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ACLU/SC Honors Civil Liberties Advocates At Annual Garden Party

Thursday, September 9, 2004

LOS ANGELES – On Sunday, September 12, at 2:00 PM, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California will honor Tom Hayden, Margaret Cho and State Senator Gloria Romero at the organization's annual Garden Party for their work in social activism and preserving civil liberties.

"It is a true privilege to honor this year's recipients," said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California. "The ACLU/SC has always fought for the freedom to express one's beliefs and to bring issues of social disparity to the forefront of our awareness. Tom Hayden, Margaret Cho, and Senator Gloria Romero have all demonstrated an enormous commitment to stand up for what is right and we are proud to honor them."

Former State Senator Tom Hayden has been a stalwart of progressive politics since his days as a leader of the student, civil rights and anti-war movements in the '60s. He was elected to the state Assembly in 1982 and the state Senate in 1992, where he was regarded as the "conscience of the Senate." During his many years in state government, Tom was recognized as the legislature's foremost watchdog against special interest waste and abuse of power. He authored groundbreaking legislation on behalf of women, African-Americans and Latinos, Holocaust survivors and sweatshop workers. He is currently the national co-director of No More Sweatshops!, a coalition of labor, clergy, community and campus advocates of sweat-free guidelines. We are proud to present the First Annual Stanley K. Sheinbaum Award to Tom Hayden.

Margaret Cho started performing stand-up at age 16 in a comedy club above a bookstore her parents ran in San Francisco. Since then she has gone on to perform off Broadway, embarked on three sold-out national tours and has become a voice for progressive change in this country. Margaret has been honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Parents Families And Friends of Lesbians and Gays and the National Organization for Women for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are proud to present Margaret Cho with the ACLU/SC's First Amendment Award.

As the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Senator Gloria Romero is one of the highest-ranking women in the California Legislature, and is the first woman to hold this critical leadership position. Senator Romero began her legislative career in 1998 when she was elected to the State Assembly to serve the 49th District. In 2001, she overwhelmingly won a special election to the State Senate. Since her election to the Senate, Senator Romero has authored a wide array of legislation and has successfully passed legislation to protect victims of domestic violence. She is a leading advocate in the area of consumer protection, especially with respect to the elderly and immigrant communities. As Chair of the Select Committee on California's Correctional System she has conducted high-profile hearings on employee contracts, treatment of juveniles, codes of silence among correctional officers, and inmate health care costs in an effort to bring fiscal accountability and reforms to the correctional system. We are proud to present State Senator Gloria Romero with our Legislator of the Year Award.

The ACLU/SC will also present Betty and Al Stern with the Chapter Activists of the Year Award. The Sterns have been ACLU/SC members since 1951 and member of the Pomona Valley Chapter for over 40 years.

Tickets for the Garden Party are $30 and proceeds go towards the ACLU/SC's watchdog efforts. For ticket information call 213/977-9500 x212.

Members of the press interested in covering the Garden Party should contact the ACLU/SC's Media Relations Office at 213/0977-9500 x252.

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