15 Facts About Elizabeth Birch

Elizabeth Millen Birch was born on September 2,1956 and is an American attorney and former corporate executive who chaired the board of directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1992 to 1994.

Elizabeth Birch served as the executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT organization, from January 1995 until January 2004.

Elizabeth Birch's father was a Canadian Air Force officer and she lived on numerous Canadian Air Force bases in her youth.

Elizabeth Birch was worldwide director of litigation for Apple Computer and general counsel for its Claris subsidiary until 1995.

Elizabeth Birch began her LGBT political activity as a member of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, an LGBT political action committee based in a San Jose, California.

Elizabeth Birch was co-chairwoman of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1992 to 1994.

Elizabeth Birch joined the Human Rights Campaign as executive director in January 1995.

Elizabeth Birch was executive director of the HRC until January 2004 when she left to spend more time with her partner, Hilary Rosen, and their children.

Elizabeth Birch joined the Howard Dean presidential campaign as a senior advisor.

Elizabeth 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, 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.

In 2000, Elizabeth Birch became the first leader of an LGBT organization to address a national political convention when she gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Elizabeth Birch ran Rosie O'Donnell's production company, KidRo Productions, Inc and oversaw O'Donnell's Foundation, The For All Kids Foundation until 2007.

Elizabeth Birch's guests have included Howard Dean, Pat Buchanan, Rosie O'Donnell and John Lewis.

Elizabeth Birch had a relationship with Hilary Rosen, former chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America.

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.