WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign and SHOWTIME are teaming up to host finale parties celebrating the last episode of THE L WORD ®. The parties will be held on March 8th in sixteen cities across the country, the same day the series finale airs on SHOWTIME. For a list of cities with events, please visit www.hrc.org/lword.

"The time to say goodbye to THE L WORD has arrived, and we are so pleased to partner with SHOWTIME to commemorate the series finale," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "For six seasons, THE L WORD has brought loving, honest portrayals of LGBT lives into millions of homes. This visibility is crucial to opening hearts and minds. I congratulate SHOWTIME and the entire L WORD team on their remarkable achievements."

"We're incredibly proud of the show, and have consistently been thrilled with the turnout for THE L WORD screening parties," said SHOWTIME Vice President George DeBolt. "It's bittersweet to part with the characters we've loved, but SHOWTIME is honored to partner with HRC and spread a message of equality to so many people."

HRC and SHOWTIME have worked together for all six seasons of THE L WORD to promote the show and host screenings for season premieres. The events regularly attracted nearly 20,000 supporters at more than 40 events throughout the nation.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom Inc., owns the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNELﾻ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME® TOOﾻ, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC xtra. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD®, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMANDﾻ. SNI operates and manages the premium television network SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, which is a venture between NBC Universal, Robert Redford, and Showtime Networks Inc. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME® PPV. Additionally, the advertiser-supported television network SHOWTIME is available in Turkey through a joint venture with UK-based Zone Vision.