[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 TRIBUTE TO HENRY MESSER AND CARL HOUSE ON THEIR 50 YEARS TOGETHER AND 
        TO THE TRIANGLE FOUNDATION AND ITS 10 YEARS OF ACTIVISM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. BONIOR

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2002

  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Triangle 
Foundation, an organization dedicated to the struggle for dignity, 
justice, and civil rights in Michigan. I also wish to honor the 
Triangle Foundation's founder Henry Messer and his partner, Carl House, 
and acknowledge their continued activism and their 50 years together.
  The Triangle Foundation of Michigan has been fighting for the rights 
of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people in Michigan 
for ten years. Through the work of a dedicated and highly capable 
staff, the Triangle Foundation has been the leader on GLBT issues in 
Michigan. Their efforts have helped to enact anti-discrimination laws 
in many Michigan cities and turn back unfair and unjust policies in 
others. The Triangle Foundation's energy on the electoral front has 
given a voice to those who support civil rights initiatives and who 
understand that discrimination has no place in America.
  The Triangle Foundation's dedication to the struggle for civil rights 
is a testament to the devotion and involvement of Henry Messer and Carl 
House. As early as the 1950s, they were helping to organize and support 
GLBT rights movements in New York City. Dr. Messer, who is a retired 
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan, was 
also a member of the Mattachine Society, which, founded in 1951, is 
often considered a beginning force in the contemporary gay rights 
movement in the U.S.
  In the late 1970s, Henry Messer and Carl House moved to Michigan, but 
did not leave behind their strong ideals and commitment to justice. 
Instead they continued their strong activism in state and local 
politics and issues affecting GLBT people. This culminated in 1991 when 
Henry Messer, with Carl by his side, founded the Triangle Foundation 
and propelled Michigan into the GLBT rights movement.
  Because of the work of Henry Messer, Carl House, the Triangle 
Foundation, and many others in the struggle, we have come a long way in 
our efforts to expand civil rights to everyone--but we still have a 
long way to go. Through continued activism and education, we can and 
will reach our goals.

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