Los Angeles Mayor to Speak at Human Rights Campaign Gala Dinner in San Francisco

    SAN FRANCISCO, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Human Rights
 Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil
 rights organization, today announced that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
 Villaraigosa will deliver the keynote political address at the
 organization's gala dinner on Saturday, July 26th.
 
     Villaraigosa is a staunch advocate of GLBT equality who publicly
 supported the legalization of marriages for gay and lesbian couples in
 California and who last month issued an executive directive barring
 employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
 
     "I am thrilled and honored that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will join us
 for our annual gala dinner in San Francisco, particularly during this
 historic fight to preserve marriage equality in California," said HRC
 President Joe Solmonese. "Mayor Villaraigosa has consistently shown that he
 understands, as we do, that GLBT rights are civil rights and human rights.
 We are grateful to have him as an ally as HRC continues its efforts to
 ensure that gay and lesbian couples are treated equally under California
 law."
 
     When ordering tickets, all dinner guests will be given the option to
 designate up to 100 percent of the fee to the HRC California Marriage PAC.
 The PAC was established to fight against the anti-marriage ballot
 initiative. Proceeds from the dinner are part of the recent $500,000 pledge
 by HRC. In the past year, HRC also provided six full-time staff members and
 $100,000 to Equality for All, a large and diverse coalition of civil
 rights, faith, choice, labor and communities of color organizations working
 to stop and defeat any ballot measure that would deny gay and lesbian
 couples the right to marry in California.
 
     The theme of this year's dinner is "Race for Equality," and it will be
 held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel on Saturday, July 26th. To purchase
 tickets to the San Francisco Dinner, please visit
 http://sfbayarea.hrc.org/dinner or call Box Office Tickets at: 800-494-TIXS
 (8497). To donate to the HRC California Marriage PAC, visit
 http://www.hrc.org/california.
 
     The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights
 organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
 equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end
 discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves
 fundamental fairness and equality for all.
 
 
 

SOURCE Human Rights Campaign