Rich Tafel

Rich Tafel is an American strategist, Christian pastor, and the leader of the Church of the Holy City in Washington, D.C..[1] He worked as an assistant minister at Memorial Church of Harvard University,[2] and has held a position as a representative on the National Council of Churches' executive committee.[2] He is a founder of Log Cabin Republicans, an organization within the Republican Party which advocates for equal rights for LGBT+ Americans.[3]

Career

After graduating from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Divinity School in 1987, Tafel became one of the first openly gay ministers in the United States in his role as the Assistant Minister at Harvard's chapel under the mentorship of the Rev. Peter J. Gomes.[4]

In 1991 he became one the first openly gay political appointees in the US as Adolescent Health Director for the state of Massachusetts.[4] In that role, he helped advise Governor Bill Weld to create the first gay and lesbian youth commission in the US,[5] and the first civil unions for government employees.[6]

In 1992, Tafel engaged in a debate with the Rev. Jerry Falwell on Larry King Live that led him to create a full-time advocacy organization.[7]

In 1993 he opened the office in Washington, DC, as the first full-time lobbying office for gay rights in the United States, called Log Cabin Republicans.[8] During this time, he became the first Republican activist to champion gay marriage, conducting a series of college debates in 1995 with the Christian Action Network.[9][10] Newsweek magazine identified them as one of the 30 most influential gay leaders in the United States.[11]

In 1999 he wrote "Party Crasher: A Gay Republican Challenges Politics as Usual."[12]

In 2002 he stepped down from this role, starting his own strategy company working with over one hundred social ventures on strategies that aimed to improve the world.[13] His project includes strategic advice for creating the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to deliver HIV/AIDS drugs to Africa. He helped coordinate a Congressional staff delegation to explore options for US engagement in addressing the crisis. He lobbied on Capitol Hill for the creation of what would be called the PEPFAR program. It provided $5.4 billion to make anti-retroviral medication widely available, saving millions of lives.[14]

In Latin America, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) engaged Tafel to help create the first strategy for Mexico to address AIDS discrimination in the workplace.[15] As AIDS discrimination declined and other health issues rose, Tafel was one of the three founders of The Workplace Wellness Council of Mexico, which comprises over one hundred Fortune 100 companies seeking to increase employee health.[16]

References
  1. "Rev Rich Tafel". The Church of the Holy City.
  2. Rosenstein, Peter. "Tafel takes minister post at D.C. church". Washington Blade.
  3. "Tea Party Rise Good For Gay Republicans: Log Cabin Founder". NPR.
  4. Hull, Anne. "Gay Republicans caught in no-man's-land of politics". Tampa Bay Times.
  5. Romano, Lois (30 July 2000). "Cheney's Convention Buzz-zzzz". Washington Post.
  6. Stanley, Paul (1 May 2012). "Gay Republican Group Founder Says Romney Is Against Same-Sex Marriage". The Christian Post.
  7. Morgenstern, Joe (4 September 1994). "Another Gay Party Line : A Quiet Revolution: A Backlash to Strident Activism of the '80s Has Created a Small Army of Gays Who Just Want to be Ordinary Americans". Los Angeles Times.
  8. Kirchick, James (11 June 2014). "Texas GOP Wants to 'Cure' Gays". The Daily Beast.
  9. "Protesters take turns outside GOP convention". United Press International.
  10. "National News - Windy City Times News". Windy City Times. 27 September 2000.
  11. "Gay Conservatives: Pulling the Movement to the Right". Political Research Associates.
  12. Brooks, David. "Right Out of the Closet". The New York Times.
  13. Riley, John (12 September 2019). "Unsteady Cabin: Log Cabin endorsed Trump, but LGBTQ Republicans are split". Metro Weekly.
  14. "The Portraits of Todd Franson - Metro Weekly Special 26th Anniversary Issue by Metro Weekly - Issuu". Metro Weekly.
  15. Leonzon, Ma. Rizza. "Tafel: USAID Lacks 'Clear Focus'". Devex.com.
  16. "Mexico's Businesses Cooperation: a Global Model for Health Care Innovation (SSIR)". Stanford Social Innovation Review.
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