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From DallasVoice.com Texas Equality Texas executive director chosen as board secretary
Equality Federation is a national organization creation to support the work of state-based organizations such as Equality Texas. Scott and Martha Oestreich, Equality Texas board chair, both attended the federation’s annual summer meeting at which board members and officers for the national organization were elected. Scott said 120 individuals from 34 state LGBT advocacy organizations and 21 allied groups attended the summer meeting, hosted this year by Equality Ohio. He said Equality Texas has been an Equality Federation member since 2003. “Equality Federation is the only national organization founded specifically to support the work of state-based organizations like Equality Texas,” said Scott. “The annual meeting of state leaders from across the country allows those of us working in the states to share our strategies and engage in a larger national strategy focused on achieving state victories.” Oestreich said such organizing and advocacy work is “critical to our movement’s ability to achieve full civil rights” for LGBT people. She said the purpose of the Equality Federation is to make sure state organizations have the resources they need, and that the summer meeting allows state leaders from around the country to “learn from each other, to plan our strategies for success, and to build a national agenda for LGBT equality.” Scott said federation members are working to create the “Equality Agenda” based on what they believe can be achieved in each state. The agenda will cover issues including equality in the workplace, housing and schools, and for same-sex couples and their families, he said. Other board members elected at the summer meeting were New Hampshire State Rep. Mo Baxley of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry; Howard Bayless, the first openly gay man elected to office in Alabama; Alexis Blizman of Equality New Mexico; Lynne Bowman of Equality Ohio; Jeana Frazzini of Basic Rights Oregon; Ross Levi of Empire State Pride Agenda in New York; Ian Palmquist of Equality North Carolina; Sharon Semmens of Georgia; Marc Solomon of MassEquality; Mark St. John of Indiana Equality; Rhonda White of Tennessee Equality Project; and Deon Young of the Milwaukee LGBT Center. Other board officers are Lynne Bowman, Equality Federation chair; Howard Bayless, Equality Federation Institute chair; Deon Young, EF vice chair; Alexis Blizman, EFI chair; and Ross Levi, EF and EFI secretary. This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 15, 2008. © Copyright by DallasVoice.com |
