National LGBTQ Task Force

Overview

The National LGBTQ Task Force is a leading American social justice advocacy non-profit organization that mobilizes grassroots power to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Founded in 1973 as the National Gay Task Force, it became the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1985 and adopted its current name in October 2014.

Mission and Vision

The organization's mission is to build power, take action, and create change to achieve freedom, justice, and equity for LGBTQ individuals. It acts as both a progressive voice in the LGBTQ movement and the LGBTQ voice within broader progressive movements. The Task Force emphasizes values such as innovation, movement sustainability, love, commitment, compassion, justice, liberation, diversity, inclusion, intersectionality, progressive voice, centrality of sex and sexuality, and grassroots power.

History

Founding Years

Established by a group of activists in New York City, including Howard Brown, Martin Duberman, Barbara Gittings, Ron Gold, Franklin Kameny, Nathalie Rockhill, and Bruce Voeller, the organization initially focused on lobbying the American Medical Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. In 1975, the Task Force successfully advocated for the hiring of openly gay federal employees.

Early Advocacy

In 1977, the organization sent representatives to meet with former President Jimmy Carter at the White House, marking a historic moment as the first meeting between a U.S. President and LGBT activists. During the 1980s, the Task Force played a pivotal role in addressing the AIDS crisis, receiving the first federal grant for an AIDS education program and pushing for antibody testing.

Expansion and Evolution

In the 1980s, the Task Force also created the Gay Media Task Force to monitor media portrayals of gay characters. It formed the Privacy Project in 1986 to repeal anti-sodomy laws nationwide. The organization officially expanded its mission to include bisexual and transgender individuals in 1997 and established the Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Statewide Political Organizations.

Major Initiatives and Programs

• Creating Change Conference: An annual event that began in 1988, designed as a skills-building conference for community activists and allies. It features workshops and training sessions aimed at fostering grassroots activism and leadership.

• Task Force Policy Institute: Established in 1995 as a think tank dedicated to social science research, policy analysis, strategy development, public education, and advocacy.

• Queer the Census: A campaign initiated to encourage LGBTQ individuals to participate in the census to ensure accurate representation and access to federal funding.

Leadership and Structure

The National LGBTQ Task Force operates with an executive director and a board that has included notable figures throughout its history. The current executive director, Kierra Johnson, took office in 2021 as the first Black woman to lead the organization. Past executive directors have included Rea Carey, who served from 2008 to 2021, and Urvashi Vaid, among others.

Affiliations

The National LGBTQ Task Force also has a political arm known as the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization focused on grassroots organizing and lobbying to advance LGBTQ rights through legislation and ballot initiatives. This Action Fund works on both local and national levels to promote inclusive public policies.

Impact and Recognition

Throughout its 50-year tenure, the National LGBTQ Task Force has significantly contributed to mobilizing the LGBTQ+ movement, training thousands of organizers, and challenging existing barriers. The organization continues to advocate for comprehensive LGBTQ rights, addressing issues like affordable housing, racial disparities, and criminal justice reform with an unapologetic intersectional approach.