FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2008
Contact: Glenn Carlson 608-441-0143

Fair Wisconsin Moves Forward with Leadership Team Stability

Glenn Carlson, interim Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin since November, had the word "interim" removed from his title by the boards of directors of Fair Wisconsin and the Fair Wisconsin Education Fund, at their meetings held in Milwaukee on March 15th. The move is just one of many actions the advocacy group has made recently to protect the civil liberties of Wisconsin's gay and lesbian citizens and their families.

"The boards and I felt that the executive director recruiting process, which we had just started, was going to be a major distraction from the important plans that Fair Wisconsin developed for 2008," explained Carlson.

Carlson stepped down last November as board president of the Fair Wisconsin Education Fund to become interim Executive Director. Carlson served as board treasurer of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force until 2006 and, prior to moving to Wisconsin in 1997, served for seven years as board treasurer of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, the largest LGBT social service agency in the world. He is a retired CPA and a former partner at both Price Waterhouse and Arthur Andersen.

Continuing with Carlson on the senior leadership team are Bill Conway, Deputy Executive Director and Fair Wisconsin's lobbyist, and Mike Tate, Political Adviser. Conway previously served as Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing in the Thompson Administration. Tate was the campaign manager of the Fair Wisconsin campaign in 2006. "Bill and Mike bring decades of political wisdom and experience from both sides of the aisle," said Carlson, "and Fair Wisconsin is fortunate to have them on our team."

Fair Wisconsin was formed in advance of the 2006 election cycle when a constitutional amendment banning marriage and civil unions was unfortunately passed by voters. The power of Fair Wisconsin's grassroots outreach, however, helped defeat several anti-LGBT lawmakers and spurred the advocacy group and its allies to remain in the fray. As the November election looms, Fair Wisconsin plans on playing a key role by letting Wisconsin residents who support full equality know which lawmakers have been supportive of civil rights and freedom and which have not.

Fair Wisconsin Education Fund has been simultaneously educating state residents on the disastrous effects the marriage ban has on real families. Starting this February, the group launched the FAIRNESS GAP - an ongoing website series aimed at educating our community and our friends and families about the lack of very real rights and responsibilities that directly impact real people across the state.

"Our goal is to end discrimination permanently," Carlson said. "Our group has the strategy, tools and passion to do that through education, political action and hard work. Not only is time on our side in this historic battle, but the good people of Wisconsin are seeing the light when it comes to the unintended consequences of writing discrimination into our constitution."

The new executive director urges those who want to get involved in the crusade to combat injustice to visit his group's website at www.fairwisconsin.com.

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