Join the Impact

Let us take a moment and give thanks – to those that came before us, those that are here now, and those that will come after us in this amazing fight for HUMAN RIGHTS.

Let us take a moment and give thanks – to those that came before us, those that are here now, and those that will come after us in this amazing fight for HUMAN RIGHTS.

Gus Van Sant’s MILK opens today in select theaters and then nationwide next week (Dec. 5th). This film commemorates a man of great stature who many view as an icon of the gay rights movement. Harvey Milk helped our community gain visibility in a new way and his life is one to be remembered and respected. To drive attention to this important movie, drive attendance, and raise awareness about the LGBTQ community, we hope to make MILK one of the highest grossing movies of the December 5th weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you sent in your postcards yet?

Do you know what November 15th made history? It made history because our community came out by the hundreds of thousands in ways this country has never seen. We brought LGBTQ visibility to a new level! Read the rest of this entry »

How are those conversations going?

I must admit that even I haven’t had one a day since we gave out the call to action to have a respectful conversation every day with someone who thinks differently than I do about LGBT rights (which MAY have something to do with the fact that I’m always on email, the phone or in a meeting for JTI since all of this started). Read the rest of this entry »

Our movement for full Civil Equality has been infused over the past 2 weeks with so many inspired and powerful voices! JoinTheImpact has been working nonstop with members from many other organizations to ensure that we keep our visibility strong. We must also never stop this conversation. I know that many of you are tired from all of the hard work we have done over the past two weeks, so don’t forget to take a moment and breathe. In just two short weeks, we have all come together to mobilize this nation and this debate. The JoinTheImpact team has been working incredibly hard to ensure that our voices do not go unheard. We wanted to announce to you our plans for the next 3 months and let you see how JoinTheImpact will be evolving: Read the rest of this entry »

About 4 years ago, I moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Seattle, Washington. In the cross country drive, I stopped in Lincoln Nebraska to pay my respects to Brandon Teena. For those of you who don’t know, Brandon Teena, was an FTM who was brutally raped and murdered on December 31st, 1993 because he was transgendered. This horrific act constitutes one of the most infamous hate crimes of the 1990’s. Yet, when I approached Brandon Teena’s grave, it seemed like all had been forgotten. Ignoring the facts of who he was, it was decided that his tombstone say his birth name: Teena Ranea Brandon. As I stared at the tombstone, there was a group of men from the military practicing the traditional call to arms burial a few hundred feet behind me. Because this was a practice and not an actual funeral, the sargent screamed obscenities at the men telling them how to properly hold their weapons. Words like Faggot and Dick Fucker were towering from behind me. This moment, was one of utter sadness and brutal irony. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, President Elect Barack Obama released his Civil Rights Agenda on Change.gov. Whether you agree with his election into office or not, his transparency and eagerness to communicate with the American people is a true testament to his grassroots ideals and fight for change that many voted for. This Civil Rights Agenda includes “Support for the LGBT Community” in the following ways:

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
• Fight Workplace Discrimination
• Support FULL Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples (Includes Repealing DOMA)
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
• Repeal Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell
• Expand Adoption Rights
• Promote HIV/AIDS Prevention

We are in the eye of this generation’s Civil Rights Movement and we cannot stop this momentum now! Barack Obama has laid out many great promises, but we need to pave the way for him to legislate on our behalf. Even Barack Obama makes promises for votes, so let’s take a moment to remind him of his promises and let him know that we will keep this movement going to hold him to his word and help him along the way. Because of this, while we have many initiatives on the Calendar to keep moving forward and fighting for equality, we want to squeeze something in that we ask for your immediate attention on. We feel that, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, it is time to say “thank you” and let President Elect Barack Obama know that we have read his promises and will do what it takes to help him follow through. As such, JoinTheImpact is teaming up with the Civil Rights Front’s Project Postcard Campaign.
Read the rest of this entry »