Indiana Equality is a proud member of the Equality Federation
EQUALITY FEDERATION BOARD SETS EQUALITY AGENDA
New Project Launched to Address Intersections of
Sexual Orientation, Race, and Gender Identity
San Francisco-
Equality Federation board members from states across the country returned home from
San Francisco yesterday after a two-day retreat intended to set the
organization’s agenda for the next year. The Federation plays a critical
role in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights movement by
delivering resources to the organizations and leaders who organize, educate,
and lobby for LGBT people in the communities where they live.
This year, the Board committed itself to launching a multi-state
dialogue about the role of our LGBT advocacy organizations in working on issues
surrounding race, gender identity, and poverty. “I am very excited by the
commitment of Equality Federation board members to a project working on racial,
transgender and economic justice,” said Federation board member and Basic
Rights Oregon executive director Jeana Frazzini. “We are already doing
this kind of work at Basic Rights Oregon and I look forward to sharing what we
have learned and engaging with other movement leaders committed to dismantling
racism.”
“I am especially pleased by the Board’s desire to better understand the
issues faced by transgender people, who overall experience some of the harshest
discrimination in our communities,” said Gunner Scott, executive director of
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. “Transgender people face
extremely high rates of poverty and transgender people of color are hit
especially hard by discrimination.”
Over the next year, Equality Federation will take specific steps to
address issues of racial, transgender, and economic justice by training its board,
exploring partnerships and funding to support state justice training and
projects, and actively working through committees and membership meetings to
assess strategies through this justice framework.
During the meeting, Board members also considered improvements to
technology services for members, reaffirmed its inclusive membership criteria
for state advocacy groups, and discussed the leadership role of state-based
organizations in developing the national equality agenda.
“Equality Federation is not simply another national organization,” said
Toni Broaddus, Federation Executive Director. “Equality Federation is an
alliance of fearless and strategic leaders who care not only about achieving
equality, but also about building an inclusive movement from the ground up.”
Members of the Board of Directors include: Ian Palmquist, Equality
North Carolina (Federation Board Chair); Paul Scott, Equality Texas (Equality
Federation Institute Board Chair); Ross Levi, Empire State Pride Agenda
(Secretary); A.J. Bockelman, PROMO (Treasurer); Mo Baxley, New Hampshire
Freedom to Marry; Jody Cofer, Kentucky Fairness Alliance; Jeana Frazzini, Basic
Rights Oregon; Mark St. John, Indiana Equality; Gunner Scott, Massachusetts
Transgender Political Coalition; David Toth, Equality Maryland; Rhonda White,
Tennessee Equality Project; Howard Bayless, Alabama; Alicia Skillman, Triangle
Foundation and Julie Brueggemann, Missouri.
Equality Federation works to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people in every state and territory by building strong and
sustainable statewide organizations in a state based movement. For more
information, visit our website at www.equalityfederation.org.
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