# Elizabeth Birch

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{{Short description|American lawyer and businesswoman}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Elizabeth Birch
| image       = Cropped Elizabeth Birch (cropped).jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Birch in 1998
| birth_name  = 
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1956|9|2}}
| birth_place = [Dayton, Ohio](/source/Dayton%2C_Ohio), U.S.
| education   = [University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa](/source/University_of_Hawai%CA%BBi_at_M%C4%81noa) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy))<br>[Santa Clara University](/source/Santa_Clara_University) ([JD](/source/Juris_Doctor))
| known_for   = Former corporate executive who chaired the board of directors of the [National Gay and Lesbian Task Force](/source/National_Gay_and_Lesbian_Task_Force)<br>Executive Director of the [Human Rights Campaign](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign)
| occupation  = Attorney
}}

'''Elizabeth Millen Birch'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/121328|title=Elizabeth Millen Birch # 121328 - Attorney Licensee Search|website=members.calbar.ca.gov}}</ref> (born September 2, 1956)<ref>''U.S. Public Records Index'', Volumes 1 & 2 (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.</ref> is an [America](/source/United_States)n [attorney](/source/lawyer) and former corporate executive who chaired the board of directors of the [National Gay and Lesbian Task Force](/source/National_Gay_and_Lesbian_Task_Force) from 1992 to 1994. She served as the executive director of the [Human Rights Campaign](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign), the nation's largest [LGBT](/source/LGBT) organization, from January 1995 until January 2004.

==Education and law career==
Birch was born at [Wright-Patterson Air Force Base](/source/Wright-Patterson_Air_Force_Base) in [Dayton, Ohio](/source/Dayton%2C_Ohio), in 1956. Her father was a [Canadian Air Force](/source/Canadian_Air_Force) officer and she lived on numerous Canadian Air Force bases in her youth.<ref>{{cite glbtq.com | article-url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/birch_e.html | last=Rapp | first=Linda | date=June 23, 2009 | orig-year=2004 | article=Birch, Elizabeth (b. 1956) | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214095904/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/birch_e.html | archive-date=2012-02-14}}</ref> During high school, she joined [Up With People](/source/Up_With_People), a student performance group, and toured Europe and North Africa for a year. Birch graduated from the [University of Hawaiʻi](/source/University_of_Hawai%CA%BBi) in 1980 and earned a [Juris Doctor](/source/Juris_Doctor) degree at the [Santa Clara University School of Law](/source/Santa_Clara_University_School_of_Law). She was an associate attorney with the law firm of [McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen](/source/Bingham_McCutchen_LLP) until joining Apple in 1989.<ref name=cwu>Central Washington University: [http://www.cwu.edu/~diversity/birch.html Elizabeth Birch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205021157/http://www.cwu.edu/~diversity/birch.html |date=2012-02-05}}, accessed March 20, 2011</ref> She later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaiʻi in 2004.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8r2aBQAAQBAJ&dq=elizabeth+birch+september+1956&pg=PA85|title=Proud Heritage: People, Issues, and Documents of the LGBT Experience [3 volumes]: People, Issues, and Documents of the LGBT Experience|first=Chuck|last=Stewart|date=December 16, 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781610693998|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Birch was worldwide director of litigation for [Apple Computer](/source/Apple_Computer) and general counsel for its [Claris](/source/Claris) subsidiary until 1995.<ref name=cwu />

==Activism==
Birch began her LGBTQ political activity as a member of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC), an LGBTQ political action committee based in a [San Jose, California](/source/San_Jose%2C_California). She was co-chairwoman of the [National Gay and Lesbian Task Force](/source/National_LGBTQ_Task_Force) from 1992 to 1994.<ref name=new />

Birch joined the [Human Rights Campaign](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign) (HRC) as executive director in January 1995.<ref name=new>''New York Times'': [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E17FB35550C728EDDA80994DC494D81& David W. Dunlap, "Apple Lawyer Will Become New Director Of Gay Group," November 21, 1994], accessed March 20, 2011</ref> Over the next several years she dramatically increased its size in both membership and budget. Her marketing approach to political organization provoked criticism that HRC was setting an agenda through its influence on sources of funding to the exclusion of local initiatives.<ref>Alexandra Chasin, ''Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market'' (New York: Palgrave, 2000), 209-10</ref> In 2003, the organization opened its national headquarters building in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) During her tenure, a major problem arose when the HRC endorsed New York Senator [Al D'Amato](/source/Al_D'Amato) for re-election in 1998 when he was opposed by [Chuck Schumer](/source/Chuck_Schumer).<ref>''New York Magazine'': [https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/columns/citypolitic/3148/ Charles Kaiser, "The Best Man?"], accessed March 20, 2011</ref> Birch was executive director of the HRC until January 2004 when she left to spend more time with her partner, [Hilary Rosen](/source/Hilary_Rosen), and their children.<ref name=bull>''The Advocate'': [https://books.google.com/books?id=72QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44& Chris Bull, "A Champion retires," January 20, 2004], accessed March 20, 2011</ref> She joined the [Howard Dean](/source/Howard_Dean) presidential campaign as a senior advisor. She then became a professional public speaker.

Birch was still the executive director of HRC when its staff and board of directors, with her encouragement, "discussed and then finally decided to add the 'T' to the organization’s mission statement" in 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Beyer |first1=Dana |date=September 12, 2014 |title=HRC Reboots Its Mission Toward Greater Trans Inclusion |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hrc-trans-inclusion_b_5808146 |website=HuffPost}}</ref> although the organization still supported the non-transgender version of ENDA, saying that it did not have a chance to pass into law if transgender protections were added; the HRC modified this stance in August 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=HRC wants ENDA to include transgender protections |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/2004/08/07/hrc-wants-enda-include-transgender-protections-13344 |publisher=The Advocate |date=7 August 2004}}</ref>

In 2000, Birch became the first leader of an LGBTQ organization to address a national [political convention](/source/political_convention) when she gave a prime-time speech at the [Democratic National Convention](/source/Democratic_National_Convention).<ref>''New York Times'': [http://partners.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/whouse/dem-schedule.html "The Speakers,"], accessed March 20, 2011</ref>

==Later career==
In 2004, Birch launched Birch & Company, a consulting firm, with offices in Washington, D.C., and New York. Birch ran [Rosie O'Donnell](/source/Rosie_O'Donnell)'s production company, KidRo Productions, Inc. and oversaw O'Donnell's Foundation, The For All Kids Foundation until 2007.

Birch also hosts a talk show on [here!](/source/Here!_(TV_network)).<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=1724|title = Cutting through the Static: Elizabeth Birch returns to the public sphere with a new talk show and a mission |publisher = Metro Weekly |author = Sean Bugg|date= 18 August 2005 |accessdate = 2008-03-13}}</ref> Her guests have included [Howard Dean](/source/Howard_Dean), [Pat Buchanan](/source/Pat_Buchanan), [Rosie O'Donnell](/source/Rosie_O'Donnell) and [John Lewis](/source/John_Lewis).<ref>''The Advocate'': [http://www.advocate.com/article.aspx?id=37285 "Elizabeth Birch launches talk show with Pat Buchanan as guest", August 23, 2005], accessed March 20, 2011</ref>

==Personal life==
She had a relationship with [Hilary Rosen](/source/Hilary_Rosen), former chief executive of the [Recording Industry Association of America](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America). They adopted twins, a boy and a girl, in Texas.<ref name=bull /> The couple separated in 2006.

==Elizabeth Birch Equality Award==
[Black Tie Dinner](/source/Black_Tie_Dinner), the largest LGBTQ fund-raising dinner in the Nation, presents an annual award in Birch's honor called the Elizabeth Birch Equality Award. The award is given annually to an individual, organization, or company that has made a significant contribution of national scope to the LGBTQ community. Elizabeth Birch was the first recipient of the award in 2004, and later returned to the dinner in 2009 to present the award to [Judy Shepard](/source/Judy_Shepard). The Black Tie Dinner is held annually in [Dallas, Texas](/source/Dallas%2C_Texas).<ref name="DallasVoice">{{cite news|title='Newsom will keynote Black Tie Dinner Saturday|url=http://www.dallasvoice.com/newsom-will-keynote-black-tie-dinner-saturday-1019916.html|publisher=Dallas Voice|date=October 1, 2009|access-date=September 7, 2010|archive-date=March 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306060954/http://www.dallasvoice.com/newsom-will-keynote-black-tie-dinner-saturday-1019916.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051030081401/http://www.blogforamerica.com/archives/003025.html Blog for America: Elizabeth Birch Joins Dean for America as Senior Advisor (via archive.org)]}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120205021157/http://www.cwu.edu/~diversity/birch.html Biography at Central Washington University (via archive.org)]
*{{C-SPAN|38768}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|hrc}}
{{s-bef|before=[Tim McFeeley](/source/Tim_McFeeley)}}
{{s-ttl|title= Executive Director|years=January 1995 – January 2004}}
{{s-aft|after=[Cheryl Jacques](/source/Cheryl_Jacques)}}
{{s-end}}
{{Presidents of the Human Rights Campaign}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Elizabeth M.}}
Category:1956 births
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century American women
Category:Lesbian businesswomen
Category:American lesbians
Category:American LGBTQ businesspeople
Category:American LGBTQ rights activists
Category:Businesspeople from Dayton, Ohio
Category:Santa Clara University School of Law alumni
Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
Category:LGBTQ people from Ohio
Category:American women lawyers
Category:American lawyers
Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States
Category:Women corporate executives
Category:Civil rights activists from Ohio
Category:American women human rights activists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elizabeth Birch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Birch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Birch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.