Donna Payne
Associate Director of Diversity
As one of the Human Rights Campaign’s key representatives at the national and state levels, Donna Payne works closely with a number of civil rights organizations across the country to increase visibility of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community within the religious and people of color communities. She helps to lead HRC’s diversity work by organizing its role in "Gospel & Soul" events and HRC’s participation in black and Hispanic pride events in major cities nationwide. Payne has been given many awards across the country for her organizing skills and political forums in the African-American same-gender-loving community. In 2001, Payne was the GLBT representative for HRC and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.
She has also served the political community by working with the Young Democrats-D.C. and the Political Congress of Black Women and volunteered with the Clinton administration in its national health care reform efforts. Before coming to HRC, Payne worked in various mayoral and congressional campaigns. Payne holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.