Elizabeth Birch - Activism

Activism

Birch began her LGBT political activity as a member of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC), an LGBT political action committee based in a San Jose, California. She was co-chairwoman of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1992 to 1994.

Birch joined the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as Executive Director in January 1995. Over the next several years she dramatically increased its size in both membership and budget. Her marketing approach to political organization provoked criticism that HRC was setting an agenda through its influence on sources of funding to the exclusion of local initiatives. In 2003, the organization opened its national headquarters building in Washington, D.C. During her tenure, a major problem arose when the HRC endorsed New York Senator Al D'Amato for re-election in 1998 when he was opposed by Chuck Schumer. Birch was executive director of the HRC until January 2004 when she left to spend more time with her partner, Hilary Rosen, and their children. She joined the Howard Dean presidential campaign as a senior advisor. She then became a professional public speaker.

In 2000, Birch became the first leader of an LGBT organization to address a national political convention when she gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention.