

Share on StumbleUpon!