By Cornelius A. Fortune
DETROIT – A benefit for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force was held March 17 at Detroit's Scarab Club. The benefit honored U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), whose work has been pivotal in the fight for equality in her state and on Capitol Hill.
"I was delighted to be invited to come to Detroit to support the work of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and its collaboration with the Triangle Foundation," said Baldwin. "The conversations I've had with supporters of these efforts tonight encourage me greatly, and I certainly want to be as supportive as I can to find people to take part in their communities and address the problems that they see."
As an out lesbian, Baldwin admits that she uses her status to keep the issues concerning gays and lesbians at the forefront of her legislative efforts.
"It's never been a question in my mind that having an out lesbian serving in the United States Congress matters in terms of getting people to move on our issues," she said. "Organizations like the Triangle Foundation, and like the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force are the foundation for this movement, so your support is extremely powerful."
She applauded the work of the NGLTF and urged for continued support through funding and volunteerism.
"Oftentimes the LGBT community is under attack from policies that are harmful," she said, "and so I also rely very heavily on the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to try to defend against bad legislation and bad policies."
"We're very honored to have Congresswoman Baldwin to talk about what's going on in Washington and to highlight what's also happening in Wisconsin," said Matt Foreman, NGLTF's executive director, "because we're also making a major investment there in hopes of defeating the anti-marriage constitutional movements on the ballot."
As for Michigan, Foreman suggests that our state is very much on the agenda.
"Michigan is one of our capacity-building partners, and so we make a long-term investment in helping to build the community in Michigan for a number of reasons," he said. "We're also going to be actively involved in the anti-affirmative action ballot measure that's going to be facing Michigan voters in November."
"We're going to be active in the civil rights initiative," said John Allen, NGLTF board member, "and we're working with local groups to build capacity in the way they run their organizations. That's a big part of what the Task Force does."
Allen was pleased with the evening's turnout. "I think it was a real successful event," he said. "It was an opportunity for friends to get together to have a little conversation to hear what the Task Force is up to in Michigan. Hopefully we'll be able to build on it and do it again next year."
Paula Merideth, a member of the Triangle Foundation's board of trustees, thought the fundraiser went very well and was impressed by Rep. Baldwin's work and character.
"Just the idea of having an out legislator representing our community in a visible way is so wonderful," she said. "It is true that the work the NGLTF is doing in terms of really supporting local organizations and local activism is just so helpful. There are so few national organizations who get down and do this level of support. They really put their money where their mouths are, and it helps us."
"The energy from NGLTF is palpable here in Michigan, and the commitment is palpable," said Kate Runyon of the American Friends Service Committee. "This is a consistent reminder that the energy is real, the commitment is real, and we're in this together. It reduces the sense of being isolated, and is an opportunity for us to continue to be energized together within the movement."
