The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Update


In the News: Ft. Lauderdale protests anti-gay bigotry Outspoken blog: It’s all about morals Task Force mourns Tammy Faye Task Force in the News Join the Task Force in glamorous Beverly Hills and at the beach!
Ft. Lauderdale protests anti-gay bigotry Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle set off a round of criticism when he recently stated that the city’s proposal to buy a $250,000 self-cleaning toilet for the beach would reduce “homosexual activity” in public restrooms. Additionally, Naugle was quoted as saying that the Stonewall Library, a collection of gay materials moving to a city-owned building, contains “hard-core pornography.” Naugle added insult to injury when he preceded a public rally on Tuesday with his own press conference on the steps of City Hall and added a barrage of insults to Ft. Lauderdale’s gay citizenry. Matt Foreman was invited to kick off a protest rally from the speakers stand by organizers UNITE Lauderdale and FlushNagle.org. The rally, which drew several hundred community members and a phalanx of media, was intended to call out the mayor for his continued bigoted comments and to reclaim Fort Lauderdale’s reputation as a modern, cosmopolitan, inclusive city. Matt Foreman opened the rally with blistering remarks that you can read and view in the links below. Photo credit: Lisa Mercado [ Read part of Matt’s statement from the rally ] [ See a video of the rally ] *[ Read the coverage at the Gay South Florida* blog ] [ Read the coverage at the Towleroad blog ]**
Outspoken blog: It’s all about morals “It’s all about morals, my mother used to say. And it is. I saw it very clearly yesterday when Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman spoke at a rally condemning the bigotry of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle.” — Communications Coordinator Pedro Julio Serrano (pictured, far right) Photo credit: Lisa Mercado [ Read and respond to PJ’s blog entry ]
Task Force mourns Tammy Faye The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force mourned the death of Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner, ex-wife of disgraced evangelist Jim Bakker. Tammy Faye died last Friday after a long battle with cancer and was known for her nonjudgmental version of Christianity and embrace of LGBT people. [ Read the full statement ]
Task Force in the News “We think every candidate should and is morally compelled to support marriage. I think there’s a very mistaken notion that supporting same-sex marriage is some kind of third rail in American politics. It’s a myth.” — Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in The Washington Post, June 24, 2007 Read the full text of this and other stories in the latest edition of Task Force in the News.
Join the Task Force in glamorous Beverly Hills and at the beach! Our annual Los Angeles Leadership Awards will take place at the Beverly Hills Hotel on September 30, almost right around the corner. Our kick-off reception will be held on July 31 in fabulous Bel Aire. If you’d like to sign on as a sponsor or a table captain for the Leadership Awards, this is definitely the event for you! To RSVP or for information about the event, please contact Lindsay Bubar, special events manager, at lbubar@theTaskForce.org. And even if you’re not able join us on the 31, you can still be a sponsor or table captain. To sign up or to simply purchase a ticket (or several, perhaps?) or to take out an ad in our very handsome event journal, please go to www.theTaskForce.org/lala. Ascension, the ultimate dance party on Fire Island, takes place this year Aug. 17–19. Even better, the weekend (including a soon-to-be announced new event!) is a benefit for the Task Force. You can get more information at the Ascension Party site or contact Janice Thom, director of special events, at 646.358.1467.

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