NatioNal Gay aNd lesbiaN task Force spriNG/summer 2008 boards oF directors staFF officers executive Policy Institute Finance & administration co-chairs Matt Foreman Jaime Grant Brian Johnson Alan T. Acosta (Stanford, CA) executive director director deputy executive director for Finance & administration Mark M. Sexton*(New York, NY) Ellen Kitzerow Nicholas Ray assistant to the executive & New york office senior policy analyst Sandi Greene Vice chairs director of administration Julie R. Davis (San Francisco, CA) Angelina Autar Eli Vitulli executive office intern Vaid Fellow Michael Lloyd Paula Redd Zeman*(Mamaroneck, NY) accounting manager Public Policy & treasurer program departments Charles E. Matiella Government Affairs Maureen Burnley (New York, NY) Rea Carey senior technology manager deputy executive director Dave Noble secretary Barney A. Thomas Jr. director Finance associate Jody Laine (Seattle, WA) Julie Childs executive assistant to the Becky Dansky deputy executive director Henry Woodside Federal legislative director database administrator Jeff Adler (New York, NY) Organizing & Training Amber Hollibaugh John M. Allen* (Detroit, MI) senior strategist development Michael Aller (Miami Beach, FL) Dan Hawes director Lisa Mottet Robert J. Shaw Margaret A. Burd* (Thornton, CO) transgender civil rights project director director Rebecca Ahuja Jerry N. Clark (Washington, DC) senior Field organizer Kara Suffredini Amanda Decetise state legislative director director of institutional Giving David da Silva Cornell (Miami Beach, FL) Kian Boloori Field organizer Rebecca Voelkel Jose Lugaro Joycelyn Elders, M.D.,D.Sc. (Little Rock, AR) institute for Welcoming resources director of major Gifts Sarah N. Fletcher (Seattle, WA) Kathleen Campisano and Faith Work program director senior Field organizer Janice Thom William Forrest (Chicago, IL) David Lohman director of special events Moof Mayeda institute for Welcoming resources Suzanne Goldstein (Washington, DC) senior Field organizer and Faith Work coordinator Michael Bath special events manager Craig Hoffman (Washington, DC) Sarah Reece Laurie Young project director aging policy analyst Alex Breitman Hans Johnson (Washington, DC) special events manager Eric von Kuersteiner* (New York, NY) Trystan Reese communications Field organizer Dave Cook Mary Morten (Chicago, IL) Roberta Sklar development associate Jovan Sage director Nicole Murray-Ramirez (San Diego, CA) Field organizer Ezra Towne membership manager Andrew Ogilvie (Los Angeles, CA) Inga Sarda-Sorensen Movement Building deputy director Christopher Clark Loren S. Ostrow** (Los Angeles, CA) Pedro Julio Serrano development intern (New York, NY) Russell Roybal Ken Ranftle director communications coordinator Charles Renslow (Chicago, IL) Sue Hyde Jorge Taveras Lee Rubin (Chevy Chase, MD) director, creating change communications associate Michelle Stecker (Toledo, OH) Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz Dorrit Walsh director of capacity building Web manager Moonhawk River Stone (Albany, NY) As of April 1, 2008 R. Peter Wharton (Miami, FL) Marta Alvarado administrative assistant Dr. Hope Wine, Psy.D. (Miami Beach, FL) Robin Wood *Also a member of the Task Force Action Fund program associate ** Solely a member of the Task Force Action Fund coNteNts From the executive director 4 Action Fund invests Heavily in california marriage battle 6 task Force deploys organizers to south Florida 7 powering up at the New york power summit 8 domestic partnership measure Fails in New mexico 8 Task Force and NCTE co-produce transgender-inclusive Guide 9 The National conference on lGBT equality: creating change 10 Action Fund secures critical Funding for Homeless youth programs 14 National lGBT aging roundtable convenes in san Francisco 14 Focus on Faith 15 Irreverence abounds at New york leadership awards 16 Winter party Festival breaks attendance records 18 look for us at pride! celebrating in seattle 22 The Task Force will be out and proud at several Pride events a record-breaking miami recognition dinner 24 throughout the summer. If you’re in any of these cities during event potpourri 26 their festivities, be sure to drop by our distinctive pink and purple Leadership Council event in New York tents and say hello! Check www.thetaskForce.org for the most Kicking off the New York Leadership Awards up-to-date list. D.C. Leadership Awards kickoff at National Press Club may 3 board & staff News 27 youth pride day, Washington, dc leadership council 29 At the 20th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, Mara Keisling may 25 (far right), executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality and dc black pride, Washington, dc oN spokesperson for a broad coalition of transgender organizations and activists, tHe coVer recognized the leadership role of the Task Force during the battle for a transgender- inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Keisling expressed apprecia- June 1 tion for the Task Force’s “total commitment in working towards complete equality motor city pride, Ferndale, mi and justice for all people.” Public Policy & Government Affairs Director Dave Noble (second from left) accepted the honor on behalf of the Task Force. June 7–8 Photo: andrewpotterphoto.com christopher street West/la pride, los angeles, ca coNtact us [email protected] www.thetaskForce.org Washington, dc 1325 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 June 15 Tel 202.393.5177 Fax 202.393.2241 capital pride Festival, Washington, dc New york, Ny 80 Maiden Lane, Suite 1504, New York, NY 10038 June 21–22 Tel 212.604.9830 Fax 212.604.9831 Los angeles, ca 2801 Hyperion Avenue, Suite 102, Los Angeles, CA 90027 denver prideFest, denver, CO Tel 323.671.2400 Fax 323.912.9247 cambridge, ma 1151 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138 June 28–29 Tel 617.492.6393 Fax 617.492.0175 san Francisco prideFest, san Francisco, ca miami, Fl 3510 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 202, Miami, FL 33137 July 19–20 Tel 305.571.1924 Fax 305.571.7298 minneapolis, mN 810 West 31st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 san diego lGBT pride celebration, san diego, ca Tel/Fax 612.821.4397 Newsletter printing made possible by an in-kind donation from gay-owned Westprint Inc. © 2008 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation and NGLTF, Inc. From tHe executiVe director take pride in us (and then get back to work) As I move on and the Task Force’s very capable Rea Carey steps in to When drag queens and transgender people led the fight at Stonewall lead us until we find a new executive director, I have an admission to against harassment and police abuse, we didn’t know about — much make: I like LGBT Pride. Well, actually, I love it. less get — gender identity and expression. Today, nearly 40 percent of the population lives somewhere that prohibits discrimination on Over the last five years at the Task Force, I’ve had the privilege of those accounts. going to Pride celebrations across the country — big ones and tiny ones, towns where it still takes enormous courage to march down Marriage equality and family recognition back then? Few dared to Main Street and cities where floats crowded with scantily clad go- even imagine it. Today, even with all the setbacks we’ve encoun- go boys don’t even raise an eyebrow. Some are unbelievably kitschy tered, one in five of us lives in a state that offers most of the rights and some overwhelmingly serious. But one thing I’ve felt and seen in and responsibilities that come with marriage to same-sex couples. every one of them: a pervasive sense of personal pride in us. Far from being stalled out, progress is accelerating: 2007 was the People have different understandings about exactly who and what best legislative year ever, with three states enacting inclusive non- the us is. For many, we’re a political and social justice movement. discrimination laws, four states passing anti-bullying laws, two states For others, it’s friends, family and social activities. For others, it’s adding gender identity protections and three states extending com- mainly about sex. During our annual Pride celebrations, however, all prehensive protections to same-sex couples. these understandings and many more appear on the same stage with remarkable comfort and synergy. In many respects, we’ve made even greater strides at the cultural level. While anti-LGBT rhetoric remains a staple of right-wing reli- On the political front, our progress toward LGBT equality since the gious leaders, talk radio and schoolyard bullying, more and more 1969 Stonewall Riots is nothing short of breathtaking. people are less and less likely to spout their bigotry in public. Last month, a bigwig at the Family Research Council actually apologized Forty years ago, no law sought to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual or for saying he wanted to export gays from the U.S. and (gasp!) a transgender people from discrimination. Today, over half the nation’s same-sex couple finally kissed on As the World Turns. population lives in a jurisdiction that outlaws discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 4 Task Force Creating CHANGE SPRING/SUMMER 2008 “People have different understandings about exactly who and what the us is. For many, we’re a political and social justice movement. For others, it’s friends, family and social activities. For others, it’s mainly about sex. During our annual Pride celebrations, how- ever, all these understandings and many more appear on the same stage with remarkable comfort and synergy.” matt Foreman So far, we haven’t been scapegoated in this current election cycle We can’t say all of this has been accomplished in such a relatively in any way remotely resembling 2004. We can only hope that using short period of time because our organizations have been well- us and our families to divide the nation and inflame the electorate is resourced or our opponents weak or because the path has been finally on a permanent wane. (That said, it’s an outrage they’re latch- smooth. Indeed, we’ve pressed ahead in the face of violence and a ing on to a new group on which to blame all our nation’s problems plague that killed a generation of our men.