Prior to that, she was a founder of Renna Communications. Over her seven years with the firm, Renna Communications partnered with dozens of different organizations, including the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Family Equality Council, the Point Foundation, ACT-UP, the New York LGBTQ Center, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Soulforce, Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE), the Family Acceptance Project, the Williams Institute, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and many more.
Cathy is nationally recognized as both a media relations and communications expert and a leader within the LGBTQ community. She has played a critical role in media related to nearly every issue affecting LGBTQ populations, from high visibility issues like marriage equality and the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” to being the force behind creating more visibility for older LGBTQ people, homeless LGBTQ youth, transgender youth and a host of other populations and issues
In the 1990′s through 2003, she was a major force behind the success and growth of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Cathy served as a primary spokesperson for GLAAD, with her final position as its first National News Media Director. She contributed to the strategic, crisis communications and community relations components of the organization’s most visible campaigns. Cathy developed the materials and curriculum for GLAAD’s popular and well-respected “Media Essentials” training series. In her role as Community Relations Director at GLAAD, Cathy conducted hundreds of media trainings and presentations across the country to a diverse array of progressive groups of all sizes.
With her particular expertise in crisis and strategic communications, Cathy played a central role while at GLAAD in shaping media coverage of both the beating death of Matthew Shepard in 1998, a tragedy that became a cultural marker for a shift in the level of media visibility of LGBTQ issues, and the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, during which her efforts successfully framed child sexual abuse as a clinical issue that was unrelated to sexual orientation. Her work with these issues continues today and she is a source and resource to media at the national and local levels on a host of issues.
In her over 25 years working in media relations, Cathy has garnered placements in every major online, broadcast and other outlets in the country, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Buzzfeed.com, The Associated Press, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post and a cover stories in both Time and Newsweek magazines. In addition to her work as a communications consultant, Cathy continues to be highly sought after by the media as a spokesperson on LGBTQ issues and has appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, CNN, MSNBC, Good Morning America and numerous local affiliate shows throughout the country. Cathy is also a writer and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. She has authored pieces published in the Washington Post, the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy and other media outlets and books.
After leaving GLAAD, Cathy joined Fenton Communications as its New York office Media Director and worked with clients such as 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai and MoveOn.org. In 2006, Cathy co-founded Target Cue in order to respond to the need for a media relations firm capable of bringing high-level communications strategies and particular expertise in LGBTQ issues to progressive non-profit organizations.
Renna’s work has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the American Association of LGBT Psychiatrists, the Bisexual Resource Center, Queens Pride, the Long Island Crisis Center, the Capital Area LGBT Chamber of Commerce and others. Her work has been recognized by PR Week, a leading trade publication in the field of public relations.
She lives in Montclair, NJ with her partner Karen Ciaramella.
This article is a hate crime.
These people are mentally ill. They need therapy.
The actually believe the lies spewed out by the leftist media. Crazy.
Welcome to our world Kathy.
Somebody needs to tell these “highly educated”/very low intelligence retarded snowflakes that we don’t pick the winner by the popular vote.
I have nothing against women or the disabled. The others? Yeah, they're perverts, mostly parasites, and savages. What's not to hate?
Don't forget about the Republican Congress, the Republican state houses, and the soon to be Republican Supreme court.
this feels like the aftermath of an attack
The attack has just started.
I would think muslims would declare a jihad on democrats for being lumped in with the LGBTQs.
“I won”
Sorry, I don’t see this as remotely funny. It shows the fascistic mentality of homosexual activists.
If these several people do not want to be delivered from their demon possession by a Believer in Jesus, then they should be on massive doses of Thorazine. STAT.
Fake.
Why would anyone do that after DJT has won?
Again, fake.
.
Trump
Has never said anything disparaging about gay people, where the hell is this crap coming from?
Welcome to my world for the past 8 years, baby.
I’m seriously thinking about signing up at the Huffing-and-Puffington post website, just to comment a few times (before getting banned.)