Leadership Award Winner Works to Influence Policy
 George
Meldrum believes that positive results and influencing public policy is
reward enough. So it must have been icing on the cake to be named GLBT
Leader of the Year on May 9 by GayDelaware.com.
George, a Wilmington resident who splits
his time between northern Delaware and an office here in Rehoboth was
presented with the honor at Delaware Pride’s annual banquet.
“I knew I’d been nominated,” says
George, “but I had no idea that I’d won until it was announced at
the event. I was thrilled. Not that you need it, but it’s nice to get
some affirmation when you work on tough stuff.”
Obviously, GayDelaware.com, an online
GLBT networking site, took a look at George’s volunteer involvement
with some really tough issues in a host of non-profits and was
impressed. It’s impossible not to be.
Since he came out a dozen years ago,
George has been determined to make a difference in the GLBT community.
“If somebody asks me what I do in my career, I tell them I try to
influence public policy. It’s what I do.”
His full-time job is Director of Special
Projects for the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems. But along with
his paid job, he spends hours and hours volunteering.
Growing up in Delaware, George had a
tough time coming out and finding a place to belong. Having finally
found his way to comfort and pride in the community, he decided to help
young people have an easier time than he had.
To that end, he plunged into
volunteerism. Over the past several years George has been a board member
for AIDS Delaware and the Rainbow Chorale, plus serving as a founding
member and current president of the Delaware Liberty Fund—a group that
raises money to help elect gay-friendly politicians.
“I have always been in advocacy
work,” he says, “and I was familiar with the workings of Legislative
Hall.” So George worked with a group of folks who agreed that we
needed a way of getting the legislators’ attention and influencing
public policy.
According to George, donating funds is a
great way to represent a constituency and get the attention our
community deserves. “The Liberty Fund raised $40-50,000 in the last
few years and has given most of it away to candidates we have backed.”
George firmly believes that it’s our
obligation, individually and as a community, to educate people about
GBLT issues.
“Most people don’t know our issues.
They don’t know we can be fired from a job in Delaware just for being
gay,” he says. “We have to educate them about why HB99 (a proposal
adding sexual orientation to Delaware’s anti-discrimination law) is so
important to us. When we educate, whether by explaining our issues or by
donating money to campaigns, we raise the level of the GLBT community as
a constituency.”
In addition to the Liberty Fund, George
recently founded the non-profit, J.U.S.T.—an organization for youth,
with the acronym standing for Justice, Unity, Safety and Tolerance.
J.U.S.T. develops programs to educate people about sexual minority youth
issues. “These kids are high risk for drugs, alcohol, suicide and
being runaways. We need to let people know that,” says George.
Gay organizations are not the only ones
benefiting from George’s volunteer efforts. His leadership reach
extends to the YMCA, Cooperative Extension Service, and Delaware ACOA—a
mental health organization.
“Serving on boards brings a certain
level of respect,” he says, “and when you try to influence public
policy you rely on respect.”
You also can earn big results. George’s
work with the Governor’s School Health Commission included helping
revamp the state health curriculum. “Now kids in the entire state must
be taught to have respect for sexual minorities. It’s a law, on the
books now. We did it quietly, but it’s the law.”
Working quietly behind the scenes is a
hallmark of George’s volunteer style. “I always say I’m willing to
go in the back door but I only come out the front door,” he says.
“It’s simple, but it’s my way to work behind the scenes. In
Delaware, because it’s a small state, we have a lot of access to our
legislators and we can educate and influence them.”
George Meldrum knows there’s lots more
work to do. That’s why he’s been working with the newly formed
Stonewall Democrats and was on hand May 15 when Governor Minner held her
press conference announcing her support for HB99.
When
it comes to volunteering our time, educating our neighbors and
politicians and making our voices heard, we should all follow this
leader.
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