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'Movement at a Crossroads' Elizabeth Toledo Addresses Washington's National Press Club Speech Focus is the State of Progress across the Nation (Text) |
Ms Toledo titled her speech The GLBT Movement at a Crossroads. The venerable organization she represents, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF),was founded in 1973 to fight injustice at the local, state and national level. It is an organization that celebrates human diversity. Text of Elizabeth Toledo's Speech: National Press Club, April 25 "Good morning. I am here this morning to discuss the state of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender movement for equality in the United States.
"A trend has emerged which shows that although the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population remains under fierce attack, the movement toward civil rights for all is steadily gaining strength. "Today the Vermont House of Representatives is poised to give final approval to a bill that would allow same-sex couples the right to enter into official civil unions sanctioned by the state. "If approved and signed into law, the Vermont bill will do what no state has ever done before - it will provide same-sex couples with all of the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage that a state can offer. "Vermont has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But did you know about Georgia? Indiana? Maine? Alabama? Georgia this year for the first time ever has passed and enacted a hate crimes law. "Indiana has passed and enacted a hate crimes data collection law. While not a full-blown hate crimes law, it represents the first time Indiana legislators have ever reacted favorably to a GLBT issue. Maine has passed and forwarded to the voters a full-scale civil rights law that includes sexual orientation. In Alabama, the House has passed an historic bill adding sexual orientation to the existing hate crimes law. The bill is scheduled to come up for a hearing in the Senate tomorrow. "Five states - Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wisconsin - have defeated attempts to either pass or strengthen anti-same-sex marriage laws. "The pace of activity this year continues a trend we first noticed in 1999, a breakthrough year for the GLBT movement. Last year's legislative victories included historic advances in such disparate states as California, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Nevada. In California, legislators passed and the governor signed a trio of bills that established a statewide registry for same-sex couples, added sexual orientation to the nondiscrimination clauses under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act and offered public school students some protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. "In Kentucky, two cities and two counties adopted pro-GLBT civil rights measures. In New Hampshire, a law preventing same-sex couples from adopting children was repealed. And Nevada became the 11th state to ban job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. "While we have largely picked up in the year 2000 where we left off, the news is not all good. Two states - Utah and Mississippi - have passed bills preventing same-sex couples from adopting children. "Two state legislatures - Colorado and West Virginia - passed laws preventing same-sex couples from marrying, and California voters approved a measure banning the state from recognizing same-sex marriages in other states. The number of states that have explicitly passed laws banning same-sex marriage will reach 33 if the Colorado governor signs that state's legislation. "Such activity reflects the unfortunate reality of our movement. There is a checkerboard quality to the legal and cultural victories for the LGBT movement, and too often the difference between legitimacy and illegitimacy in the eyes of society may rest on something as arbitrary as a state boundary. "Many residents of this country assume that the great strides of the civil rights movement have afforded broad protection against discrimination for all. In fact the legal reality is that those of us in same sex relationships have not been fully protected from discrimination in housing, jobs, family law, education - virtually every aspect of our lives is subject to discrimination and sadly, hate violence or harassment remains a reality in every state in the nation. "Too often the cultural strides that are made in the media, in places or worship, in schools and universities and in the workplace are misinterpreted as a sign that equality has been won. "I'll give you an example. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force frequently receives phone calls from same-sex couples asking for a list of states in which they can legally marry. These individuals see shows like Will and Grace or Dawson's Creek. "They worship in churches or synagogues that welcome them. They are out in the workplace or at school. They just assume, like many heterosexual Americans, that the barriers of discrimination have been eradicated. "The reality, of course, is quite different. Not a single state allows same-sex marriage. 39 states allow gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees to be fired from our jobs. 28 states lack hate crimes laws that include sexual orientation. 18 states criminalize loving, same-sex relationships. "Today the GLBT movement is at a crossroads. We are under open assault by those who would deny us basic human rights, and at the same time the nation is witnessing a surge in support for our cause. Our lives, our liberty, our pursuit of happiness depend upon our ability to build strong political infrastructure and organize on the state and local level. "Local organizing has always been the trademark of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Fortunately, we are not alone. Today, the state and local political infrastructure of the GLBT movement in the United States is stronger than it has ever been before. "In 1996, NGLTF helped found the Federation of Statewide LGBT Political Organizations. This federation consists of political groups that fight for equality. In just four years' time, the Federation has grown to represent members in every state in the union, an incredible rate of growth in such a short period of time. "With the Federation's help, last year NGLTF was able to produce the largest grassroots mobilization in our movement's history. We helped organize some 350 rallies and other events in all 50 state capitols, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, during a one-week period. Our campaign - called "Equality Begins at Home" - and the work of the Federation paved the way for the wonderful successes we have seen in the past year. "Now many state legislatures are wrapping up their business and adjourning. Attention will soon shift to the November election - and what could be the most important election of our generation. "The GLBT voting bloc has proven to be one of the most powerful constituencies in the country in recent election cycles. If our voters are motivated to the polls and elect supportive leaders, we could have the opportunity to shape groundbreaking legal protection. If the nation elects leaders who are hostile to all that NGLTF stands for, we could witness a serious backlash to our hard-won gains. "Dr. Martin Luther King once said the moral arc of the universe is long but bends toward justice. Dr. King was right - but with our continued organizing and mobilization, we can make that moral arc bend much more quickly. |
