News

Patrick Guerriero Leaving Log Cabin after Four Years of Record Growth

Guerriero Will Become First-Ever Executive Director of Gill Action Fund

May 23, 2006

Patrick Guerriero Leaving Log Cabin after Four Years of Record Growth Guerriero Will Become First-Ever Executive Director of Gill Action Fund

(Washington, DC) – Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Guerriero will assume new responsibilities as the first-ever Executive Director of the Gill Action Fund. By the time Guerriero leaves Log Cabin in September, he will have traveled over 750,000 miles, visiting over 300 cities and towns in all 50 states. "It has been a humbling experience leading Log Cabin Republicans during the past four years," said Guerriero. "I'm proud of what thousands of courageous Log Cabin members across America have accomplished as we work to build an inclusive Republican Party and a better America."

"The entire Log Cabin Republican family is profoundly grateful for Patrick Guerriero's inspired leadership," said Log Cabin Chairman Tim Schoeffler. "Patrick led the organization through unprecedented growth, including dozens of new chapters, thousands of new members, and a 400% increase in our annual budget. We will miss him greatly, but we wish him the best of luck and we look forward to working with him as Executive Director of Gill Action."

The Gill Action Fund is a new organization that advocates for gay equality. It was created by philanthropist and software entrepreneur Tim Gill. The new organization, with a 501(c)(4) tax designation, will engage in significant work in American politics, and support key political organizations across the nation. As chief spokesperson for Gill Action, Guerriero will be responsible for developing overall strategies, building operational structure, establishing strong relationships with local and national gay and lesbian organizations, and developing tactical partnerships with a broad range of Republican and Democrat political organizations to help Gill Action succeed. "I greatly appreciate Tim Gill's confidence in me and I'm grateful for his amazing generosity as a leading American philanthropist," said Guerriero. "I'm excited to have this opportunity to lead Gill Action. Our side is winning because millions of courageous Americans are standing up for basic fairness. I look forward to helping their efforts as we move closer to equality for all."

"Patrick Guerriero has proven himself a skilled candidate who has never lost an election, as well as a coalition builder who has worked well with Republicans, Democrats, and other gay and lesbian organizations" said Tim Gill. "His leadership will help us develop successful bipartisan strategies to move toward equality."

Gill Foundation Executive Director Rodger McFarlane said, "Patrick is a leading voice for freedom and fairness in the Republican Party, and we believe he'll build Gill Action into a powerful force for equality across the nation."

Guerriero will remain at Log Cabin until he begins his new position on September 1, 2006. Log Cabin's National Board will conduct a nationwide search for his replacement. He says, "Log Cabin has much to do before I leave – opening new offices on Pennsylvania Avenue, helping protect and support our GOP allies vulnerable in the 2006 elections, defeating the FMA again in the Senate and House, and continuing to build on our historic grassroots growth and power across America."

Guerriero's leadership has put Log Cabin Republicans on the frontlines of the fight for the future of the GOP and the gay equality movement. Weeks ago, at Log Cabin's largest-ever national convention, former United States Senator John Danforth (R-MO) said that a growing Log Cabin organization "can be the heart of a movement to reclaim our Republican Party from where it has gone now."

Working with other GOP centrist organizations and Republican elected officials, Guerriero has made a case that the Republican Party should refocus its priorities away from divisive wedge issues and toward winning the war on terrorism, controlling federal spending, shrinking the deficit, and governing with competence.

On his first day as Log Cabin President, Guerriero called for an end to the infighting between gay organizations and promised Log Cabin's full commitment to the bipartisan work necessary for winning basic fairness and equality for all Americans. Guerriero's promise led to unprecedented collaboration and dialogue with allied groups. In the words of former HRC Executive Director, Elizabeth Birch, "Patrick has reached out extensively to Republicans and Democrats alike. He has been among the most principled leaders of our movement for equality. Patrick is a good person of good character and does not ever take the easy road. He takes the heat but stays the course."

Guerriero's tenure is also notable for the increased role of women in Log Cabin – with six women elected to serve on the national board of directors since 2002.

Guerriero has been the nation's leading conservative voice in helping defeat the anti-family Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) and opposing anti-gay state constitutional amendments. In March 2004, he successfully launched the nation's first television ad opposing the discriminatory constitutional amendment while spearheading the largest lobbying effort and grassroots mobilization in Log Cabin's 30 year history. These efforts helped lead to the 2004 defeat of the FMA in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Log Cabin has steadfastly supported equality for gay and lesbian families – highlighted by Connecticut Republican Governor Jodi Rell's signature on the first-ever non-court mandated civil unions bill and lobby work in Massachusetts that has successfully protected civil marriage equality.

Log Cabin also took an aggressive stance supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and hate crimes legislation – the latter passing both houses of Congress with record GOP support. Log Cabin has also worked closely with the Bush administration and Congressional Republicans in supporting the President's global HIV/AIDS initiative, supporting an aggressive war on terror, advocating for reform and reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, as well as tax and immigration reform.

In October 2004, Log Cabin filed the first lawsuit in over ten years challenging the constitutionality of the military's failed "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. The suit compliments Log Cabin's work educating Republican lawmakers and the American people about this critical issue. Log Cabin is building GOP support in Congress to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Soon after Guerriero became President, Log Cabin filed its first-ever amicus brief in the historic Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case. Reagan appointee Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion that struck down all remaining anti-gay sodomy laws. Three other GOP appointed Justices agreed with Kennedy that these anti-gay laws are unconstitutional.

In a widely circulated open letter following the 2004 elections, Guerriero called on gay organizations to shift focus and resources to reach the American heartland, red states, people of faith, conservative Democrats and fair-minded Republicans. In his dual role as President of the Liberty Education Forum (LEF), he launched the organization's Reaching the Heartland Program, which uses education programs, grassroots training, and research to gain new allies for equality among conservatives and people of faith. LEF is a non-partisan foundation that educates people about the importance of achieving freedom and fairness for gay and lesbian Americans.

In 2005, Guerriero wrote an op-ed encouraging gay conservatives to come out and join the fight for equality. He wrote, "Now is the time for closeted gay conservatives to find the courage and personal strength to stand up and be counted. Now is the time we can really make a difference. If every gay conservative came out of the closet today, the journey to full equality would be over in years instead of decades."

Guerriero is a former state Representative, mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts, and the nation's first openly gay candidate for Lieutenant Governor. He has appeared on all the major television networks, and on programs such as "Hardball with Chris Matthews", "The O'Reilly Factor", "Nightline", and "Inside Politics". Plus, he has been featured in many publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, and The Los Angeles Times. Guerriero has written op-eds for The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Denver Post, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, and other newspapers. Patrick Guerriero is a noted speaker who has addressed corporations, conventions, non-profit organizations, and college classes on the issues of diversity, civil rights, and the need for inclusion in the GOP.

During three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Guerriero never missed a roll call, casting more than 1,000 consecutive votes. Guerriero's advocacy for strong local government earned him the 1998 Fenn Award for Political Leadership from the Kennedy Library's New Frontier Society and the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

In January 1998, Guerriero became Mayor of the City of Melrose, a Boston suburb of 30,000. Under Guerriero's leadership, Melrose gained national attention for its "civility initiative," which encouraged residents to show each other respect and courtesy. This project inexpensively and effectively improved the quality of life in the city, and won the mayor and Melrose honors in the U.S. Mayor's Association 2000 City Livability Awards.

Guerriero stepped down as Mayor to become deputy chief of staff to Governor Jane Swift (R-MA), who selected him as her running mate in 2002.