Born Perfect – NCLR’s campaign to end conversion therapy – hit the ground running on New Year’s Day, and 2023 looks to be a year of record progress against this fraudulent practice, which has inflicted devastating harm on millions of LGBTQ youth and their families. At least four states have an opportunity to protect youth from this dangerous and discredited practice. NCLR’s Born Perfect campaign testified in favor of Minnesota’s new bill in January, and we are actively partnering with state...
NCLR has engaged in federal advocacy nearly since our founding 45 years ago, but the establishment of our DC office made participation in federal spaces – such as Congress and the White House – much more regular. As NCLR showed up in these spaces more frequently, the organization became more widely known among federal policymakers. NCLR routinely joins LGBTQ partner organizations for bi-weekly calls with the White House, engages in regular meetings with other federal agencies, and...
Even as Latinx Heritage Month has come to a close, we continue to uplift Latinx voices year-round. This month, we are spotlighting our Immigration Project Associate Pamela Mercado Garcia (she/her/ella). Pamela works with our Immigration and Asylum team. In 1994, NCLR was the first national LGBTQ organization to launch an Immigration Project. As part of this program, the work that Pam does daily helps to carry on the life-saving work that this program has always focused on, including advancing...
On June 24, 2022, the Friday of Pride weekend for many major cities, the United States Supreme Court announced the reversal of Roe v. Wade with their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. We wanted to catch up with our Federal Policy Director Julianna S. Gonen to find out more about what this means for the LGBTQ community and our families – and what NCLR is doing to ensure reproductive justice for everyone going forward. What was your initial reaction when then...
People change – that’s a fact of life. My coming-out story is like many other LGBTQ individuals. My loved ones said horrible, hurtful things when I made the tough and personal decision to come out. I think about these experiences as I reflect on the recent decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court, including their most recent ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. It’s easy to believe that things are changing for the worse. Without action, we could be headed back to a time with fewer rights and...
NCLR Philanthropy Coordinator Misa Ridgway receives some gender affirmations during Pride Month! Happy Pride Month! This month, we not only celebrate the wins of the LGBTQ community as a whole, but we also want to highlight the wins achieved by queer individuals. Our very own Philanthropy Coordinator Misa Ridgway had a win of his own earlier this month in June 2022. Misa joined NCLR around the same time that I did in the late fall of 2021. He was drawn to work at NCLR because he loves the...
Join the call by The National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action Network to show up for the Poor People’s Campaign’s Assembly & Moral March on June 18th in Washington, D.C. There are 140 million poor and working-class people in the United States – with 22% of LGBTQ people living in poverty. As an organization that fights for LGBTQ people and families, economic justice is a vital aspect of our movement. It is because of that that we are answering the call from the National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action...
“Urvashi was a trailblazer, a true leader and an inspiration to all she touched. She changed the world, she changed the movement, and on a personal note, she changed me. Her influence is felt everytime we take a more intersectional approach to our work. She will be missed by us all, but her legacy will be felt forever.” – Imani Rupert-Gordon, NCLR Executive Director “We call for the end of bigotry as we know it. The end of racism as we know it. The end of child abuse in the family...
We will not sugarcoat this: the leak this week of a Supreme Court majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, a ruling that would eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, is extremely alarming. It is also a wake-up call. While we do not know if the leaked opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will be the final one issued, it is nonetheless shocking to read a draft opinion showing just how extreme and dangerous the Court has become over the last decade. A...
Sunday, May 1 is the annual celebration of International Workers’ Day – also known as May Day – which honors the struggle of workers all around the world. While the LGBTQ movement typically focuses on nondiscrimination and healthcare insurance as issues in the workplace, the concerns of LGBTQ workers also include those not related to their sexuality or gender identity. In fact, the Black Futures Lab found that low wages are the biggest concern facing Black LGB people, and many trans...
