QEJ Mobilizes Queer Left on Health Care Reform
Back in May when we launched our Act Queer Monthly Teleconference Series on Racial & Economic Justice issues and the Queer Community, we had no idea that our first call on health care reform, was going to be one of the first of such calls open to the LGBT community to discuss the impact of the upcoming health care reform’s impact on queers around the country.
Just a few months later when the “townhall meetings” on health care reform happened in August, Interim Executive Director Kenyon Farrow began a series of conversations with Suzanne Pharr, long-time anti -right-wing strategist and member of Southerners on New Ground (SONG) and Rebecca Fox, Executive Director of the National Coalition on LGBT Health. Not only were we outraged at the racism being exhibited at the townhall meetings and dis-information campaign being waged by the Right, but also at the lack of a response from the LGBT community on this issue, given the impact of health care on LGBT folks.
We convened several national calls in August and September to strategize what to do. We ultimately decided to call for all queer organizations, large and small to organize their bases to call their Congressional Representatives to push for a public option in the final health care proposal, and to create or join existing progressive health care mobilizations happening around the country. We created and collected several resource materials for groups to use, including fact sheets, call script, sample letter, and got a convenient 800 number from Health Care for America now which will allow people to call toll-free to their representatives offices without having to know their local or D.C office numbers. We also requested that the National Equality March organizers include a speaker on the importance of healthcare reform to LGBTQ communities, a request that was declined.
Some of the groups that have been involved in this work include QEJ, The National Coalition on LGBT Health, Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, Astraea Foundation Movement Building Project, Gender JUST, Equality California’s Health & Human Services Network, National Gay & Lesbian Taskforce, Family Equality Foundation, Triangle Foundation, QueerToday.com,
We are also collecting some of the work that queer organizations and organizers are doing on the issue, that has not been very visible, so check out our page How Queers Are Mobilizing Around Health Care Reform!
QEJ Calls for Queers to Take a Stand on Health Care Reform
Dear QEJ Supporter --
The fight for a robust public option in our healthcare system to insure all people in the US may be one of the most important issues of this generation. The ability to access quality healthcare is something that impacts all of us. And ALL of us need to be engaged in this fight.
Believe it or not, a gay conservative group called Go Proud s pushing against the public option in health care reform, falsely stating that because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, “any effort to expand government-run healthcare will expand government-sanctioned discrimination against gay and lesbian families.” We cannot afford to let them, or anyone else, take away the public option, that would offer some health insurance for people who would otherwise go without.
We are calling for a National Days of Action on Health Care. We are asking organizations (large and small), activists, and organizers, to join us on a national conference call to learn what you can do to join the fight for a public option in health care.
On this call hear about:
- The latest update from Congress Health Care Reform Plans.
- The vision and strategy for an LGBT-led response to health care reform,
- Action steps you can take to make a real difference.
Monday, October 5th
2pm-3:30pm EST
Conference Call # (712) 432-0600
Password: 751219#
Speakers include:
Rebecca Fox, National Coalition on LGBT Health
Kenyon Farrow, Queers for Economic Justice
Suzanne Pharr, Astraea Foundation Movement Building Consultant
Please RSVP to this call by registering. Supporting materials from presenters will be sent out in advance of the call to those who RSVP.
National Days of Action on Healthcare is being coordinated and assisted by several organizations including QEJ, The National Coalition on LGBT Health, Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, Astraea Foundation Movement Building Project, Gender JUST, Equality California’s Health & Human Services Network, National Gay & Lesbian Taskforce.
Act Queer! Teleconference: Healthcare Agenda for the LGBTQ Community
This is the first of a new monthly teleconference series called Act Queer! QEJ has started as a part of our national public education work. 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 issues.
Our May 21, 2009 teleconference was on what the healthcare debate means for queer communities.
To hear the each presenter, press play on the audio player. Read materials from each presenter just below the audio player.
Katie Gjertson, AFL-CIO Health Care Reform Now. Reviews the timeline of the upcoming health care bill, how the plan is likely to be structured, Labor’s role in reform and their position on H.R. 676 (the universal coverage bill also in Congress).
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Health Care for America Now June 25 Lobby Day Flyer
AFL-CIO Health Care Reform talking Points
Eesha Pandit, MergerWatch/Raising Women’s Voices. The fight to protect reproductive health access in the health care reform, how reproductive justice issues in the legislation also impact LGBTQ folks, and grassroots efforts to impact the healthcare debate.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Materials from Raising Women’s Voices:
Principles for Quality, Affordable Health Care for All
Rebecca Fox, National Coalition on LGBT Health. LGBT inclusion in healthcare reform, and the strategies being used to ensure LGBT issues are included in reform, expanding definition of family for coverage, and advocacy for transgender specific care.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Materials from National Coalition on LGBT Health:
Guiding Principles for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Inclusion in Healthcare Reform
Ajamu Sankofa, Private Health Insurance Must Go Coalition. Focuses on the history of a single-payer system, fallacies of the so-called public/private option and that the Conyers plan and Sanders plan are the plans that would end the crisis.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Materials from Private Health Insurance Must Go:
Recent Bill Moyers Show on Single-Payer Health Care Debate (video)
April 2009 Protest: Your Ass Isn’t Covered (Youtube Video)
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!
