In the News:

20th Creating Change: New date, vision, training academy
Task Force commemorates 30th anniversary of
      first-ever meeting between White House
      and gay and lesbian leaders
OutSpoken Blog: History on the (phone) line
National LGBT groups speak out about police harassment
      in Mississippi, firing in Florida
Upcoming events: Palm Springs, New York City,
      Washington, D.C.

20th Creating Change: New date, vision, training academy

The Task Force announced today that it will be taking a number of steps to enhance its annual national conference, Creating Change, including changing its date, offering new, rigorous training programs and conducting a national survey to be sure the conference is meeting the needs of the LGBT community. NAACP Chair Julian Bond (pictured) and Bishop Gene Robinson have agreed to give keynote addresses at the next conference.

[ Get full details ]

Task Force commemorates 30th anniversary of
first-ever meeting between White House
and gay and lesbian leaders

During a press conference yesterday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first-ever meeting between the White House and gay and lesbian leaders, those who attended the historic gathering talked about that milestone and the progress since made — or lack thereof.

“Anita Bryant back then wanted my resignation, as did many of the right-wing groups. More mail was generated from that meeting than from any other issue during Jimmy Carter’s administration.”
— Midge Costanza, then-assistant to President Jimmy Carter

[ Read the press release ]
[ Get the full details and view photos ]
[ Listen to the audio press conference ]

OutSpoken Blog: History on the (phone) line

“Like just about every important event in LGBT history, the inspirational story of the White House’s first meeting with openly lesbian and gay leaders in 1977 wasn’t taught in my history classes.”
— Sarah Kennedy, Vaid Fellow

[ Read the full blog entry and respond ]

National LGBT groups speak out about police harassment in Mississippi, firing in Florida

A coalition of national LGBT groups, including the Task Force, sent a March 23 letter to Mayor Rosemary Aultman of Clinton, Miss., in response to recent police harassment of Soulforce Equality Riders.

[ Read the press release and letter ]

On March 24, a coalition of national LGBT groups denounced the disciminatory action of Florida’s Largo City Commission for violating its own nondiscrimination policy as well as the law by firing longtime City Manager Steve Stanton after learning that Stanton is transgender.

[ Read the release ]

Upcoming events: Palm Springs, New York City, Washington, D.C.

Please join the Task Force for these great events: the Second Annual Palm Springs Cocktail Party on Saturday, April 7, at the home of Elliot Sernel (purchase tickets now); the New York Leadership Awards on Monday, April 16, at the Grand Hyatt, honoring U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and Steven Goldstein, CEO and chair of Garden State Equality, with special guest speaker the Rev. James Forbes, senior minister of the Riverside Church (get more information, sign up as a sponsor or table captain, or purchase tickets); and the DC Leadership Awards on Saturday, May 5, at the Omni Shoreham, honoring Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the cast and executive producer of Noah’s Arc (click for full details, including how to become a sponsor or table captain, or to purchase tickets).

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