There are "tough challenges for us," says Civitas Public Affairs Group's Patrick Guerriero. We snapped Patrick, right, with Center for American Progress EVP Winnie Stachelberg and Williams Institute founder Chuck Williams at the Williams Institute's fall reception this week at the historic Penn Club. Patrick spoke with Winnie and others on a panel about President Obama's executive order, signed in July, prohibiting LGBT discrimination in the workplace. Patrick added that a federal non-discrimination bill is not going to be passed through the upcoming Congress, but what would be helpful is locking in changes made by this administration before the 2016 election and reaching out and talking to Republican voters and lawmakers.
Williams Institute executive director Brad Sears and senior counsel Christy Mallory joined Patrick and Winnie on the panel. The Institute put together a 300-page binder of extensive research surrounding the executive order. It helped make the business case for non-discrimination--for instance, using small business studies that showed a positive effect on bottom lines and local economies. The Institute, based at the UCLA School of Law, does in-depth research on LGBT issues.
Columbia Law School's Urvashi Vaid, right, moderated the panel; we snapped her with Center for American Progress' Laura Durso. One of the "untold stories of the LGBT movement," Urvashi says, is the degree of trust, collaboration and partnership.
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