Brian Bond (activist)

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Brian K. Bond
Born(1961-10-14)October 14, 1961
Missouri, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Missouri State University

Brian Bond (born October 14, 1961) is an American LGBT rights activist who was the first openly gay deputy director in the White House Office of Public Engagement. [1] He is currently the executive director of PFLAG. [2]

Contents

Personal life

Bond was born and grew up in rural Missouri, the son of Skip Bond, a business manager for a pipefitter local union, and Donna Daly, a member of the Missouri Democratic State Committee. [3] At age 16, he came out as gay to his priest. [4]

Bond graduated from Webb City High School in Jasper County, Missouri, [3] and then earned a degree in Public Administration from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. [5]

Bond discovered in his early thirties that he was HIV positive, and became an advocate for HIV education. [1] [6]

Political career

Bond got an early start on politics, serving in various paid and volunteer staff roles for Mel Carnahan's state treasurer race in 1980, Bob Holden's state representative race in 1982, Ike Skelton's congressional race in 1984, Bob Holden's state treasurer race in 1988 and Vince Schoemehl's 1989 mayoral race in St. Louis. At age 30, Bond was already field director of the Missouri Democratic Party's coordinated campaign for Clinton-Gore when he was tapped to lead the state party as its executive director in 1992. [3]

He would later be named director of LGBT outreach at the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. [7]

In 1997, Bond was hired as executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund to rebuild the nearly-bankrupt organization. [7] He is credited by Tammy Baldwin with helping grow the visibility and size of the organization. [8] [9] He left the organization in 2003. [10]

Bond was later hired by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean to replace Donald Hitchcock as executive director of the DNC's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council., [7] and would eventually join Obama for America as National Constituency Director in Chicago, Illinois. [10]

In January 2009, The Advocate magazine announced that Bond would be named deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison under Tina Tchen, as confirmed by the transition team of then-President-elect Barack Obama. In this role, he would serve in a managerial capacity for the office as well as serve a primary role on LGBT issues, [7] and was ultimately central to discussions around LGBT issues in the Obama administration, including the administration's response to the Defense of Marriage Act, until his departure in 2011. [11]

Bond left the White House to rejoin the Democratic National Committee as Director of Constituency Outreach in August 2011. [10] He later served as CEO for public engagement at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. [1]

In January 2019, Bond was named executive director of the LGBT advocacy organization PFLAG based in Washington, D.C. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Equality Forum (October 5, 2016). "Meet LGBT History Month icon Brian Bond". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Johnson, Chris (January 17, 2019). "Former Obama LGBT liaison named PFLAG executive director" . Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Wolfe, James (September 25, 1992). "Area man tapped for post with Democrats". Joplin Globe. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Newsmakers tell their coming out stories". Washington Blade. June 9, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Brian Bond whitehouse.gov". The White House. January 11, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  6. ↑ Yohannes, Alamin (December 1, 2016). "11 HIV-Positive Icons You Should Know". NBC News. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Eleveld, Kerry (January 8, 2009). "Gay Man to Be Tapped As Deputy Director of Obama's Public Liaison Office". The Advocate. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  8. ↑ Eisenla, Kristofer (June 8, 2016). "Nation's Premier LGBT Civil Rights Summit Releases 31 LGBT History Month Icons". Equality Forum. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  9. ↑ Grant, Japhy (January 8, 2009). "Brian Bond to Be Obama's Deputy Director of Public Liaison, LGBT Point Person". Queerty. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 Reese, Phil (July 8, 2011). "Bond leaves White House for DNC". Washington Blade. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  11. ↑ Solomon, Marc (October 12, 2014). "How Obama Became the Gay-Rights President". The New Republic. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
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