We have a new leadership team!

Fellow activists,

With the Prop 8 trial coming to a close in San Francisco and partial reforms for LGBT people coming from DC as a result of months of protest activities, Equality Across America (EAA) is proud to announce that we are moving forward in our fight for full federal equality with a new leadership team.

This newly expanded leadership team represents a diverse group of activists from many groups, cities and experiences. Our successful regional and citywide conferences across the country drew more than 1,300 LGBT activists and allies and allowed us to win more people to building a national grassroots network through EAA and to meet many of these new leaders.

EAA National Organizing Team (to replace Interim Governing Board)

Purpose:
To build a broader leadership team that involves activists we met through the regional and citywide conferences who identified themselves as individuals interested in carrying forward EAA as a national grassroots network. Included in this body would be local activists rooted in organizing work on campuses and in local groups representing regional diversity.

Structure:
This body, EAA National Organizing Team (ENOT), should include 15-20 activists who are able and interested in acting as a consultative and voting body that discusses their experiences on the ground and through reports from EAA groups and members throughout the country. It would:

1) meet via video conference, skype or conference call no more frequently than once every 4-6 weeks;

2) put forward national action initiatives;

3) select a handful of ENOT members help write and edit regular e-blasts and press releases;

4) select a handful of ENOT members to update Web site and respond to queries;

5) coordinate a team of bloggers to make contributions a few times a week and solicit blog contributions from others involved in activism;

6) elect 5-7 ENOT members as administrative delegates to decide financial expenditures and other more immediate questions that require quicker decisions than a wider body can take, but the broader ENOT should be consulted for comment and input on decisions.

7) include the project director whose priorities should be set by this body.

Goals:
1) project and build EAA;

2) develop easy communication and input from EAA members;

3) develop budget and fundraising initiatives to financially sustain EAA through members and supporters;

4) plan an EAA national convention for members by the end of 2010 to provide broader EAA membership input, assess EAA and movement, develop longterm goals, and elect new ENOT for the coming year.

Motivation:
Given the experiences we had before, during and since the conferences, a council of approximately 15-20 people has the potential to tap into the energy, ideas and creativity of a wider layer of activists nationally. Naturally, we’d want this body to be as diverse in every way possible, though if it gets too large it will never be able to meet with any regularity, as we remain a group of volunteer activists with jobs, families, and busy activist lives already. We want EAA to help to shape national debates, initiatives and strategies with diverse input and experiences so that EAA can have an impact on the fight for full federal equality, Time and other limitations necessitate that this body must be both functional and flexible to adjust to the inevitable ups and downs of movement work.

–

The new EAA National Organizing Team includes: Tiffani Bishop (Austin), Ann Coleman (Boston), Bert Coleman (St. Louis), Lindsey Dietzler (Chicago), Anthony Farver (Tampa), Wendy Forbes (Philadelphia), Aiyinah Ford (Washington DC), Colin Hammar (Indianapolis), Judy Heithmar (Chicago), Donna Lee (Gainesville), Amos Lim (San Francisco), Omar Lopez (Austin), Marc Loveless (Chicago), Nik Macjewski (Chicago), David Mailloux (Boston), Melanie Nathan (Los Angeles), Angel Poventud (Atlanta), Ed Reggi (St. Louis), Casey Robinson (Los Angeles), Laura Wadden (San Francisco), Samantha White (Bangor), Sherry Wolf (New York City)

As a grassroots network that grew out of the National Equality March last October, we have continued our devotion to an anti-corporate and grassroots-focused agenda of solidarity with other oppressed groups. We came away from the march with $100,000 remaining and in the last 8 months have spent less than $15,000 in our aim to expand our network and have a broader leadership.

Our Harvey Milk Day initiative was taken up by groups across the country and we are now ready to plot our next steps. We look forward to working with all forces who want to fight for full equality through solidarity and diversity!

In solidarity,

The EAA Crew

Advertisement