24
L2ÛÛ2
Getting
"If our community doesn't have its own
house in order, it is all the more difficult
for us to build the coalitions with
predominantly heterosexual organizations
o f people of color"
— Lorri L. Jean
Creating Change
he National Gay and Lesbian Task Force began, and remains, a politically
pioneering organization, and Portland is lucky to play host to its annual
conference Nov. 6 to 10.
Creating Change began in 1987 to push the political envelope and
charge up more than 2,000 national queer activists. This year’s gathering
is sure to he one of its most profound. NGLTF always has been devoted to equality
and freedom, and the Creating Change theme—“Building an Anti-Racist
Movement: Working for Social and Economic Justice’’— is evidence of this
commitment and its expansion.
House
“A number of things led to this year’s conference hav- 1 better relationships between the queer movement and its
ing a them e,” executive director Lorri L. Jean says. “At
allies. Keynote speakers will emphasize that we have many
Creating Change last year, a number of GLBT leaders
allies because all oppressions and “isms” are connected and
from various communities of color approached us about
have the same enemies. The conference will challenge
taking some action to make the conference both more
activists to put an end to single-issue identity politics and
diverse and more relevant to people of color working for
to think and reach outside the white box to include agen
GLRT rights. Early this year, we began the process of talk das important to people of color.
ing with people of color leaders around the country and
held meetings in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
ean will open the conference Nov. 7 and intnxluce
“NGLTF established the theme because we felt that it
keynote speakers Carmen Vazquez, public policy direc
was critical that we do so, given what is happening in our
tor of New York C ity’s Lesbian, Gay, Risexual and Trans
society and our world these days,” she continues. “First, it
gender Community Center, and Tim Sweeney, senior pro
is a critical issue for our movement. Racism is one of the
gram officer of the Evelyn and W alter Haas Jr. Fund in San
most pervasive, divisive and damaging elements in our
Francisco. The two of them will engage in a lively, per-
scKiety, in our world and
in our GLRT communi
ties. The failure of our
broader GLRT civil
rights m ovem ent to
eradicate the racism in
our own ranks has been
tragic. It has irreparably
harmed many people,
and it has diminished all
of us.”
Conference organiz
ers hope to bridge the
historical
separation
between white and non
white activists and build
comes to Portland
J
Order
"Too many white people will
walk right to the edge of
the cliff with us, but they're
not jumping— not unless
someone can guarantee
them a safety net"
to eradicate racism
— Carmen Vazquez
by Kim Stephenson
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