Ahead of the pack

by Peter Freiberg

Why does an endorsement from HRC matter more than one from other national gay groups? A brief look at three other groups illustrates the extent to which HRC is ahead of the pack, organizationally speaking. Compare these figures with HRC's $10 million budget, 175,000 members, 60 full-time employees, and nine lobbyists:

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) has a $2.4 million budget, 40,000 members, 22 full-time employees, and one staffer whose job includes some lobbying. NGLTF focuses far more on working with grassroots activists around the country than on Washington lobbying.

Log Cabin Republicans, the national gay GOP organization, has a $700,000 budget, 10,000 members, six employees, and two lobbyists.

The National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, an advocacy organization that does not do lobbying, has a $574,000 budget, 3500 members, and eight full-time employees.