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Mobilizing the LGBTQ community in the movement to end gun violence Campaign Prospectus 2016 Election Cycle www.PrideFund.org

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Mobilizing the LGBTQ community in the movement to end gun violence

Campaign Prospectus

2016 Election Cycle

www.PrideFund.org

About Pride Fund

Pride Fund to End Gun Violence (“Pride Fund”) is a political action committee (“PAC”) that supports federal candidates who will act on sensible gun policy reforms while championing LGBTQ safety and equality. As a community that suffers more hate crimes than any other protected group, supporting pro-LGBTQ candidates who also believe in common-sense gun reforms is essential to our safety and our continued march towards equality. And by building upon our community’s battle-after-battle wins for equality, Pride Fund is turning the frustration and anger into action by focusing on achieving sensible gun reforms to make America safer for all.

Through its fundraising and grassroots engagement, Pride Fund aims to disarm hate by: (1) Mobilizing the estimated nine million self-identifying LGBTQ community members, (2) Raising fund to support endorsed candidates to counter the NRA and gun manufacturers, and (3) Serving as the strong, concen-trated voice of the LGBTQ community that fights for common-sense gun reforms.

Standing OUT to Ensure Success

Pride Fund works with like-minded groups all across America to push our elected officials to act on reforming our gun laws. While we partner with numerous organizations, we are hyper-focused on engag-ing and mobilizing our community in the gun reform movement.

We are standing on the shoulders of past LGBTQ champions to achieve progress yet again. Not too long ago, laws across the United States criminalized our intimacy, banned us from marriage, refused to recog-nize our families, and barred us from openly serving our country in the military. At each turn, we success-fully overcame each of those challenges by coming together, and we continue to fight acts of hatred and intolerance. Most recently, a hate-filled man armed with a weapon of war targeted our community with an unprecedented level of violence. In response, Pride Fund is organizing and mobilizing to retake our public and private spaces from the threat of gun violence.

The LGBTQ Community is Ready to Fight

Our community will impact races up and down the ballot. We make-up the second most loyal electoral voting bloc after African Americans. In order to disarm hate, our community must be engaged to turn out and vote.

CNN 2014 election exit polling:

Are You Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual?

4% of all voters self identifed as LGBT75% of voters voted Democratic24% of voters voted Republican1% of voters picked a third party

Our Aspirations

• Serve as the strong, concentrated voice of the LGBTQ community in fighting for gun reforms. • Leverage the power of the LGBTQ vote in 2016 and beyond. • Harness the organizing power of our community to support candidates who support gun reform. • Raise and spend $500,000 in 2016 in support of pro-LGBTQ and pro-gun reform candidates.

Smart Investment

It will take intense focus, engagement, and fundraising to make a difference in the fight for gun reforms, but the LGBTQ community, with the help of its allies, has succeeded before and we plan do so again.

Pride Fund will run a micro-targeted campaign designed to reach all members of the LGBTQ community and allies. From traditional media to social media to voter contact tactics like direct mail and video ads, Pride Fund plans to successfully engage Americans on many different platforms.

The Gun Debate is a Defining Issue of 2016

As it should be, the debate over reforming our gun laws has been a defining campaign issue in 2016. From the halls of Congress to dinner tables across the country, Americans are debating how we should respond to the gun violence that plagues our nation. A majority of Americans continue to ask: “how many lives lost will be enough?”

Pride Fund is uniquely positioned to make a substantial contribution to the movement to end these senseless acts of gun violence. As a result, we seek donations that will help us disarm hate and pass commonsense gun laws. Each year the gun lobby spends tens of millions of dollars to influence Congres-sional elections and legislative action. But with Pride Fund’s ability to work with and engage the LGBTQ population, we have a chance to make a true difference in this and future elections.

Jason Lindsay, Executive Director

Jason is founder and executive director of Pride Fund to End Gun Violence. While serving in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Jason saw first-hand the devastation that weapons of war can cause. He intimately understands the weapons he used in Iraq and those sold today on our streets. His experi-ence as a seasoned political operative and passion for preventing future gun tragedies drove him to create Pride Fund - the LGBTQ's only voice solely focused on the fight against gun violence.