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National black gay forum reaches out to regional
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For A s Little As
esponding to the shifting needs of the
ers—Alice Walker, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Elders,
country’s African American lesbian
June Jordan—it was wonderful.”
and gay community, the National
Not that there wasn’t also plenty of nitty-gritty
Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership
organizing going on.
Forum is launching its first major
“There was lots of that too,” laughs Prescod,
reorganization since the group was established
adding a on a more serious note: ‘T hat’s what we
decade ago.
need to be doing in Oregon—basic organizing of
The changes include the addition of new pro
both men and women.”
grams, new national staff members and the first
The conference, held Feb. 13-17, attracted
permanent board of directors; the implementa grass-roots organizers and scholars from around
tion of a regional structure; and the adoption of a the nation who discussed vital issues concerning
lower membership fee.
the black lesbian and gay community. The event
“These bold new steps will give us a greater
featured Womyn’s and Men’s institutes, an AIDS
presence in local communities throughout the
Institute and two days of skills-building work
nation,” says Keith Boykin, the Leadership
shops.
Forum’s executive director.
Longtime activist Mandy Carter has been
Established in 1988, the National Black Les
bian and Gay Leadership Forum works to em
power African American lesbians and gay men by
developing their leadership skills, increasing their
visibility and building bridges among various
communities.
It is the only national organization dedicated
to the country’s estimated 2 million-plus African
American gay men and lesbians.
In mid-February, nearly 1,000 lesbians and
gay men gathered in Long Beach, Calif., for the
group’s 10th anniversary conference, which
brought together a number of prominent African
Americans, including Dr. Cornel West, Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Alice Walker, former U.S.
Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, and writer/
poet June Jordan.
“The participation of so many high-profile
leaders in the black community represents the
important role of black lesbians and gays in the
larger black struggle,” says Boykin. “We plan to
build on this momentum, and we expect that other
prominent African Americans will become much
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more vocal in their support of the black lesbian
and gay community.”
The Rev. Cecil Prescod was among a small
group of Portlanders who attended the confer
ence. He is a member of the local chapter of
Brother to Brother, an African American gay and
bisexual men’s group.
“The conference had a very celebratory feel,”
says Prescod, who also participated in last year’s
conference in Dallas. “It felt more like a celebra
tion this year, probably because it was the tenth
anniversary, and there were such notable speak -
named the Forum’s first national field director.
She will assist black sexual minority community
organizations by providing resources, skills and
technical assistance to build a larger multi-com
munity coalition.
The fledgling national youth program will
target black queer youth between the ages of 18
and 24 in need of leadership training, direct finan
cial assistance and mentors.
Major components of the program include a
National Youth Council, annual scholarships to
support students and young community organiz
ers, a youth track organized by and for young
people at the annual national conference, and a
mentoring project providing role models.
Local and regional groups can also now join
forces with the Forum by becoming member
organizations. In doing so, they will be eligible to
apply for technical and financial assistance through
a new grant process that pools the resources of
various local groups.
The Forum has also established a regional
structure to better represent all parts of the coun
try. The Pacific Northwest’s regional representa
tive is former Seattle Councilwoman Sherry Har
ris, who is also a member of the group’s 10-
woman, five-man board of directors.
Additionally, the organization has decreased
its annual membership dues from $35 to $10 to
make membership accessible to a broader spec
trum of community groups.
For more information, contact the National
Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum at
( 202 )
483 - 6786 .