HRC’s Chad Griffin to Receive Chairperson’s Award at Civil Rights Dinner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shin Inouye, [email protected], 202.869.0398
WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights will present the Chairperson’s award to Chad Griffin during its 43rd annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award Dinner on May 15. Griffin is the outgoing president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. Griffin also serves on The Leadership Conference board of directors.
“Chad has been a strong and strategic leader in the fight for LGBTQ equality and a bridge-builder across movements,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference. “Under Chad’s leadership, HRC has grown into a powerhouse that has helped accelerate the pace of progress toward LGBTQ equality and fend off attacks on our fundamental civil rights. And more broadly, Chad has been a key partner in our work at The Leadership Conference to lock arms across social justice movements.”
The dinner’s theme, “We Are Democracy,” serves to highlight the critical work that the diverse civil and human rights coalition is leading to advance justice, inclusion, and opportunity in America. In addition to recognizing Griffin, the civil rights coalition will bestow its highest honor, the Humphrey award, upon the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award Dinner marks the largest annual gathering of the civil and human rights community, bringing together noted advocates, including leaders in the executive branch, Congress, business, education, and civil and human rights organizations. The dinner is named in honor of noted civil rights pioneer Senator and former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, who exemplified selfless and devoted service in the cause of equality.
Additional information about the dinner, including ticketing, is available here. The Leadership Conference will release details regarding media access to the event in the coming weeks.
About the Awardee:
Chad Griffin. As President of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, Griffin has helped build HRC into a political powerhouse capable of winning not only hearts and minds, but elections too.
During Griffin’s tenure, HRC has doubled its membership to more than 3 million and become known as one of the leading political advocacy and social justice organizations in America. Under his leadership, HRC launched transformational programs like Project One America to expand equality across the Deep South, and HRC Global to accelerate the pace of progress across the globe. In 2018, Griffin launched HRC Rising, the largest grassroots expansion in HRC’s history. HRC mobilized an unprecedented number of LGBTQ voters and allies who helped flip the House of Representatives and are now working to pass the Equality Act.
Prior to joining HRC, Griffin helped found the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and recruited the bipartisan legal dream team of Ted Olson and David Boies to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court, ultimately leading to the U.S. Supreme Court restoring marriage equality to California.
Previously, Griffin worked at the intersection of Hollywood, philanthropy and politics, leading high-profile campaigns around renewable energy, land conservation, stem-cell research, early childhood education, anti-tobacco, and marriage equality.
A native of Hope, Arkansas, Griffin got his start in the press office of President Bill Clinton’s White House at the age of 19, becoming the youngest West Wing staffer ever. He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.