Held in the private garden of Milwaukee's award-winning rose gardener,
Bill Radler, HRL-PAC's Annual Summer Garden Party raised much-needed funds for pro-LGBT candidates in the 2006 fall elections.
The event was held August 13th and featured Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
The annual Summer Garden Party raises money for candidates in Wisconsin who will work
for and defend lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.
"With the amendment to ban civil unions on the ballot in a cynical ploy to hurt the LGBT community and Governor Doyle,
it's more important than ever for the LGBT community and its allies to support pro-LGBT candidates," said Paul Williams, HRL-PAC
President.
Governor Doyle is known nationally as a public official who strongly defends LGBT equality. He has repeatedly denounced
the amendment to ban civil unions and recently appointed an out gay judge to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
A host of candidates and elected officials attended, including Attorney General candidate Kathleen Falk, State Senator
Tim Carpenter, Milwaukee School Board Director Jennifer Morales, Waukesha Mayor Larry
Nelson, Milwaukee County
DA candidate John Chisholm, and many more.
Mr. Radler is the former Garden Director of the Boerner Botanical Gardens, but he is perhaps best known today as the
creator of the Knock OutTM rose, which has received the prestigious All-America Rose Selections award plus numerous international
awards. In 2005, the Knock Out was the most purchased landscape rose in the country. Radler has also introduced several other
new hybrid roses, and in 2007 he will introduce his second AARS winning rose, the Rainbow Knock Out, the most sought after
new variety of rose.
Past Garden Parties have featured notable elected officials such as Senator Russ Feingold and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin,
and the events have been held in many different neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee.
"The Garden Party highlights the fact that the LGBT community is a part of every neighborhood in Milwaukee
and Wisconsin," said Williams.
HRL-PAC is Wisconsin's only LGBT political action committee. HRL-PAC has supported
over 200 pro-LGBT candidates and has sponsored community candidate forums, including the first ever LGBT-focused gubernatorial
forum and Milwaukee mayoral forum. HRL-PAC also seeks to bring
LGBT voters together with candidates and elected officials at several yearly events.
