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JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
Friday, February 29, 2008
Gay
rights
activists
have
been
contemplating
an
unprecedented
windfall
following
Sunday’s
announcement
that
late
philanthropist
Ric
Weiland
earmarked
$65
million
of
his
vast
estate
for
11
gay
and
AIDS
organizations.
Weiland
was
a
high
school
classmate
of
Microsoft
Corp.
founders
Bill
Gates
and
Paul
Allen
and
one
of
the
first
five
people
to
work
for
the
software
giant.
Weiland
stayed
with
the
company
from
1975
through
1988
and
became
a
multi-millionaire.
Weiland,
who
was
gay,
donated
millions
to
various
organizations
—
both
gay
and
others
—
during
his
lifetime.
He
died
of
a
self-inflicted
gunshot
wound
in
2006
at
the
age
of
53
at
his
home
after
years
of
suffering
from
depression.
The
Pride
Foundation
of
Seattle,
where
Weiland
was
a
board
member,
made
the
announcement.
It’s
the
single
largest
bequest
ever
given
to
gay
causes.
In
addition
to
the
Pride
Foundation,
which
awards
grants
and
scholarships
to
gay
students
in
Alaska,
Idaho,
Montana,
Oregon
and
Washington
state,
gay
and
AIDS
organizations
slated
to
receive
various
amounts
are:
amfAR,
an
AIDS
research
foundation;
Gay
&
Lesbian
Alliance
Against
Defamation
(GLAAD),
a
media
watchdog
organization;
the
Gay,
Lesbian
&
Straight
Education
Network
(GLSEN),
a
group
working
for
safety
in
schools;
In
the
Life,
a
gay
television
documentary
series;
the
International
Gay
&
Lesbian
Human
Rights
Commission
(IGLHRC),
a
U.S.
based
human
rights
non-profit;
Lambda
Legal,
a
gay
legal
organization;
the
National
Gay
&
Lesbian
Task
Force;
Parents,
Families
&
Friends
of
Lesbians
&
Gays
(PFLAG),
a
family
gay
rights
organization;
Project
Inform,
an
anti-AIDS
group;
and
Servicemembers
Legal
Defense
Network
(SLDN),
which
works
to
repeal
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,”
the
military’s
ban
on
gays
serving
openly.
All
the
groups
expressed
immense
gratitude
at
being
included
in
the
bequest;
they
were
among
those
Weiland
supported
during
his
life.
“He
had
been
a
significant
supporter
for
years,
so
I
don’t
think
it
would
be
right
to
say
we
were
shocked
or
surprised,
but
we
are
certainly
very
honored,”
said
Scott
Miller,
gay
communications
officer
for
In
the
Life.
“Ric
was
happiest
when
he
was
helping
others
and
so
I’m
glad
that
I
got
to
see
him
at
some
of
his
most
joyful
times,”
said
lesbian
Audrey
Haberman,
executive
director
of
the
Pride
Foundation.
Haberman
knew
Weiland
from
his
Pride
Foundation
board
service
and
remembers
him
as
“very
thoughtful,
warm
and
funny,
but
also
very
quiet
and
very
analytical.”
“Everyone
on
the
board
was
very
fond
of
him
but
we
weren’t
always
sure
what
he
was
thinking,”
she
said.
Haberman
said
Weiland,
who’d
supported
Pride
Foundation
for
years,
was
humble
about
his
large
donations
and
insisted
his
gifts
not
be
given
any
more
ballyhoo
than
others.
At
times,
he
gave
anonymously,
she
said.
With
$11
million
to
be
given
in
eight
annual
installments
(all
Weiland’s
gifts
to
the
gay
groups
will
be
given
over
the
course
of
eight
years),
Lambda
Legal
got
the
most
money
after
the
Pride
Foundation’s
$19
million.
Executive
Director
Kevin
Cathcart
recalled
Weiland,
like
the
late
Brooke
Astor,
as
an
involved
and
conscientious
benefactor.
“He
read
everything
about
the
cases
that
I
sent
him,”
Cathcart
said.
“He
was
extremely
thoughtful
about
where
he
gave
and
was
very
results
oriented.”
Some
groups
plan
to
expand
their
efforts
when
the
Weiland
money
starts
arriving.
Cathcart
said
Lambda
will
“absolutely”
add
staff
and
expand
efforts.
Others
are
only
beginning
to
explore
how
the
funds
will
be
best
utilized.
Some
cited
Human
Rights
Campaign,
the
country’s
largest
gay
rights
organization,
as
a
noticeable
absence
though
Weiland
had
donated
to
HRC
during
his
lifetime.
Gay
bloggers
have
speculated
Weiland
may
have
favored
championing
“underdog”
gay
groups
and
figured
HRC
had
substantial
donors.
Mike
Schaefer,
Weiland’s
partner,
said
observers
shouldn’t
read
anything
into
perceived
omissions.
“The
reality
is
that
even
with
that
kind
of
money,
he
couldn’t
give
to
everybody,”
Schaefer
said.
“And
I’m
confident
Ric’s
intention
was
to
encourage
collaboration
between
the
groups
…
he
also
liked
to
give
some
folks
help
who
aren’t
always
in
the
spotlight.
Like
Paula
[Ettelbrick]
at
IGLHRC.
That
organization
is
so
small
and
yet
it
warms
my
heart
to
see
the
amazing
work
and
the
global
reach
and
focus
it
has.
It’s
astounding,
so
I
think
we
should
rejoice
that
groups
like
that
were
included.”
Not
everybody’s
rejoicing,
though.
Long-time
New
York
gay
activist
Bill
Dobbs
called
the
list
of
recipients
“completely
unadventurous”
and
“unimaginative”
and
questioned
the
effectiveness
of
some.
Schaefer
said
the
focus
should
be
on
the
positive
ripple
effect
the
use
of
the
money
will
have.
“With
this
much,
it’s
not
just
going
to
help
one
generation,”
he
said.
“Ric’s
long-term
vision
will
help
many
people
in
the
years
to
come.
There
is
no
one
more
excited
than
me
to
read
the
stories
over
the
next
several
years
of
how
this
plays
out.”
Weiland
also
included
environmental
and
education
organizations,
including
his
alma
mater
Stanford,
in
the
bequests
of
about
$160
million,
the
bulk
of
his
estate.
Schaefer,
who
hasn’t
dated
since
Weiland’s
death,
said
Weiland
suffered
from
“serious,
debilitating”
depression
and
called
it
a
“disease
for
which
there
is
no
cure.”
He
called
Weiland’s
suicide
a
“tragic
mistake”
but
is
thankful
that
good
is
coming
from
it
through
the
bequests.
“Let’s
hope
we
all
are
judged
by
how
we
lived
our
lives
and
not
how
it
ends,”
Schaefer
said.
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