NAACP president to address One Nation Working Together at NYC’s LGBT Center



If you’re in New York City on Sept. 22, we hope you’ll drop by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center on 208 West 13th St. in Greenwich Village at 7 p.m. to hear NAACP President/CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, who will answer questions and share his views about the importance of LGBTQ New Yorkers joining One Nation Working Together (ONWT) in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2 for the national march/rally for jobs, equality and justice. The event is free.

 The Task Force is standing with LGBTQ, labor, civil rights, women’s, youth, environmental, immigrant, faith and peace communities as part of ONWT. Join us and the other three conveners of ONWT’s “LGBTQ Table” — Pride At Work, the National Black Justice Coalition and National Stonewall Democrats — as participants in this massive mobilization.

In a “Letter to the Community,” the LGBTQ Table talked about why a jobs and justice agenda matters to LGBTQ people, writing in part:

While the economy is tough for everyone, those facing discrimination have an added level of struggle. The statistics for our community are staggering:

  • LGBTQ seniors are at higher risk for isolation, poverty, and homelessness.
  • Transgender people of color are four times as likely to live in poverty. One in five transgender people have experienced homelessness. Transgender people have double the rate of unemployment as the general population and experience near universal harassment on the job. …
  • LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the homeless population and at greater risk for physical and sexual exploitation while living on the streets.
  • African Americans in same-sex relationships have dramatically higher rates of poverty than all heterosexual couples, and three times higher poverty rates than white people in same-sex relationships.

In short, discrimination in employment, schools, housing, health care and the absence of relationship recognition for the LGBTQ community present significant barriers to establishing a stable environment where we can pursue life, liberty and happiness. … We believe it is time to join with others and use our skills for the benefit of a broad progressive agenda to benefit our country.

March with us! On Oct. 2, meet up with the Task Force and other LGBTQ groups at Freedom Plaza, southwest corner of Pennsylvania Ave. NW & 13th St. NW, at 10 a.m. Not in the D.C. area? Not to worry, there are many ways you can get involved in ONWT:

To date, more than 200 groups have endorsed One Nation Working Together, including more than 25 LGBT organizations, and the list grows every day. This call to action is not only about mobilizing for Oct. 2 — it is also about building lasting, stronger coalition partnerships to continue our work toward full equality and justice. We hope you will march with us!