FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2010
Contact:  Patrick Farabaugh, 608.441.0143

LGBT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES JOIN FORCES

Create strong, experienced, statewide political infrastructure for LGBT community

Fair Wisconsin is set to welcome Laurie Guilbault and Dennis Kohler to the Board of Directors of Fair Wisconsin Inc. and the Fair Wisconsin PAC committee this week in a move that strengthens the political power of the state's LGBT community. Guilbault and Kohler currently serve as Co-Chairs of Human Rights League PAC (HRL-PAC) and bring a combined 28 years of political action in the cause of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality and a strong Milwaukee voice to Fair Wisconsin.

"Fair Wisconsin PAC and HRL-PAC are committed to advancing and achieving equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Wisconsinites through strategic electoral activity," stated Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Katie Belanger.  "By uniting in a single political action committee, we are building a stronger, more effective operation to support pro-fairness candidates at every level across the state of Wisconsin. This advances our mission to be the strategic coalition builder and respected player needed to advance LGBT equality.

Since 1997, HRL-PAC has helped elect candidates who work for and defend lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.  HRL-PAC has supported over 1000 pro-LGBT candidates and has sponsored community candidate forums, including the first ever LGBT-focused gubernatorial forum at PrideFest 2002 and the Milwaukee Mayoral Forum at PrideFest 2003.  

Guilbault and Kohler are excited to bring their years of experience to Fair Wisconsin.  "In the years HRL-PAC has been in existence, we've seen the number of candidates supporting the LGBT community grow exponentially," stated Kohler.  "We believe that joining together with Fair Wisconsin will allow us to build on that momentum and elect the fair-minded leaders we need to defend recent gains like domestic partnership protections and continue getting tangible results to advance equality for LGBT Wisconsinites."

HRL-PAC will cease independent operations in the coming weeks.

The Board of Directors of Fair Wisconsin Inc. will nominate Guilbault and Kohler for election at their September 25, 2010 board meeting in Milwaukee.  Fair Wisconsin Education Fund will also nominate former HRL-PAC committee member Steven Miller to their Boards of Directors at a later meeting.  

For more information about Fair Wisconsin PAC, please visit www.fairwisconsin.com.

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Fair Wisconsin, one of the state's most respected advocacy groups, has a proud history in education, grassroots organizing, outreach, and political action in the cause of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality.  With a statewide board of directors and a full-time staff, Fair Wisconsin is the only organization to represent the Badger state in the Equality Federation, the national alliance of state-based LGBT advocacy organizations.  Fair Wisconsin, along with our national and regional allies, recently helped enact important domestic partnership protections for same-sex couples, making us the first state with an existing constitutional amendment banning both marriage equality and civil unions to enact domestic partnerships.  To learn more, visit www.fairwisconsin.com.

Authorized and paid for by HRL-PAC, Ken Barbeau Treasurer.

 Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee.