When I joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) as its Major Gifts Officer in February, I felt like I finally found my home—an organization that not only embraces every part of me as a Blacklesbian, but also is devoted to protecting every member of the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Not leaving anyone behind in its pursuit of equality and justice is ingrained into all aspects of its work, which has transformed the nation’s legal and political landscape...
Date
Month: September 2014
Last weekend was Pride in Austin, Texas, the place I left a year ago to move across the country with my spouse and child to work for NCLR. My Facebook feed was filled with pictures of friends and loved ones celebrating over 1,700 miles away. As a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, I was particularly moved by a photo of over 400 rainbow-shirted Methodists marching in the parade, including many church leaders who had embraced my family and unfailingly loved and supported us just as...
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”). As initially passed, the Act aimed at targeted and addressing crime that disproportionately impacted women by providing federal money for investigation and prosecution of these violent crimes and imposing automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted. In the twenty years since its passage, VAWA’s focus has expanded to capture a broader and more comprehensive segment of violence that...
