The Gay and
Lesbian Victory Fund's Candidate and Campaign
Training program, run by the Gay and Lesbian
Leadership Institute, a nonpartisan educational
organization, will be held June 9-12 in Colorado Springs,
Colo. Thirty-six potential candidates, campaign personnel,
and community leaders from Colorado and the
surrounding region are registered to attend. Sen. Jennifer Veiga, the first openly lesbian
member of the Colorado state legislature, will speak
to the trainees about issues they may face while
running for office. Veiga was first elected to Colorado
state office as a representative in 1996. "It's
essential that openly gay and lesbian candidates stay
on message and talk about issues that matter to
voters, rather than getting drawn into a protracted
discussion about sexual orientation," she said. The bulk of the training will focus on campaign
plan and strategy development, fund-raising,
communications, and organizing. Potential candidates
will also learn to address questions about their sexual
orientation with honesty and dignity, without diverging from
issues of real importance.
