News

Log Cabin Republicans Endorses Mark Kirk for Congress

Champion on HIV/AIDS for 15 Years – Strong Supporter of Equal Rights

September 26, 2000

(Washington, DC) – The nation's largest gay Republican organization endorsed Mark Kirk for Congress in the Tenth Congressional District of Illinois, a seat being vacated by retiring Congressman John Porter (R).

"Mark Kirk has a record of enormous achievement already, as a longtime Congressional aide, and will be a tremendous leader as a Member of Congress," said Jerry Girardi, President of Log Cabin Republicans of Chicago. "With Congressman Porter, Mark Kirk organized the first global AIDS program back in 1985, and his program became UN AIDS, a crucial international AIDS organization today. Before either party had really discovered AIDS in America, Mark Kirk was on the front lines fighting the epidemic worldwide."

Kirk also strongly supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and pledged to maintain a non-discrimination policy in his Congressional office that will include sexual orientation. Kirk draws on his Congressional work in Bosnia for his support for the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, as he has seen first hand how hate crimes, when unchecked, can tear societies apart. In addition, Kirk vowed to carry on the legacy of Congressman Porter, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor/HHS, and has led the fight in Congress to increase HIV/AIDS care and treatment funding by hundreds of millions of dollars over President Clinton's budget requests.

Log Cabin Republicans has made Kirk's race a top national priority, as has the national Republican Party and the National Congressional Campaign Committee.

"It is rare that an open seat candidate comes to a House race with such a long and exceptional record of leadership, and for this reason, Mark Kirk is an exceptional candidate for Congress," said Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "We join with Democrats, Republicans and independents in the Tenth Congressional District in pledging our strong support for Mark Kirk in November."