WASHINGTON -- The Human Rights Campaign today announced Brad Clark, currently the executive director of One Colorado, will join the organization to create and lead new strategies that will allow HRC to bridge the gap between states that have made great strides toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, and those that have barely any protections for the LGBT community.

"Following this summer’s two historic U.S. Supreme Court rulings, we face two Americas when it comes to LGBT equality. In one America, full legal equality is nearly a reality—and the institutions that make up everyday life increasingly welcome LGBT people and their families. But in the other America, even the most basic protections are still non-existent," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Our job is to bridge that gap and Brad has the experience and expertise to ensure our work is touching LGBT people in every corner of this country."

“Growing up in small-town Iowa, there is nothing more important to me than making sure LGBT young people and families have the dignity and protection they deserve in every corner of our country,” said Clark. “I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people from coast to coast."

Clark will lead a cross-organizational effort to integrate, optimize and channel HRC’s transformative work in order to do the most good in the greatest number of places across this country—ultimately bringing full equality to the areas that have seen the fewest legal advances to date.  He will lead a highly collaborative and consultative program development process to integrate HRC’s existing state work through the field department, state and municipal legislative efforts, communications work and HRC Foundation programs into an exciting new push for equality everywhere, for everyone.

Clark began at One Colorado in May 2010 as its first Executive Director.  Under his leadership, One Colorado built a coalition of more than one million Coloradans to pass a civil unions law, launched a nationally recognized organizing project with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, passed a comprehensive anti-bullying law and helped ensure more than 150,000 students can access a gay-straight alliance, and added protections for transgender Coloradans to access health insurance. 

His previous experience was as Campaign Director of One Iowa where he built a coalition of nearly 100 allied organizations representing more than 200,000 Iowans and built a grassroots infrastructure of more than 12,500 members and 33,000 identified supporters.  As well as leading One Iowa’s successful marriage equality campaign, Clark's accomplishments include a successful safe schools campaign. As the executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, he led a coalition of education, civil rights, labor, faith, and business leaders to help pass a comprehensive safe schools law and civil rights law to protect LGBT Iowans from discrimination.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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