National LGBTQ Task Force
{{Short description|US gay rights organization}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = March 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = National LGBTQ Task Force
| image = National LGBTQ Task Force logo.png
| headquarters = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| formation = {{start date and age|1973}} (as National Gay Task Force) founded by Robert L. Livingston, Tom Ellis, and Howard Brown
| region = United States
| leader_title = Executive director
| leader_name = Kierra Johnson
| leader_title2 = Deputy Director, Strategic Advancement
| leader_name2 = Sayre E. Reece
| leader_title3 = Deputy Director, People and Culture
| leader_name3 = Alicia Boykins
| formerly = National Gay Task Force; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
| website = {{URL|http://thetaskforce.org/}}
}}
The National LGBTQ Task Force (formerly National Gay Task Force; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) is an American social justice advocacy non-profit{{Cite web|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article2583582.html|title=Just before Saturday's Miami Beach dinner, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force rebrands itself National LGBTQ Task Force|website=miamiherald|language=en|access-date=2019-03-08}} organizing the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/thetaskforce/info |title=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force — Info |publisher=Facebook |access-date=2013-09-05}} Also known as The Task Force, the organization supports action and activism on behalf of LGBTQ people and advances a progressive vision of liberation. The past executive director was Rea Carey from 2008-2021 and the current executive director is Kierra Johnson, who took over the position in 2021 to become the first Black woman to head the organization.
The Task Force organizes the annual Creating Change conference, a skills-building event for community and allies with over 2,000 attendees each year.{{cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/news/2009/01/31/labor-leader-dolores-huerta-opens-task-forces-21st-creating-change-conference |title=Labor Leader Dolores Huerta Opens Creating Change Conference |publisher=Advocate.com |date=2009-01-31 |access-date=2013-09-05}} The Task Force Policy Institute think tank conducts social science research, policy analysis, strategy development, public education, and advocacy.{{citation |title=Policy Institute |url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/our_work/policy_institute |publisher=NGLTF website |access-date=2007-10-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043118/http://www.thetaskforce.org/our_work/policy_institute |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}
History
Founded in 1973 as the National Gay Task Force, the organization became the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1985. It adopted its current identity in October 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.thetaskforce.org/about_us/history|title=Task Force History|author=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force|date=March 26, 2013 |access-date=2014-07-09|quote=1985 – To make clear the commitment to gender parity and lesbian issues, the Task Force changes its name to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.}} The founders of the National Gay Task Force included Robert L. Livingston and his husband, Tom Ellis; Dr. Howard Junior Brown; Dr. Bruce Voeller; Father Robert Carter, a Roman Catholic priest; Ron Gold; Nathalie Rockhill; Dr. Martin Duberman; and Dr. Frank Kameny.{{cite web|last1=Beredo|first1=Cheryl|last2=Nealon|first2=Chris|last3=Marston|first3=Brenda|title=Guide to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Records, 1973-2008|url=http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html|publisher=Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library}} Later board members included Lani Ka'ahumanu, who was the first out bisexual to be invited and to serve on a national gay and lesbian board.{{cite web|url=http://lanikaahumanu.com/bio.shtml|title=Lani's · bio}}
The Task Force has acted to promote LGBTQ rights and acceptance. In 2005, the Task Force protested against the Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders, prohibiting the ordination of Catholic homosexual seminarians.{{cite web|url=http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1129-13.htm|title=Task Force Denounces Vatican Guidelines Barring Gay Men from the Priesthood; Calls Upon Gay Priests to Come Out and for Catholics to Support Them|author=National Gay and Lesbian Task Force|date=2005-11-29|publisher=Common Dreams|access-date=2013-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617043222/http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1129-13.htm |archive-date= Jun 17, 2013 }} In 2010, Jaime Grant, then director of the Task Force's Policy Institute, introduced the idea of a bright pink sticker for people to stick on census envelopes which had a form for them to check a box for either "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or straight ally", which her group called "queering the census".{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/queering-census-movement-aims-single-gays-counted-u-s-census-article-1.166898 |date=March 31, 2010 |title='Queering the census' movement aims to get single gays counted|publisher=NY Daily News |first1= Erica |last1=Pearson |access-date=2015-03-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402122920/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/queering-census-movement-aims-single-gays-counted-u-s-census-article-1.166898 |archive-date= Apr 2, 2015 }} Although the sticker was unofficial and the results were not added to the census, she and others' goal was to include the statistic in the 2020 census.
In 2013, the Task Force received the Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theleatherjournal.com/pantheon-awards/recipients|title=Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients |website=The Leather Journal |date=3 March 2014 |first1= Dave |last1=Rhodes |access-date=December 27, 2020|archive-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228055005/https://www.theleatherjournal.com/pantheon-awards/recipients|url-status=dead}}
Creating Change conference
The annual National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change was first held in 1988, one year after aiding in the organization of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.{{Cite web|url=https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html|title=Guide to the National LGBTQ Task Force records, 1973-2017 |website=Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library |access-date=2019-10-07}} The Task Force has added and changed components of the conference over the years. For example, in 2003, the Creating Change conference featured the first ever Skills Academy for Leadership and Action, a daylong session dedicated to skills training for grassroots activists.{{cite web|date=November 7, 2003 |url=http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/news2003/1107-10.htm |title=16th Annual Creating Change Conference Kicks Off in Miami |access-date=2007-10-17 |publisher=Common Dreams |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524121742/http://www.commondreams.org/scriptfiles/news2003/1107-10.htm |archive-date= May 24, 2011 }}
Executives
Robert L Livingston, Broadway producer, producer of the Joey Bishop show, first openly gay Commissioner for Human Rights, New York City, his husband, artist Tom Ellis, and Doctor Howard Brown, Surgeon General of New York City; co-founders, 1973, New York City.
- Bruce Voeller (1973–1976; co-director 1976–1978)
- Jean O'Leary (co-director 1976–1979)
- Charles Brydon (co-director 1979–1981)
- Lucia Valeska (co-director 1979–1982)
- Virginia Apuzzo (1982–1986)
- Jeff Levi (1986–1989)
- Urvashi Vaid (1989–1992)
- Peri Jude Radecic (1992–1994)
- Melinda Paras (1994–1996)
- Kerry Lobel (1996–2000)
- Elizabeth Toledo (2000–2001)
- Lorri Jean (2001–2003)
- Matt Foreman (2003–2008)
- Rea Carey (2008–2021)
- Kierra Johnson (2021–present)
National LGBTQ Wall of Honor
In February 2019, the Task Force, in conjunction with the Imperial Court System, announced a joint project, the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor, to be installed at the Stonewall Inn, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.{{Cite web|url=https://sdgln.com/causes/2019/02/21/national-lgbtq-wall-honor-be-established-inside-stonewall-inn|title=National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be established inside Stonewall Inn|last=Rawles |first=Timothy |date=2019-02-21|website=San Diego Gay and Lesbian News|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524021613/https://sdgln.com/causes/2019/02/21/national-lgbtq-wall-honor-be-established-inside-stonewall-inn |archive-date=2019-05-24 }} The Stonewall Inn is in the middle of New York's Greenwich Village, and is across from the Stonewall National Monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebar.com/news/news//272833|title=Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall|website=The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc.|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24}} The monument committee accepted nominations to honor "the lives of LGBTQ trailblazers, pioneers and s/heroes who have passed", and have had a positive impact on LGBTQ civil rights. The first fifty names were unveiled in June 2019 as part of the Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 celebration. The nominations are administered by a Board of Governors. LGBTQ leaders include transgender activist Marsha Botzer,{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-11-12 |title=Trans Awareness Week: Marsha Botzer Discusses the Past and Present of Gender Activism |url=https://southseattleemerald.com/2018/11/12/trans-awareness-week-community-member-highlight-marsha-botzer/ |access-date=2019-05-24 |website=South Seattle Emerald |language=en}} Black LGBTQ activist Mandy Carter, LGBTQ youth advocate Wilson Cruz, LGBTQ human rights activist Stuart Milk, and founder of the Metropolitan Community Church Troy Perry.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://thetaskforce.org}}
- [https://www.creatingchange.org Creating Change conference] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614191514/https://www.creatingchange.org/ |date=June 14, 2020 }}
{{commons category|position=left}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:National LGBTQ Task Force}}
Category:LGBTQ political advocacy groups in the United States
Category:History of LGBTQ civil rights in the United States
Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C.
Category:Organizations established in 1973
Category:1973 establishments in the United States