[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO RODGER McFARLANE, PIONEER IN THE LGBT CIVIL RIGHTS AND HIV/
                             AIDS MOVEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 20, 2009

  Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the extraordinary life 
and accomplishments of Rodger McFarlane. A pioneer and legend in the 
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and HIV/AIDS 
movements, this remarkable man merits our recognition and our esteem 
for his unprecedented contributions to our nation and to the world.
  Sadly, Rodger was taken from us far too young, at age 54. Larry 
Kramer, Rodger's longtime partner and collaborator, has said that 
Rodger ``did more for the gay world than any person has ever done.'' 
Rodger was at the forefront of responding to the AIDS epidemic as it 
began to ravage our country in the early 1980's. Before HIV even had a 
name, in 1981, Rodger set up the first HIV/AIDS hotline anywhere; in 
fact, he used his home phone. Rodger, one of the original volunteers at 
Gay Men's Health Crisis, the nation's first and largest provider of 
AIDS client services and public education programs, became its first 
paid executive director. Until his death, Rodger was the president 
emeritus of Bailey House, the nation's first and largest provider of 
supportive housing for homeless people with HIV. Rodger was also a 
founding member of ACT UP-NY, the pioneering protest group responsible 
for sweeping changes to public policy as well as drug treatment and 
delivery processes.
  In 1989, Rodger became executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity 
Fights AIDS, merging two small industry-based fundraising groups into 
one of America's most successful and influential AIDS fundraising and 
grant-making organizations. From 2004 to 2008, Rodger served as the 
executive director of the Denver-based Gill Foundation, one of the 
nation's largest funders of programs advocating for LGBT equality. 
Rodger was instrumental in the creation of the Gill Foundation's sister 
organization, Gill Action.
  Rodger took three organizations in their infancy and grew each into a 
powerhouse to tackle the international tragedy of HIV/AIDS. At Gay 
Men's Health Crisis, Rodger increased fundraising from a few thousand 
dollars to the $25 million agency it is today. During his tenure at 
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, he increased the organization's 
annual revenue from less than $1 million to more than $5 million, while 
also leveraging an additional $40 million annually through strategic 
alliances with other funders and corporate partnerships. He transformed 
the Gill Foundation by sharpening its strategic purpose, focusing its 
philanthropy in the states, aligning its investment with political 
imperatives, and forging alliances that furthered both the LGBT 
movement and the progressive movement as a whole.
  The breadth of Rodger's accomplishments is astounding. A proud U.S. 
Navy veteran, Rodger was a licensed nuclear engineer who conducted 
strategic missions in the North Atlantic and far Arctic regions aboard 
a fast attack submarine. A gifted athlete, he was a veteran of seven 
over-ice expeditions to the North Pole. He also competed 
internationally for many years as an elite tri-athlete.
  Although Rodger never completed college, he was an accomplished and 
best-selling author and producer of works for the stage. Rodger co-
wrote several books, including The Complete Bedside Companion: No 
Nonsense Advice on Caring for the Seriously Ill (Simon & Schuster, 
1998), and most recently, Larry Kramer's The Tragedy of Today's Gays 
(Penguin, 2005). In 1993, he co-produced the Pulitzer Prize-nominated 
production of Larry Kramers The Destiny of Me, the sequel to The Normal 
Heart.
  Rodger's many achievements led to well-deserved awards; he was 
recognized with honors such as the New York City Distinguished Service 
Award, the Presidential Voluntary Action Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt 
Award, the Emery Award from the Hetrick Martin Institute, and Tony and 
Drama Desk honors. Most recently, he received the Patient Advocacy 
Award from the American Psychiatric Association.
  Beyond his professional contributions, friends knew Rodger as a 
devoted caregiver who nursed countless friends and family members 
battling cancer and AIDS. He was the most compassionate and giving of 
friends, especially to those in physical or emotional distress. A 
hallmark of his personality, his humor made him stand out from the 
rest.
  Please join me in paying tribute to the life of Rodger McFarlane, a 
constituent of mine, who was a tireless activist, a brilliant 
strategist, a remarkable leader, and a treasured friend. A man who 
achieved so much in such a short time, Rodger will be missed by many. 
Denver is better for the time he spent there. Our world is better for 
the time he spent here.

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