Act Queer! Teleconference: A Year in Queer Politics
From the passage of Prop 8 in California to the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, the national LGBT political agenda has gained significant momentum. Will the explosion in LGBT policy on the national radar represent a movement towards queer liberation? What’s are there more progressive policy wins possible on the horizon for progressive queers?
Our December 17, 2009 teleconference served as a 2009 queer policy wrap-up.
To hear each presenter, press play on the audio player. Read materials from each presenter just below the audio player.
Andrea Ritchie, Attorney, (New York) discusses hate crimes and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Act.
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- Sylvia Rivera Law Project Statement on Matthew Shepherd/James Byrd, Jr. Act.
Nicky Grist, Alternatives to Marriage Project, (Brooklyn, NY) discusses relationship recognition policies.
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- Alternatives to Marriage Project – Blog (Same-Sex Marriage Section)
- Fact Sheet – New York Hospital Rights for Partners
Karina Claudio, Gays and Lesbians of Bushwick Empowered, (Brooklyn, NY) discusses trans unemployment and the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
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Robert Espinoza, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, (New York) discusses racial equality in LGBT philanthropy.
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If you have questions, comments, or know of other resources or events related to this topic, please feel free to post in the comments section!
The purpose of Act Queer! is to connect grassroots LGBTQ racial and economic justice organizations with national queer and/or allied coalitions and organizations to share information and strategies on racial and economic justice research, organizing and advocacy.
Dec 17: Act Queer! Teleconference: The Year in Queer Politics
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Queers for Economic Justice would like for you to join us on a national conference call to discuss 2009′s queer politial agenda as part of our ongoing monthly series on racial & economic justice issues that impact poor/low-income, people of color, disabled, LGBTQ communities. From the passage of Prop 8 in California to the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, the national LGBT political agenda has gained significant momentum. Will the explosion in LGBT policy on the national radar represent a movement towards queer liberation? What’s are there more progressive policy wins possible on the horizon for progressive queers? JOIN THE CALL TO FIND OUT! Please RSVP to this call. Supporting materials will be sent out in advance to those who RSVP. Thursday, December 17, 2009 2pm-3:30pm EST/11am-12:30pm PST Conference Call # (712) 432-0600 Password: 751219# Presenters include: Nicky Grist, Alternatives to Marriage Project (Relationship recognition policy) Robert Espinoza, Funders for LGBTQ Issues (Racial Equity in LGBT Philanthropy) Karina Claudio, Gays and Lesbians of Bushwick Empowered (Trans Unemployment & Employment Non Discrimination Act) Gabriel Arkles, Sylvia Rivera Law Project (Hate Crimes & Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Act) This call is the 7th of a new monthly series called in our national coalition-building work called Act Queer! The purpose of the Act Queer! teleconference series is to connect grassroots LGBTQ, racial,and economic justice organizations with national queer and/or allied coalitions and organizations to share information and strategies on racial and economic justice issues. |
Kenyon Farrow on Obama & Human Rights Campaign
On the eve of the National March for Equality, President Obama spoke to the Human Rights Campaign in Washington DC, and laid out his gay policy agenda for his adminstration. But does that agenda speak for the rest of us? Kenyon wrote an opinion piece for The Grio.com, proclaiming “HRC doesn’t speak for me.” He writes,
When Obama delivered his “gay agenda” speech to the well-fed, well-scrubbed mostly white crowd of gays and lesbians at the Human Rights Campaign’s Annual Dinner on Saturday night, anyone outside of the LGBT community would have assumed by the applause that the entire “gay community” is in agreement that access to serve in the military, gay marriage, and hate crimes legislation are our primary issues. But in reality, HRC’s political agenda is not what I want. It does not speak for me, nor for the lives of many other black, poor and working class LGBT people.
Given the fact that we’re in a long recession where hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost in almost every month of 2009, and national unemployment numbers are at nearly 10 percent, why are we not talking about the issues that most people are concerned about – health care and the economy – and their impact on the LGBT community? The truth is, for many people at that dinner who could afford the cheapest ticket at $250 a plate, jobs and wages are of little concern.
To read the rest of the article, go to THEGRIO.COM.