A friend indeed.I was glad to see your article about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) is a nonprofit organization that supports grassroots organizing and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. Founded in 1973, NGLTF works to strengthen the gay and lesbian movement at the state and local levels while ["Growing the Grass Roots grass roots pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) 1. People or society at a local level rather than at the center of major political activity. Often used with the. 2. The groundwork or source of something. ," July 19] because I firmly believe it saved our lives at Camp Sister Spirit in Ovett, Miss. As one who has contacted many GLTB advocate groups over the past 20 years, I can safely say, "It depends on who is in charge at the time of your particular crisis." We came under attack in 1993 through 1996. In the beginning of the violence against us we contacted the NGLTF NGLTF National Gay and Lesbian Task Force . Peri Jude Radecic was the executive director at the time. Her information officer at the time was Robin Kane. Robin called us at least every other day; she came to Mississippi twice; she got us on Oprah, 20/20, and other shows to alert our community that the group calling itself Mississippi for Family Values was trying to kill us or at the very least run us out of their town! Perry took us to the Justice Department in D.C. and demanded that the FBI agent we were dealing with in Mississippi (a Reagan appointee APPOINTEE. A person who is appointed or selected for a particular purpose; as the appointee under a power, is the person who is to receive the benefit of the trust or power. ) needed to be replaced for our voices to be heard. He was, and soon Janet Reno sent in two people from DOJ's Community Relations Service to try to mediate the situation (MFV MFV Motor Fishing Vessel MFV Managing for Value MFV Modified Fixed Variable (rate) MFV Main Fuel Valve MFV Mi Familia Vota MFV Multi-State Fussell-Vesely MFV Money for Veterans MFV Microsoft Font Validator MFV Multi Function Vehicle refused to sit down with us), but it was the first time in history sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. was addressed by Community Relations Service! I say all this to say that some years later (post-Peri) I was trying to help another group being attacked and was told that NGLTF's focus had changed and that it was more politically focused. I still believe in NGLTF, but I would like to see all these advocacy groups focus on being advocates for the struggling people out there in the grass roots so that our rainbow flags can fly freely! BRENDA HENSON Ovett, Miss. |
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