News

Log Cabin Launches "Strategy 2000"

Comprehensive National Priorities and Goals Outlined for 1999-2000

January 20, 1999

(WASHINGTON, DC) – After six months of an organization-wide review and detailed study, the nation's largest gay Republican organization announced "Strategy 2000" -- a comprehensive program which will be the primary focus of the organization for the next two years. The program was announced by newly-elected Log Cabin Republicans Board Chairman Robert Stears following a meeting of the Board of Directors in Los Angeles on January 16 and 17.

"Strategy 2000 will be the culmination of everything we have done until now, and it represents the core mission of Log Cabin -- to educate Republicans who want an inclusive party, and confront those who don't," Stears said. "It will be on a financial scale we have never attempted before, at a time when the stakes have never been higher for the Republican Party and the gay community."

The program has three key components:

THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS -- Log Cabin will mobilze its resources to educate every Republican presidential candidate for the 2000 GOP nomination on a basic set of core inclusive principles. These principles include: non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, continued support of GOP AIDS funding priorities and no anti-gay speeches or signs at the 2000 GOP Convention. Log Cabin will work aggressively to inform the voting public on the positions of every GOP presidential candidate on these core principles, and will publicly expose and confront all those who use gay-bashing as a platform in their campaigns.

TRAINING GAY REPUBLICAN ACTIVISTS -- Log Cabin will prioritize a record amount of resources to the training of openly gay Republicans who seek to run for elected office in 1999 and 2000, working in a close partnership with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The first national training will take place at LIBERTY FOR ALL! The 1999 Log Cabin National Leadership Conference, which will be held in New York City August 27-29, 1999. Over two years -- culminating in the 2000 elections -- Log Cabin will train activists to run for local, state and federal office, as well as elected offices within the Republican Party from the precinct level up to delegate and alternate to the 2000 Republican National Convention.

FIGHTING THE ANTI-GAY MOVEMENT -- Log Cabin will expand its training programs to include comprehensive trainings and seminars in fighting the extreme right at the grass-roots level. These trainings will seek to empower all Americans (gay or straight, Republican or Democrat) who seek to advance our common core principles and fight against the forces of hatred and intolerance.

"Strategy 2000" was the subject of a day-long, closed-door seminar at the 1998 Log Cabin Republicans Convention in Dallas, Texas. The delegates representing grass-roots activists from around the country developed a strong consensus to move ahead with an aggressive strategy, and to make it a prime focus for the organization's work through 2000. After months of confidential study and review of the logistics and details, Stears announced the program and expressed the commitment of the national organization to raise the necessary funds to finance it.

"Looking at the details of this ambitious program, we will need to raise over one million dollars to carry it out," said Log Cabin Republicans Vice Chairman Monty Cornell. "This is the greatest financial challenge of our organization's history, but Log Cabin has made a commitment to meet it and move ahead. There is absolute dedication and unity in this organization on where we have to go in this crucial political cycle, and we now have the responsibility to do all we can to succeed."

Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay and lesbian Republican organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time Washington office and a federal political action committee.