See how we got him to come, and the opposition we faced!

After several phone calls, a few faxes, and a LOT of begging, DECplus is PROUD to announce that on June 27th, 1997, Congressman Barney Frank will be visiting the Hudson MA DIGITAL facility. Mr Frank will be discussing a variety of issues with the DIGITAL population. We are still in the planning stages at this point, and as more information becomes available, it will be posted on this page. (but I couldn't wait that long to post that we have Barney coming to DIGITAL!)

June 15, 1997

DECplus is sponsoring the Gay Pride Month event in the HLO Annex of the HLO Facility. The event will consist of many various things. A gay Pride Film which was taken in 1996 when we first got our group back into the march! Various pamphlets, books, the DIGITAL AIDS Quilt will all be on display at the event. And the crowning glory will be when Congressman Barney Frank comes to speak! He has decided to come to DIGITAL for many different reasons, with the biggest being we have Domestic Partner Benefits!!!! This will soon be announced to the Corporation!

June 25,1997

There was a lot of opposition to this event from the Christian Far Right. Some of these letters are kind of funny, while others are a bit scary that people would think the way they do. But then some others are simply pathetic. If you would like to view these letters, then click here.

June 27,1997

On June 27th Congressman Barney Frank visited the HLO facility to help DECplus (Digital Equipment Corporation People Like Us, which is DIGITAL's bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered support group) celebrate Gay Pride. This event was sponsored by both DIGITAL HR and the DECplus organizations.

The event started off with E Grace Noonan (DECplus Eboard Member) welcoming everyone to the event along with reading a speech that President Bill Clinton gave on June being National Gay Pride Month.

Christina Pomiansky (SMSB Personnel Manager for DS) then talked about the DIGITAL Diversity policy and how it was important for us to be able to celebrate a day like this.

Maria Menendez (Director, Digital Semiconductor Quality & Reliability) then gave the bio on the Congressman.

Then it was time for the Congressman to speak. It was truly inspiring. He talked about how far we have come, to how most people think everyone else is more homophobic than themselves. The example he gave of this was when he had come out to his mother. She said, "You are still the same person you were before and I love you. Nothing has changed.... and don't tell your father."

He went on to talk about how most people today see the bisexual, gay and lesbian community as real people and not as second class citizens. Mr. Frank talked about new legislation he was going to be introducing to the floor and what he thought the outcome would be. Then he talked about Domestic Partner Benefits and how important it was for DIGITAL to offer them to their employees.

After his speech he took questions from the audience for about 20 minutes. At that point Glen Silva got up to give Mr. Frank an award from the DECplus community. A certificate and a plaque was given to him. The certificate was written by Ramon Salas and it read:

"For his defense, advocacy and support of lesbian, gay and bisexual issues at a national level;
For his courage in never accepting hatred or intolerance toward the community;
And for providing himself as a role model to "People Like Us" everywhere."

After the Congressman had left, a film from the 1996 Gay Pride, in which DIGITAL's DECplus group marched in after a 4 year absence.

The event was filmed and a copy of it can be found by contacting Tom Evans

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