Lesbian couple "doubles down" on GLAD donation

Organization could potentially receive generous gift following Spirit of Justice dinner.

GLAD donors Judy Mencher and Nicole Polaski of Boston could make this year's Spirit of Justice dinner a very special one indeed. The couple has pledged to donate $50,000 to Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders if the LGBT advocacy organization can raise $100,000 from attendees at its upcoming dinner fundraiser, which will be held at Westin Copley Place on Oct. 29.

"We're grateful to Judy and Nicole for their very generous pledge and we know our guests at the Spirit of Justice Awards Dinner will rise to their challenge," said Lee Swislow, GLAD's Executive Director. "From the favorable ruling in our DOMA lawsuit to winning the right of a transgender woman to deduct treatment costs on her federal taxes, GLAD's legal victories this year would simply not have been possible without our generous donors."

Mencher and Polaski have been donating to GLAD since their 2007 wedding, when the couple asked guests to make donations to the organization in lieu of traditional gifts -- netting GLAD over $7,000. In addition, the couple gave $100,000 to support Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, GLAD's challenge of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

"GLAD is doing very valuable work and we believe in concentrating our charitable donations to organizations that do work we believe in," said Mencher. "The work that we view as most valuable is on marriage equality, and we are very supportive right now of the lawsuit GLAD has brought with respect to DOMA, an issue near and dear to our hearts.

"We just want GLAD to have a very successful fundraiser and we think challenge donations just have a way of getting the crowd going. We could just have given $50,000, but this way, maybe we can get a 'double down,'" Mencher added, using the vocabulary of the blackjack table. "We thank in advance those who are going to make pledges to support our challenge."

This year's Spirit of Justice Award Dinner will honor New Hampshire's Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Church. 1,000 people are expected to attend the dinner, co-chaired this year by Marianne Monte and Pete Dziedzic. Major sponsors include Macy's Reproductive Science Center, Bank of America, Bingham McCutchen LLP, DLA Piper, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., and Holland & Knight LLP. Tickets can be purchased at www.glad.org.