Zach Huckel-Bauer speaks to a Darien woman about the Human Rights Campaign to “Legalize Gay.”

Photo Credit: Andrew Vazzano

Huckel-Bauer, in his "Legalize Gay" T-shirt, on the streets of Darien.

Photo Credit: Andrew Vazzano

Zach Huckel-Bauer, representing the Human Rights Campaign, hit the streets Thursday, asking people to donate funds to help legalize gay rights and marriage. "Darien's a nice, usually supportive town," he said. "It's progressive and people have the money to support things they believe in."

Huckel-Bauer took the train from Manhattan and was canvassing along the Post Road, speaking to anyone who would listen. "We're trying to get monthly donations or a one-time gift," he said. "Petitions can only do so much, but what the HRC needs is money to help support our causes in Washington, D.C."

He was carrying a chart that listed the states where someone can still be legally fired for being gay or transgender. In Connecticut, he said, it is still legal for a person to be fired if they are transgender. But same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut.

A recent graduate of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Huckel-Bauer works for the Fund for the Public Interest, which teams with the Human Rights Campaign to put people on the street to support their causes.

"So far, I've raised about $20,000 for the campaign, and this is only the start of my fourth month. I had the interview for this job while I was still at Vassar. It's a really hard job to get, but it's an ever harder job to keep," he said, noting that he has to bring in a certain amount of money.

"We haven't had a lot of backlash, which is good," he said, sporting a "Legalize Gay" T-shirt. "We're just getting people to support our cause."