With more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills advancing in legislatures across the country it feels like an unprecedented legislative assault on our LGBTQ community in 2022 surpassing 2021 which was the worst year on record for introducing & enacting anti-LGBTQ legislation in statehouses across the country. Yet 45 years ago on March 26th, 1977 a group of gay & lesbian activists met with members of the Carter administration in a historic first. President Carter's Assistant Margaret "Midge" Costanza coordinated the meeting with representatives from the then National Gay Task Force (NGTF) to hear their grievances about discriminatory federal policies. George Raya a longtime LGBTQ activist who traveled to DC for the historic meeting stated, "In the past 45 years, we have had many successes - via the courts, legislation & Presidential decree. However, in many parts of the country, we can be married on Friday & fired on Monday. We need the Equality Act to be passed by Congress to provide us with strong federal protections against discrimination, making it explicitly illegal to fire someone because they are LGBT." There are only 3 surviving attendees of that meeting, Raya, Rev. Elder Troy Perry & Elaine Noble. Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of National LGBGTQ Task Force concluded, “For those of us in the Task Force family today, we know we stand on the shoulders of our founders & all of the extraordinary people who brought the organization to life in 1973. We will continue the struggle for liberation & equity in their honor & in the service of the LGBTQ community.” For More Info…
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