Second Annual National Awards Dinner Will Take Place in Los Angeles

Sept. 6, 2005 – WASHINGTON, DC -- The Family Pride Coalition is pleased to announce that it will honor Capital One Financial with its second annual Corporate Community Responsibility Award. The presentation will take place at Family Pride’s second annual national awards dinner on Sat., Oct. 8 in Los Angeles.

Capital One Financial will be honored for its commitment to equality for the LGBT community, its family-friendly workplace practices and its ongoing dedication to the Family Pride Coalition and its mission. Marge Connelly, executive vice president of corporate partnerships at Capital One and a lesbian mother, will accept the award.

In addition to a non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, Capital One Financial also offers domestic partner benefits for same- and opposite-sex couples. The company’s parental leave policy includes domestic partners, adoption and foster care leave, plus adoption reimbursement. Capital One also has an active LGBT associate network.

For the past five years, Capital One has been a presenting sponsor of the Family Pride Coalition’s Family Week event in Provincetown.

“We’re thrilled to recognize and further thank Capital One Financial for their steadfast support of Family Pride and LGBT parents,” said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition. “Capital One Financial continues to find innovative and creative ways to make LGBT people, particularly LGBT parents, feel valued in the workplace. Their commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality is admirable, and we’re proud to honor them with the Corporate Community Responsibility Award.”

In addition, Family Pride will also honor actor, activist and author B.D. Wong with the Family Tree Award.

Tickets for the event are $175 per person and $250 for VIP tickets. There are a limited number of seats available. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call (202) 331-5015.

Corporate sponsors of the event include Family Pride National Presenting Sponsors IBM, Volvo Cars of North America and Capital One; Platinum Sponsors Q Television and Growing Generations; Gold Sponsor Crew Creative Advertising; Silver Sponsor Wells Fargo and Bronze Sponsor the David Bohnett Foundation. Other corporate support comes from the Law Offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, PlanetOut/Gay.com, Absolut, 1-800-Flowers and Brady Klein Weissman LLP.

The Family Pride Coalition is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to securing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their families.