FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 9, 2011

Patrick Family to Receive GLAD’s 2011 Spirit of Justice Award

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The Patrick family – Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Diane Patrick and their daughters Sarah and Katherine Patrick – will receive this year’s Spirit of Justice Award from Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

“We’re honoring the whole family for their collective contribution to the advancement of equality for LGBT people,” said Rick McCarthy, GLAD’s board president.  “At a time when we are all working to create a bright future and a hopeful present for LGBT youth, the Patricks have set a significant and inspiring example of a family that practices what they preach.” 

The award will be presented at the 12th annual Spirit of Justice Award Dinner on Friday, October 21 at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel.

In 2008 Katherine Patrick came out as a lesbian in an interview she and her father gave to Bay Windows.  The family showed their love and support with high profile gestures such as marching as a family in Boston Pride and served as a model not only for LGBT youth struggling to come out, but also for parents and siblings of young LGBT people.

“A lot of the time we get invited as ‘the Governor and guest,’ or ‘the Governor and family,’ and GLAD did such an extraordinary job to really let us know that each one of us in our own right has done a lot to put a hand into this movement,” said Katherine, a junior at Smith College.  “I think as a family, as a team, it’s just an incredible honor to know that we’ve done our part to help this cause.”

Governor Patrick is a consistent and principled supporter of the rights of LGBT people.  His pioneering leadership ranges from his time leading the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (when the Administration supported GLAD’s HIV non-discrimination case, Bragdon v. Abbott) to his recent signing of the Executive Order protecting transgender state employees.  As Governor, he fought a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality, led the repeal of the notorious “1913” law, and recently appointed the Commonwealth’s first openly gay Supreme Judicial Court justice, Barbara Lenk.  He is a supporter of the transgender equal rights bill, and signed the anti-bullying bill into law last year.

Mrs. Patrick is a partner at the law firm of Ropes and Gray and chairs their Diversity Committee, which has initiatives for openly LGBT attorneys. She started her career as a public school teacher, and continues her public service as an educator, lawyer, and advocate on domestic violence. Katherine has courageously shared her coming out story, interned at MassEquality and had a leadership role in the Governor’s campaign for re-election doing youth and LGBT outreach.

Sarah is an aspiring teacher, and one of her professional priorities is a commitment to safe and welcoming schools.  She said of her father, “I am proud of him for the fact that he can stand up and represent his beliefs with no political or personal agenda, but because that’s what he knows is correct and that’s what he knows is true.”

Past Spirit of Justice awardees include Bishop Gene Robinson, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Tim Gill, Laurence Tribe, Beth Robinson, Mandy Carter, Reverend William Sinkford, GLAD Founder John Ward, and GLAD Civil Rights Project Director Mary Bonauto.

Diamond Sponsors of the Spirit of Justice Award Dinner are Macy’s and the Reproductive Science Center.  Silver Sponsors are Bingham McCutchen LLP, Holland & Knight LLP, State Street Bank & Trust Company, and WilmerHale LLP.  The dinner’s 2011 co-chairs are Pete Dziedzic, Jr. and GLAD board member Sandy Anderson.

For more information about sponsorships, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.glad.org/event/2011-spirit-of-justice.