The
discussion regarding the prioritization of full civil rights protections for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, in line with the recent
declaration of the Dallas Principles (www.thedallasprinciples.org), has
drawn additional comments and questions from a number of groups and
organizations. Below please find, both
from Indiana Equality (www.indianaequality.org)
and Indiana Equality Action (www.indianaequalityaction.org),
a response to these inquiries.
Questions of
Indiana Equality:
1) Who were the voting board members on this
statement? Who abstained? Who wasn't at the meeting to cast a vote?
The Indiana Equality (IE) Board of
Directors was unanimous (with one abstention) in its decision to support full
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusion in the United States
Civil Rights code. Ten of the 12 board
members were present at the January 17, 2009 meeting.
2) How is the board of Indiana Equality chosen?
Per Article IV (Directors) Section 1 of the
Indiana Equality bylaws:
Number
and Selection. The corporation shall have a minimum
of three directors and collectively they shall be known as the Board of
Directors. At the regular meeting of
directors conducted annually in December directors shall be elected by the
Board of Directors. Each director shall cast one vote per candidate, and may
vote for as many candidates as the number of candidates to be elected to the
Board. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes up to the number of
directors to be elected shall be elected to serve on the Board. Additionally
two members shall be selected by the Indiana Equality Action Board of
Directors.
3) Who championed the resolution? Who brought this to the board?
Informal conversations had taken place over
a period of time regarding the need to champion full federal civil right
protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. The discussion was scheduled by the Indiana Equality
and the Indiana Equality Action officers when determining the agenda for the
January 2009 meeting.
4) Were any national groups contacted for input? If so, who?
Were any politicians consulted? If so, who?
A number of national groups were consulted
regarding the need to advocate for full civil rights protections for lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, including, but not limited to, the
Equality Federation, state equality groups affiliated with the Equality
Federation, National Center for Transgender Equality, and National Center for
Lesbian Rights.
Kathy
Sarris, President, Indiana Equality
Jon
Keep, Chair, Indiana Equality
Questions of Indiana
Equality Action:
1) Was there a vote in May to approve the statement? Or a
vote to move the motion to IE?
In January 2009 Indiana Equality Action
approved a motion to prepare a position regarding the need to advocate for full
Federal civil rights protections for LGBT persons. The corporation officers
were authorized to finalize the letter in consultation with the officers of
Indiana Equality.
2) Who are the current board members of Indiana Equality
Action?
Please
see the organization’s website at www.indianaequalityaction.org for
information regarding coalition partners and their board representatives.
3) Which members of the Indiana Equality Action board are
also voting members of the Indiana Equality board?
The
two members of the IE Action board selected to serve as 2009 members of the
Indiana Equality board for one-year terms are Walter Botich (IE Action
President) and Randy Studt (IE Action Vice-President).
4) Is membership to the IE Action board still limited to
organizational members' representatives and regional coordinators?
IE Action is a coalition of
statewide and regional organizations. The corporation’s board consists of LGBT organizations, LGBT-friendly
statewide ally organizations, and each of the organization’s active regional
steering committees. Per
Article III (Board of Directors), Section 3 of the IE Action by-laws, each organization or regional steering committee serving as a member of
the Board of Directors of Indiana Equality Action shall designate one
representative to the Board of Directors.
Each organization may also designate one alternate representative to the
Board of Directors; however, each organization is entitled to only one
vote. Additionally, two members are selected annually by
the Indiana Equality Board of Directors to serve on the IE Action board.
Walter
Botich, President, Indiana Equality Action
Randy
Studt, Vice President, Indiana Equality Action
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