The new order.Welcome to the vanguard of LGBT LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender activism. Forty years since The Advocate was founded, 3.8 years since Stonewall stone·wall v. stone·walled, stone·wall·ing, stone·walls v.intr. 1. Informal a. ., and decades since the "big three" gay advocacy organizations--the Human Rights Campaign, 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 , and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation--were founded, the paradigm has Shifted. The organizations now propelling the movement have smaller staffs arid budgets but major impact. As the big three work on a macro level to lobby politicians, corporate leaders, entertainers, and other influential movers and shakers as well as pour millions of dollars--HRC has an annual budget of around $30 million--into wide-ranging research and initiatives, the "micro" group featured on these pages are delivering on their laser-focused missions. The result? Progress up and down the scale of the fight for equality. Indeed, the little guy may be the key to our, success in the long haul Long distance. Long haul implies traversing a state or a country. Contrast with short haul. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Point Foundation YEAR FOUNDED: 2001 HEADQUARTERS: Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. MISSION: To provide academic scholarships and professional mentoring to meritorious students who have been marginalized due to 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. , gender expression, or gender identity ANNUAL BUDGET: $3.7 million NUMBER OF STAFF: 11 INNOVATION: Supplying LGBT students--110 to date--with an average of $13,600 in financial aid, invaluable leadership training and mentoring, and community service support IMPACT: A Point Scholar in New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded brought together resources for LGBT youths affected by Hurricane Katrina  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. . Scholars have been
featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and profiled in The New York New York, state, United StatesNew York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, Time, and more than 100 local and community newspapers RECENT WORK: Awarded $1.1 million in scholarship and grant money for the 2007-2008 school year. Held its first alumni conference in June, with 26 alumni to date, and its fourth annual leadership conference for new and returning scholars in July FUTURE GOALS: To increase local and regional support for Point Scholars and create awareness in high schools around the country. In 2008 the foundation will pilot an internship program that will pair scholars with organizations and corporations [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Michael D. Palm Center YEAR FOUNDED: 1998 HEADQUARTERS: Santa Barbara, Calif. MISSION: Known until 2006 by its original name, the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, this research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara History The predecessor to UCSB, Santa Barbara State College, focused on teacher training, industrial arts, home economics, and foreign languages. Intense lobbying by an interest group in the City of Santa Barbara led by Thomas Storke and Pearl Chase persuaded the State , is devoted to the interdisciplinary analysis of gays in the military, with particular focus on "don't ask, don't tell" ANNUAL BUDGET: $500,000 NUMBER OF STAFF: 7 INNOVATION: Cranking out research that affects the public discourse, such as the center's widely covered December 2006 survey produced with Zogby International, in which 73% of respondents, all soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, reported they were comfortable with gay soldiers in their unit IMPACT: A New York Times op-ed by a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. John Shalikashvili, cited the above survey in making his case for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" RECENT WORK: In May the center released a report on gender-nonconforming service members, which debunked the military's stated assumption that their presence jeopardizes military effectiveness. The center is now working on a top secret project FUTURE GOALS: The end of "don't ask, don't tell," at which time the center will begin to monitor and study the post-DADT era [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] National Center for Transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. Equality YEAR FOUNDED: 2003 HEADQUARTERS: Washington, D.C. MISSION: The first organization dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people, NCTE NCTE National Council of Teachers of English NCTE National Centre for Technology in Education NCTE National Center for Transgender Equality NCTE National Council for Teacher Education (India) NCTE Network Channel Terminating Equipment monitors federal activity, lobbies for trans-positive social change, and educates gay people and other progressive types to be trans advocates ANNUAL BUDGET: $300,000 NUMBER OF STAFF: 4 INNOVATION: Simply existing. "We really are the only trans voice in Washington," says executive director Mara Keisling. "A large majority of trans issues are also LGB Noun 1. LGB - a smart bomb that seeks the laser light reflected off of the target and uses it to correct its descent; "laser-guided bombs cannot be used in cloudy weather" laser-guided bomb issues, but there is a section of our issues theft are not specifically gay-relevant like documentation and health insurance access. Those would fall by the wayside," IMPACT: Getting trans gender protections included in the federal hate-crimes bill current y pending in Congress; helping to draft the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act This article documents a proposed statute that is being considered. Information may change rapidly as the bill progresses. , also pending at the Capitol collaborating with Lambda Legal and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 2005 to develop a manual aimed at making homeless shelters safe for transgender people RECENT WORK: Coordinating a program to examine issues of medical privacy and gender assignment on official documents FUTURE GOALS: Pass ENDA ENDA Employment Non-Discrimination Act (civil rights legislation; US Congress) ENDA Environmental Development Action ENDA Encontro Nacional de Dirigentes Associativos (Portugal) and the hate-crimes bill, launch a project on health care access for transgender people, and develop a resource guide to aid organizations on trans issues [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ali Forney Center YEAR FOUNDED: 2002 HEADQUARTERS: New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. MISSION: To provide homeless LGBT youths, age 16-24, with the services they need to escape the streets and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood ANNUAL BUDGET: $3.4 million NUMBER OF STAFF: 50 INNOVATION: The center provides short- and tong-term housing--32 beds in total, in six apartments--plus free medical care, HIV testing, mental health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract , showers, food, computer access, and job training and placement at its drop-in center in Chelsea. IMPACT: Since the center's transitional housing program opened in 2006, seven kids have moved into their own residences. "The vast majority of rights that we've achieved in various cities and states as a community don't hit kids." says executive director Carl Sicitiano. "So if a kid comes out and their parents refuse to support them, they're just in this really vulnerable state. We need to create a structure where kids can be housed and nurtured and supported from adolescence to adulthood if their parents refuse to do it." RECENT WORK: Partnering with Carson Kressley on a program to provide kids with clothes suitable for job aria school interviews FUTURE GOALS: Making available 16 more beds by the end of the year; Siciliano Si`ci`li`a´no n. 1. A Sicilian dance, resembling the pastorale, set to a rather slow and graceful melody in 12-8 or 6-8 measure; also, the music to the dance. would also like to put the financing together to start purchasing houses instead of continuing to rent apartments [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Family Pride YEAR FOUNDED: 1979 HEADQUARTERS: Washington, D.C. MISSION: To achieve full equality for LGBTQ-headed families in the next 20 years by building community and defeating federal and state antifamity legislation ANNUAL BUDGET: $1.5 million NUMBER OF STAFF: 9 INNOVATION: The organization existed for years as a support group for gay parents, then in 2005 enlarged its mission to include political initiatives aimed at gaining rights for families headed by gays IMPACT: Its subtle but powerful demonstration at the 2006 White House Easter Egg Roll--in which gay parents and their children participated, wearing rainbow-colored leis--instantly catapulted the group into the limelight with coverage in media outlets worldwide. Says executive director Jennifer Chrisler, "The event cost us next to no money and generated more than $1 million in donations." RECENT WORK: Six hundred families (up from 15 during the inaugural 1996 event) traveled to Provincetown, Mass., this summer for the group's annual Family Week. July 10 marked the passage of the Safe and Stable Homes Act, with Family Pride's support; the act recognizes the legal rights and court standing of nonbiological "de facto [Latin, In fact.] In fact, in deed, actually. This phrase is used to characterize an officer, a government, a past action, or a state of affairs that must be accepted for all practical purposes, but is illegal or illegitimate. " parents in Washington, D.C. FUTURE GOALS: Increase the number of elementary schools nationwide that incorporate LGBTQ LGBTQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning families in their curriculum [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Williams Institute YEAR FOUNDED: 2000 HEADQUARTERS: Los Angeles MISSION: To advance law and public policy related to sexual orientation through independent research and scholarship ANNUAL BUDGET: $1.5 million NUMBER OF STAFF: 12 INNOVATION: Research, research, research--and equipping scholars, judges, practicing attorneys, legal advocates, and students with information and support. "Research is a critical additional arm in the LGBT rights movements," says executive director Brad Sears. IMPACT: In fiscal year 2006 nearly 300 news stories cited research conducted by the Williams Institute--and half the briefs flied in same-sex marriage cases at the California appellate court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. and the Washington supreme court The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. Members of the Court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the age of 75. cited its work too RECENT WORK: Research on 10 states about whether each would gain or lose money if it extended benefits to the partners of gay employees. Also, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, the institute just completed a two-year expert panel about surveys, examining such issues as how to write questions and what types of questions should be included FUTURE GOALS: To have the government include more questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the surveys it commissions, particularly in the census and in the annual American Community Survey The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. PHOTOGRAPHED BY SYE WILLIAMS AND CHRISTOPHER LANE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE ADVOCATE |
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