In the News:

Is Maryland really the ‘Free State’ after all?
Progressive people of faith call for support of ENDA
Task Force LGBT homeless youth report
      makes a difference in California
We want YOU...to Create Change!
      Proposal deadline: Oct. 12
Task Force & labor: Standing together for equality
Bisexual health report a focus of Celebrate Bisexuality Day

Is Maryland really the ‘Free State’ after all?

The Task Force, Inc., denounced today’s ruling by Maryland’s highest state court upholding the state's ban on same-sex marriage. By a 4–3 vote, the Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and ruled the ban does not violate the state constitution.

“Maryland, the so-called ‘Free State,’ became decidedly less free today with the disappointing and demeaning decision handed down by the Maryland Court of Appeals denying to same-sex couples the right to marry.”
— Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.

[ Read our full statement ]

Progressive people of faith call for support of ENDA

“In the United States today, the sad truth is that intolerance, oppression and even violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are bathed in Christian theology.”
— Rev. Rebecca Voelkel of the Task Force’s National Religious Leadership Roundtable and Institute for Welcoming Resources

Members of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable this week joined the Bishops and Elders Council in urging passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which is expected to face House committee and floor votes by month’s end.

[ Read the NRLR statement ]
[ Learn more about the Bishops and Elders Council’s position ]
[ Visit the Task Force, Inc., ENDA Action Center ]

Task Force LGBT homeless youth report makes a difference in California

The Task Force, Inc., applauded the California Assembly’s passage last week of an Equality California-sponsored measure that includes vital safeguards to protect youth from abuse and mistreatment in California’s Department of Juvenile Justice facilities. Findings from our Policy Institute report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness, were used in the successful lobbying efforts.

“If [LGBT homeless youth] are to emerge from the juvenile justice system with a real chance of success in life then it is critical that this system afford them full and appropriate protection from harassment and worse at the hands of other juvenile offenders or system staff. This bill is a first and critical step in ensuring that these young people are adequately protected.”
— Nick Ray, Senior Policy Analyst, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.

[ Read the full statement ]
[ Download our report ]

We want YOU...to Create Change! Proposal deadline: Oct. 12

Time is running out to submit your proposal to conduct a workshop session at The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, convening in Detroit, Mich., Feb. 6–10, 2008. Teach your best practices in community organizing, campaigns, legislative lobbying, communications, research and policy analysis, organizational management and building a broad and inclusive movement to win full equality. Nurture activists and organizers, grow our movement and build our power to win! Proposal deadline: Oct. 12.

The Task Force and The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change will celebrate 20 remarkable years of training thousands of activist leaders and we want YOU to be with us.
Founding Sponsor — Anita May Rosenstein Foundation

[ Find out how to submit a proposal ]

Task Force & labor: Standing together for equality

The Task Force is committed to supporting and standing side by side with unions that do the right thing by fighting for LGBT equality. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 are partners in this fight, and most recently secured a new contract for their members who are grocery workers in Southern California. The contract agreement with Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons, ratified overwhelmingly by union members, includes a wage increase, opportunities for newer employees and a decrease in the waiting period for health benefits. Equally important, the broad-based organizing campaign that overcame the chains’ intransigence — involving churches, the media and door-to-door public education — will be a model for future successes nationwide.

We’re pleased that John A. Pérez, political director of the UFCW Union Local 324, will be on hand at our Sept. 30 Los Angeles Leadership Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he will present a Leadership Award to LGBT rights advocate Christine Chávez. We hope you can join us for this amazing event, which you won’t want to miss.

[ Get event details and purchase tickets ]
[ Read the Task Force’s congratulatory letter to the union ]
[ Learn more about the contract ]

Bisexual health report a focus of Celebrate Bisexuality Day

The groundbreaking publication, Bisexual Health, published earlier this year by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, Fenway Community Health and BiNet USA will be featured at this Thursday’s observance of Celebrate Bisexuality Day in Cambridge, Mass. The event will be held Sept. 20 from 6:30–10:30 p.m. at Tavern in the Square, 730 Mass. Ave. Admission is free and open to all. For information or to RSVP, contact Julie at 617.927.6369 or jebin@fenwayhealth.org. The evening is co-sponsored by the Bisexual Resource Center and Fenway Community Health.

[ Get more event details ]
[ Download the Bisexual Health report ]

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