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In the News:
Task Force homeless study in the New York Times
Your support makes a difference
Task Force remarks on Falwell draw
national media attention
‘The Legacy of Falwell’s Bully Pulpit’
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Task Force homeless study in the New York Times
Times spotlights problem of homelessness among LGBT youth and Task Force’s work on this critical matter
The scourge of homelessness among LGBT youth continues to garner massive media attention generated by the Task Force’s work on the issue, including the release of our comprehensive report, Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth: An epidemic of homelessness. The New York Times featured a substantial May 17 story on the topic that spotlighted our report, quotes from Executive Director Matt Foreman, and comments and information from partner organizations and service providers included in our study. The Times’ online edition included the article, direct links to the Task Force and our report, and a powerful audio slideshow focusing on LGBT youth at the Ruth Ellis Center (Ruth’s House) in Detroit, Mich.
Stories about our report, issued nationally on Jan. 30 by the Task Force in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, have appeared in thousands of outlets, with media impressions now topping 655 million. This unprecedented coverage on the issue has generated public concern and spurred real movement on Capitol Hill to secure more funds to address the problem of homeless and runaway youth. Our Public Policy & Government Affairs team is working hard this appropriations cycle to make sure the needs of LGBT youth are not ignored and to increase the overall funding through the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act for the next fiscal year.
[ Read the Times’ online coverage ]
[ See the article as it appeared in the New York Times ]
[ Download a copy of our report ]
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Your support makes a difference
“The Task Force has stepped up to the plate as THE organization bringing attention to the issue of LGBT youth homelessness. Their report on this epidemic demonstrates not only the need for a comprehensive response from our nation’s political leaders and the LGBT community, but also lays out the human toll of the crisis. True to the Task Force’s history, they are taking a leading role working with social service providers like our agency, as well as with state and federal policy makers, to advance the fight for equal rights and protections for our community’s most vulnerable members.”
— Grace A. McClelland, Executive Director, Ruth Ellis Center
[ Your support of our work makes a difference in the lives of others. Help today! ]
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Task Force remarks on Falwell draw national media attention
The Task Force’s response to the May 15 death of Jerry Falwell was included in almost every major media story on his legacy in more than 1,800 outlets, from the Boston Globe to CNN.com to the Billings Gazette.
In the statement, Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman said: “The death of a family member or friend is always a sad occasion and we express our condolences to all those who were close to the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Unfortunately, we will always remember him as a founder and leader of America’s anti-gay industry, someone who exacerbated the nation’s appalling response to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, someone who demonized and vilified us for political gain and someone who used religion to divide rather than unite our nation.”
On CNN.com, Foreman’s photo and comments appeared alongside those of a dozen leaders from varying backgrounds, among them President George W. Bush and the Rev. Billy Graham. Foreman’s remarks also appeared in numerous blogs. Response to his statement was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the Task Force for speaking the truth about Falwell’s legacy.
Photo courtesy of the Soulforce Equality Ride
[ View the CNN coverage ]
[ Read the Associated Press story ]
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‘The Legacy of Falwell’s Bully Pulpit’
The Washington Post published a compelling May 19 op-ed titled “The Legacy of Falwell’s Bully Pulpit” that was co-authored by Task Force board member Hans Johnson and William Eskridge, a Yale Law School professor and Task Force Leadership Council member.
“By speaking about gay people as outsiders, and even as disease-bearing strangers, he forced many Christians to look honestly at their congregations and reexamine the premise of their faith. By casting gays as threats to the survival of families, he forced parents, siblings and relatives of all kinds to reassess what values bind them together and how they care for one another.”
— Excerpt from “The Legacy of Falwell’s Bully Pulpit”
[ Read the full op-ed ]
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