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The Multicultural Lecture Series
Elizabeth Birch
Elizabeth
Birch, former executive director of the Human Rights Campaign,
will be speaking on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at 12:30 p.m. at the
Kendall Performance Center! Admission is FREE.
Elizabeth Birch began serving as the executive director of the Human Rights Campaign - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization - in January 1995. Under Birch's leadership, the institution has grown dramatically, from 100,000 members in 1995 to 500,000 in 2004. HRC is known nationwide for its professionalism and cutting-edge advocacy techniques. During her tenure, Birch has built an outstanding senior management team and 100-person staff. The HRC Foundation, HRC's educational arm, is trusted to bring the best counsel on issues facing GLBT people to the media, corporate America, families and individuals. With an annual budget that has grown to more than $20 million, HRC is regarded as one of the most effective mainstream advocacy organizations in the country.
Since Birch joined the organization in 1995, HRC has built a reputation on Capitol Hill and across the nation as one of the top political organizations. The HRC political action committee is one of the largest bipartisan PACs in the country and is augmented by strong and effective lobby and field teams. HRC also has become a highly visible symbol of equality. Through its ground-breaking use of media, HRC has brought the challenges facing GLBT people to the attention of mainstream America. Under her leadership, HRC has developed a reputation for innovative communications strategies and products, including a quarterly magazine, comprehensive website and public service announcements that garner substantial air time. Birch also has represented HRC and the community across the country and in the media on Good Morning America , the Today show, 20/20 , This Week , Face the Nation , Nightline , Crossfire , The Larry King Show , The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer , and other programs. By positioning GLBT issues in paid and free media and by public appearances in front of national audiences, HRC is transforming the way America views GLBT people.
During Birch's tenure, the HRC Foundation has pioneered a dynamic array of educational programs, including HRC WorkNet, a comprehensive resource center for GLBT workplace advocacy, and HRC FamilyNet, a virtual online village for GLBT families. The National Coming Out Project, also an HRC Foundation program, is helping thousands come out each year. Under Birch's direction in the spring of 2000, the HRC Foundation produced Equality Rocks - the largest GLBT concert ever created. Held at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., more than 45,000 people came together in honor of equality, including artists as diverse as Garth Brooks, Chaka Khan, Melissa Etheridge, George Michael, The Pet Shop Boys, Ellen DeGeneres , Nathan Lane and many more. HRC also has developed strong relationships with the creators, producers and artists of other cultural outlets, such as Ellen , Will & Grace , and The West Wing . Additionally, Birch was responsible for the launch of HRC's Action Center & Store retail outlets. Two HRC stores have opened, one in Provincetown, Mass., and the other in Washington, D.C., and an expanded presence is planned for 2003.
In 2002, for her work in the in the civil rights community, Birch was honored to receive one of the highest civil rights honors in the country from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
Birch previously served as worldwide director of litigation for Apple Computer Inc. and general counsel to Claris Corp., Apple's software subsidiary. In addition, she has helped various Fortune 500 companies develop and implement non-discrimination and domestic partner benefits policies.
She graduated from the University of Santa Clara School of Law in California with honors and from the University of Hawaii in Political Science and Oceanography in 1980. In 2002, the University of Hawaii conferred Birch with a Doctorate of Humanities. While in law school, she clerked at the California Supreme Court for Justice Stanley Mosk. Before joining Apple in 1989, Birch was a commercial litigator at the firm of McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen in San Francisco. She has a long history of activism in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and HIV/AIDS communities. Birch authored a number of HIV/AIDS anti-discrimination policies that are now law in California. She has received numerous honors, including the 9th Circuit's Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year.
