Permanent Values

Anthony Romero, the American Civil Liberties Union's high-energy director, took the helm of the organization in September 2001, one week before the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He is widely credited with re-energizing the ACLU, increasing membership and visibility and with keeping an assertive focus on the organization's defense of civil liberties.

At 38, Romero, the ACLU's first Latino and openly gay director, is a fitting symbol of the organization's new energy. He speaks out about everything from gay marriage to the rights of Guantanamo detainees and at same time organizes musical concerts and parties with the air of an experienced host. Most of all, whether introducing Gov. Howard Dean or speaking at a concert, he actually seems to be enjoying himself. Romero, along with President Nadine Strossen, as much by their actions as by their words, have tried to make it clear that joining and becoming active in the ACLU is, in its own way, an act as progressive and political as joining a protest on the street.

Born in New York City to immigrant parents from Puerto Rico, Romero was the first in his family to graduate from high school. A graduate of Stanford University Law School and Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs, he was a Dinkelspiel Scholar at Stanford, a Cane Scholar at Princeton, and a National Hispanic Scholar at both institutions. Flushed with the success of a current string of court victories as well as the ACLU's Freedom Concert in early October, which featured Mos Def, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and more, Romero spoke with AlterNet about what it means to defend civil liberties in a time of war.

Rachel Neumann: First, how do you define civil liberties?

Anthony Romero: Civil liberties are the fundamental rights guaranteed to every person living in a free society. They are our most precious rights that ensure individual freedom and limit government intrusion in our lives.

When did you become a member of the ACLU and what drew you to the organization?

I'm a life member of the ACLU, and I started working directly with the organization on a professional level while I was at the Ford Foundation. But I was first introduced to the ACLU while in law school, since I had always thought of it as an organization that reflected my values.

What attracted me most to the ACLU is the organization's core mission, longstanding track record and commitment to principle. I believe that ACLU founder Roger Baldwin's vision for the organization is still relevant today, more than 80 years later. His belief that American democracy would be preserved only if we vehemently defended the Bill of Rights for everyone is a vision that I share.

My whole professional life has been committed to civil rights, civil liberties and social justice. It stems from my own life experience; my memories of discrimination, homophobia and poverty stand in sharp contrast to the dignity and love that I got from my family. Our job is to help others achieve their full potential, and protecting civil liberties is an essential part of that struggle.

What do you see as the ACLU's key goals in this period? Are they different than they have been in the past?

Sept. 11 obviously had a big impact on our work. There was understandably a lot of fear in the American public following the attacks. Our immediate goal was to get the message out that we must improve security in this country, but we must also be steadfast in our support of the values and freedoms that are the bedrock of this country. We had to make civil liberties a central part of the debate, and we have done that. Republicans and Democrats alike, communities across the nation, and courts are now questioning whether the government's actions went too far, too fast in diminishing our freedoms while not making us any safer.