FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2011

GLAD Welcomes Sean Eldridge and Anderson Clark to Board of Directors

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sean Eldridge and Anderson Clark to its Board of Directors.

“We’re thrilled to add Sean’s and Anderson’s experiences, accomplishments, and talents to GLAD’s board of directors,” said Board President Richard McCarthy.  “I look forward to working with them during this exciting period for LGBT people as we take giant steps toward equality for all.”

Sean Eldridge is President of the Telos Foundation and a Senior Advisor at Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage equality nationwide.  He has made the case for marriage in numerous media outlets, including Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.  Sean and his fiancé, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, are leading funders of progressive organizations and candidates across the country.  In May 2011, they were featured on the cover of The Advocate’s “Forty under 40” issue.  As a youth organizer for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Sean was one of the early architects of the campaign’s national student movement.  He has worked for companies in Cambridge and Silicon Valley and served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of GLBT Youth in Massachusetts and the Board of Community Relations for the City of Toledo, Ohio.  Sean received his B.A. in Philosophy from Brown University and also studied at Deep Springs College and Columbia Law School.

“I’m excited to be joining the board of a group that has done so much to move the ball forward for LGBT Americans and continues to lead the charge for equal protection under the law for all,” said Eldridge.  “In New England, and across the country, GLAD is making life better for millions of Americans.”

Anderson Clark is a biologist and director of oncology research at EMD Serono.  He is also a transgender activist, a member of the Founders Circle of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project, and past coordinator of transmasculine programming and co-chair for First Event, an annual Boston-area transgender conference.  Originally from Illinois, he has lived in Massachusetts since 1998.  He earned his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

“These are important and changing times for transgender people, with progress for GLBT rights being made through the hard work of organizations like GLAD,” said Clark.  “I’m very pleased to be associated with this excellent organization and I look forward to contributing to the ongoing efforts here.”