(Photo by Todd Franson, Metro Weekly)
Distinguished Service Award to David Friedman
Presented by David Mariner, Executive Director, The DC Center
GLAA 40th Anniversary ReceptionWashington Plaza Hotel
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
David C. Friedman is the Director of the Anti-Defamation League's Washington, DC Regional Office and oversees ADL's national work with law enforcement. David was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Brandeis University and received advanced degrees from Columbia University.
In 1996, David and then U.S. Attorney, Eric Holder, founded the DC Bias Crimes Task Force, a coalition of advocacy groups including and law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating hate crimes. One of these advocacy groups was Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence. The Task Force became the model for hate crimes working groups established in all 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices.
In 1998, at the request of Washington, DC's Police Chief Charles Ramsey, and in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, David helped create Law Enforcement and Society, a training program for police on core values which has trained more than 65,000 law enforcement personnel to date and is a mandatory part of training for all FBI New Agents.
In 2003, David created ADL's Advanced Training School, which is today recognized as one of the nation's elite counter-terrorism training programs. Close to seven hundred law enforcement leaders have graduated from ATS, including our own Chief Cathy Lanier.
Sixteen years ago, David launched ADL in Concert Against Hate, an annual event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and attended by more than 2,300 people each year. The Concert honors so- called "ordinary people" who have stood up against hatred, intolerance and extremism.
David Friedman has testified countless times before the DC City Council advocating for all victims of hate and intolerance, including multiple hearings on hate crimes in the District. Most recently, David testified in support of legislation to address the bullying and harassment of LGBT students in DC Public Schools.
David is married to Patricia Cancellier, an educator. They have been married for 34 years, and have two children, Sylvie, 27, who works in marketing and public relations in Washington, DC, and Jack, 23, a chef in San Francisco. David is a long-standing and valuable ally to our community. As many of you know, GLOV, our anti-LGBT hate crimes group, ceased to exist for a period of time. It came back into existence in the summer of 2008 after a string of violent attacks on the LGBT community, including the assault on Todd Metrokin. David was a great source of encouragement and inspiration to the new members of GLOV. He received an award from GLOV in 2009 for his work on addressing hate crimes in the District.
It is my pleasure and privilege to present GLAA's Distinguished Service Award to David Friedman.
