Tue. March 6, 2012
Chicago, IL -
The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA), Illinois' leading Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights advocacy organization, is proud to announce that long-time community leader Rick Garcia is joining The Civil Rights Agenda in the role of Policy Advisor. In his role, Garcia will be the Director of The Civil Rights Agenda's new project for same gender marriage rights, aptly named, ‘Equal Marriage Illinois'.
Garcia, an activist and community leader on the front lines of LGBT equality for three decades, brings to TCRA, and it's new marriage project, a wealth of experience, historical perspective and the ability to produce results. Chicago based, Garcia is a national figure known for his ability to advance LGBT policy.
"Rick has been a key leader on every gay legislative initiative since the 1980's," said Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda. "From Illinois' first human rights ordinance to civil unions, he has been shaping the strategy and leading the policy fight. I have also grown to respect Rick on a personal level as we have worked together on many initiatives over the past year. He is committed to ensuring that the LGBT community has a voice, and that the members of our community, and their issues and struggles, are always at the forefront of his work. It truly has been a perfect match. We are very grateful to have him join our team."
"I am thrilled and humbled that Rick is officially joining us," said Lowell Jaffe, political and policy director for The Civil Rights Agenda. "I got the call that he would be joining us while I was taking my kids to the LGBT history exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. Being in that setting, seeing Rick's face and words enshrined in our history, and then realizing that he will now be working with The Civil Rights Agenda was a profound moment. It brought everything full circle and made me realize the breadth of his experience is second to none in Illinois."
"The relationship with TCRA started organically," said Rick Garcia. "After we passed civil unions, and as we started looking towards equal marriage in Illinois, I spoke with a lot of people. Everyone kept saying, work with TCRA because that is the organization actually getting things done. Everyone was right. The longer we all worked together the more it became clear that The Civil Rights Agenda is the only game in Illinois. They are inclusive, community-centered and grassroots based. They focus on the issues and the fight for equality and they operate statewide. They are doing the heavy lifting."
From Press Release
For the complete article (non-reader view with multimedia and original links),
Tap here.
Head to the local LGBTQ news, events, directory and people network at ChicagoPride.com