Richard Socarides
Encyclopedia
Richard Socarides is president of Equality Matters
, a gay rights organization. He was a White House
adviser under United States President Bill Clinton
from 1993 to 1999 in a variety of senior positions, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Public Liaison. He served as principle adviser to Clinton on gay
and lesbian
civil rights issues and is one of the highest ranking gay persons ever to serve in the federal government. Under Clinton, he was Chief Operating Officer of the 50th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Socarides has also worked as special assistant to Senator Tom Harkin
(D-Iowa). From 2000 to 2006, Socarides held senior positions at Time Warner, New Line Cinema, and AOL.
An attorney, Socarides currently serves as Of Counsel
to the New York and Los Angeles law firm of Brady Klein & Weissman, where his practice focuses on litigation, family law and the legal rights of gay men and lesbians. He has authored Op Ed opinion pieces on gay rights for The Wall Street Journal
, The Washington Post
, Politico.com, The Huffington Post
, and AmericaBlog. He has received awards from the Human Rights Campaign
, the Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York, the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and the Henrick-Martin Institute.
Socarides has served on the boards of directors of GLAAD and Lambda Legal
. He often appears as a political commentator on television.
Socarides, who is openly
gay, is the son of the late Charles Socarides
(1922 - 2005), a psychiatrist
and controversial critic of the American Psychiatric Association
's decision to remove homosexuality
from its list of mental disorders.
law firm.
. He graduated from Hofstra University School of Law
and Antioch College
. Socarides has served on a wide variety of non-profit boards, including those of organizations devoted to civil rights, historic preservation and urban renewal, music and philanthropy.
and as Political Director and Senior Advisor for U.S. Senator Tom Harkin in 1991-92. He also served on Tom Harkin
's U.S. Senate staff.
From 1993 to 1999, Socarides worked as a White House advisor in a variety of senior positions. He served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Public Liaison and also as Chief Operating Officer of the 50th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He coordinated communications and event strategy, policy and community outreach relating to key initiatives and represented the President and articulated administration policy in public appearances.
Socarides served as Vice President for Corporate Relations at AOL Time Warner (now Time Warner), where he was a senior member of the executive team responsible for planning and positioning the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy and its community outreach program. He also managed media relations and internal communications in support of these initiatives. During this same period, Socarides also served as Vice President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the company, in which capacity he was responsible for building a brand franchise around the company’s philanthropic initiatives and helping to oversee an annual budget of $20 million in corporate giving.
As Senior Vice President at New Line Cinema and as head of its corporate communications department, Socarides was responsible for managing corporate press and media relations, as well as communications strategy and reputation management for the company and its senior executives. He was a member of the team that developed the Academy Award campaign for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
. It won 11 Oscars, tying the record for most ever, including Best Picture.
Equality Matters
Equality Matters is a media and communications initiative in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality in the United States. The organization is associated with Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog group...
, a gay rights organization. He was a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
adviser under United States President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
from 1993 to 1999 in a variety of senior positions, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Public Liaison. He served as principle adviser to Clinton on gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
civil rights issues and is one of the highest ranking gay persons ever to serve in the federal government. Under Clinton, he was Chief Operating Officer of the 50th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Socarides has also worked as special assistant to Senator Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
(D-Iowa). From 2000 to 2006, Socarides held senior positions at Time Warner, New Line Cinema, and AOL.
An attorney, Socarides currently serves as Of Counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to the New York and Los Angeles law firm of Brady Klein & Weissman, where his practice focuses on litigation, family law and the legal rights of gay men and lesbians. He has authored Op Ed opinion pieces on gay rights for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, Politico.com, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, and AmericaBlog. He has received awards from the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
, the Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York, the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and the Henrick-Martin Institute.
Socarides has served on the boards of directors of GLAAD and Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
. He often appears as a political commentator on television.
Socarides, who is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay, is the son of the late Charles Socarides
Charles Socarides
Charles W. Socarides was an American psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, physician, educator, and author. Socarides was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. Socarides focused much of his career on the study of homosexuality, which he believed can be altered...
(1922 - 2005), a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and controversial critic of the American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential worldwide. Its some 38,000 members are mainly American but some are international...
's decision to remove homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
from its list of mental disorders.
Biography
Socarides has held senior positions in the media and entertainment sector and in government and law – as a media relations and communications executive, as a presidential adviser at the White House and as a partner in a New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
law firm.
Legal career
From 1984 to 1990, Socarides was an associate, then a partner, at the New York law firm of Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & SheinfeldSquadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Sheinfeld
Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Sheinfeld was a New York City-based law firm that practiced from 1970 to 2002 when it merged with Washington, D.C.-based Hogan & Hartson. The Squadron Ellenoff name was discontinued at that time...
. He graduated from Hofstra University School of Law
Hofstra University School of Law
The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University is located in Hempstead, New York. Founded in 1970 and accredited by the ABA in 1971, the school offers a JD, a joint JD/MBA degree, and LL.M degrees in American Law and Family law...
and Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
. Socarides has served on a wide variety of non-profit boards, including those of organizations devoted to civil rights, historic preservation and urban renewal, music and philanthropy.
Political career
Socarides served on national political campaigns, as Deputy Director for Public Liaison for Clinton/Gore '96United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
and as Political Director and Senior Advisor for U.S. Senator Tom Harkin in 1991-92. He also served on Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
's U.S. Senate staff.
From 1993 to 1999, Socarides worked as a White House advisor in a variety of senior positions. He served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Public Liaison and also as Chief Operating Officer of the 50th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He coordinated communications and event strategy, policy and community outreach relating to key initiatives and represented the President and articulated administration policy in public appearances.
Corporate career
In 2000, Socarides was Senior Vice President at Robinson Lerer & Montgomery Strategic Communications, a New York consulting firm. He provided media relations, branding, marketing, public policy and crisis management advice to domestic and international Fortune 100 companies, principally in the media and entertainment sectors, including American Online, NBC and Bertelsmann, among others.Socarides served as Vice President for Corporate Relations at AOL Time Warner (now Time Warner), where he was a senior member of the executive team responsible for planning and positioning the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy and its community outreach program. He also managed media relations and internal communications in support of these initiatives. During this same period, Socarides also served as Vice President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the company, in which capacity he was responsible for building a brand franchise around the company’s philanthropic initiatives and helping to oversee an annual budget of $20 million in corporate giving.
As Senior Vice President at New Line Cinema and as head of its corporate communications department, Socarides was responsible for managing corporate press and media relations, as well as communications strategy and reputation management for the company and its senior executives. He was a member of the team that developed the Academy Award campaign for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. It won 11 Oscars, tying the record for most ever, including Best Picture.
Articles and opinion pieces
- Where's Our 'Fierce Advocate'? The Washington Post, May 2, 2009.
- Ask Obama About Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Gay voters are growing impatient for equality. The Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2010.
- Obama Is Missing in Action on Gay Rights: Ted Olson is on the right side of history. When will the president step up? The Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2010.
- A way forward on gay marriage. Politico.com, August 18, 2010.
- The Choice to Defend DOMA, and Its Consequences. AmericaBlog.com, June 14, 2009.
- A Summer for Gay Rights. HuffingtonPost.com, June 18, 2010.
- ""Exactly Why We Have Courts, Why We Have the Constitution and Why We Have the 14th Amendment". HuffingtonPost.com, January 11, 2010.
- Why Equality Matters. Equality Matters, December 19, 2010.