David Mariner

LGBTQ Organizations Open Letter: From Ferguson to True Freedom

January 23, 2016December 11, 2014 by David Mariner

LGBT Community Response to Ferguson and NYC

Words cannot begin to describe the depth of feeling we all share about the unfolding tragedies in Ferguson and New York City. Words cannot relieve the suffering of Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s loved ones nor can words alone salve the pain nor quell the anger of millions. It’s action we need and we need it now.

As LGBTQ national organizations, we proudly stand in solidarity with the civil rights organizations and local activists — including the actions of an amazing, fierce, brilliant cadre of youth leaders, many of whom are queer identified — in demanding fundamental systemic change that tackles the root causes of racial and economic injustices once and for all. From political accountability for the deaths of Michael and Eric to the immediate passage of federal legislation that completely bans racial profiling across this land to ensuring that local police departments are representative and fair arbiters of safety and protection for everyone and who — through their actions — are continually working to earn the trust, confidence and respect of the entire community.

We too must speak louder than words and take more action — to change more hearts and minds and fight even harder for the policies and practices that make statements such as this one obsolete.

We urge you to:

Join the March Against Police Violence in Washington, called by the National Action Network, on Saturday December 13th, 10:30am;
Organize and participate in peaceful protests in cities across the nation;
Attend public meetings in your city or town to show your support or share your experience with elected officials; and
Create your own actions for change in person and online — at home, at school, at work, in the corridors of power, and in places of worship.

Everyone, everywhere in our nation can do more to end racism and racial injustice. Everyone, from the Department of Justice that must do more to deliver justice for the Brown and Garner families to the high school principal who could do more to engage and educate students about racism and the need for justice.

Even those of us who have devoted our lives to this cause need to redouble our efforts to reach out to more people — including those people who are on the wrong side of this issue.

If we as a nation are to end racism and racial injustice once and for all, everyone must be part of an ongoing and sustainable process of change — a process that builds on all the progress we’ve made, a process that aims to recruit everyone, and a process with the specific mission of delivering lived equality, justice, and freedom for all.

American Civil Liberties Union
Believe Out Loud
Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT
The BiCast
BiNet USA
Bisexual Organizing Project
Bisexual Leadership Roundtable
Bisexual Resource Center
Campus Pride
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Center For Black Equity
COLAGE
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Equality Federation
Family Equality Council
The Fellowship Global (Pastor Joseph Tolton)
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (Bishop Yvette Flunder)
Freedom to Marry
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
GLAAD
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
Harvey Milk Foundation
Higher Education T* Circle Advisory Board
Human Rights Campaign
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Lambda Legal
MAP
Marriage Equality USA
More Light Presbyterians
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
National LGBTQ Task Force
National Minority AIDS Council
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Nehirim
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
PFLAG National
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
The Pride Network
Reconciling Ministries Network
SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders)
Trans People of Color Coalition
The Trevor Project

LGBT Asylum Group Expands Scope & Changes Name

January 11, 2016December 11, 2014 by David Mariner

A recent Associated Press story reveals LGBT people from around the world are seeking asylum in the United States in growing numbers. For example, asylum seekers from Russia are up 34%; many are LGBT persons fearing for their lives. The diversity of groups supporting LGBT asylum seekers is also growing. To reflect this reality, the LGBT Faith and Asylum Network announced a name change, today. It is now the LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network.

LGBT-FAN launched in January 2014 with a congressional briefing and a working retreat. Leaders from around the country, including asylum seekers and asylees, have worked since 2012 to build a core of support and to solidify their mission. The group’s new name reflects the collaborative style of LGBT-FAN, its commitment to LGBT people of all faiths or no faith, and the coalition’s diverse membership. Ironically, while much of the persecution against LGBT people globally is driven by religion, much of the work to help LGBT asylum seekers in the U.S. is led by groups such as Chicago’s Broadway United Methodist Church and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS).
LGBT-FAN supports direct-service groups, educates the wider community, and operates a charitable fund to give grants for direct services. The network advocates for the U.S. Government to protect LGBT asylum seekers, and works to support asylum seekers who face the brunt of punitive US immigration policies which deny them legal representation or
any means of support while they wait for months for officials to decide on their asylum applications.
At the heart of LGBT-FAN are a growing number of grassroots efforts that provide basic necessities such as housing to LGBT asylum seekers, most of whom are not legally able to hold employment for at least six months after filing their
asylum applications. These organizations include:
• Chicago LGBT Asylum Support Program (CLASP) (Chicago, IL)
• Center for Integration and Courageous Living (Chicago, IL)
• Freedom House (Detroit, MI)
• Housing Works (New York, NY)
• Better Together coalition (New York, NY)
• The First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco (San Francisco Bay Area, CA)
• LGBTQI Bay Area Asylum Coalition (San Francisco Bay Area, CA)
• Center Global, a program of the DC Center for the LGBT Community (Washington, DC)
• The LGBT Asylum Support Task Force (Worcester, MA)

According to LGBT-FAN Coordinator Max Niedzwiecki, “The work of the LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network is increasingly important. Laws in more than 80 countries subject LGBT people to prison, torture, and abuse. Some flee their homes and come to the US seeking safety. Once here, they need shelter, a welcoming community, food, and warm clothes. More than the basics, many want guidance to attain their goals, and feel empowered to join advocacy efforts for LGBT rights worldwide, and immigrant rights here in the US. Many of us are recognizing the shared responsibility to reach out to them.”

LGBT-FAN is partnering with the National LGBTQ Task Force to produce the first-ever guide for best practices when working with this population, and with Funders for LGBTQ Issues to educate foundation staff about LGBT asylum seekers.

2015 Guide to LGBT & HIV/AIDS Awareness Days

October 21, 2015December 8, 2014 by David Mariner

Awareness Days are a great way to call attention issues the LGBT community faces. As a local activist, planning an educational event or demonstration on one of these days is a great way to get the word out about your event or action and even raise the visibility and effectiveness of your event. Consider how these LGBT and HIV/AIDS awareness days intersect with the work you are doing at the local level and how you can use them as tools to highlight and strengthen your local work.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

February 7th, 2015

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is an HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative for Blacks in the United States and across the Diaspora. There are four specific focal points: Get Educated, Get Tested, Get Involved, and Get Treated.

www.nationalblackaidsday.org

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

April 10th, 2015

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is an annual observance that takes place on April 10. The first ever National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day took place on April 10, 2015.

Today’s young people are the first generation who have never known a world without HIV and AIDS. In the United States, one in four new HIV infections is among youth ages 13 to 24. Every month 1,000 young people are infected with HIV and over 76,400 young people are currently living with HIV across the country. While there has been much talk about an AIDS-Free Generation, we know that is not possible without our nation’s youth. Young people and their allies are determined to end this epidemic once and for all and this day is a way to acknowledge the great work young people are already engaging in to do so.

www.youthaidsday.org

National Day of Silence

April (Date TBD), 2015

The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. From the first-ever Day of Silence at the University of Virginia in 1996, to the organizing efforts in over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country in 2008, its textured history reflects its diversity in both numbers and reach.

www.dayofsilence.org

International Family Equality Day

May 3rd, 2015

Regardless of different legal, political and social circumstances around the world, the dramatic increase in the numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people choosing to raise children is a global phenomenon. International Family Equality Day is designed to to increase the international visibility of LGBTQ families.

www.internationalfamilyequalityday.org

International Day Against Homophobia

May 17th, 2015

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (marked on May 17) was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policy makers, opinion leaders, social movements, the media, and the public in general to these issues, and to promote a world of tolerance, respect and freedom regardless of people’s sexual orientations or gender identities.

As much as May 17 is a day against violence and oppression, it is also a day to promote freedom, diversity and acceptance. The date of May 17 was chosen to commemorate the decision taken by the World Health organization in 1990 to take homosexuality out of the list of mental disorders.

www.dayagainsthomophobia.org

National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

May 19th, 2015

One of the key achievements of the Banyan Tree Project to date is the establishment of National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on May 19th. This day is officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The first National Awareness Day was held in 2005. Each year, this day is commemorated with events around the country designed to promote the Banyan Tree Project goals. On this day, organizations around the country dedicated to providing HIV/AIDS services to A&PIs host events in their communities to raise awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS-related stigma.

www.banyantreeproject.org

National LGBT Community Center Awareness Day

September 15th

Centers continue to build, unite, and empower the LGBT community by offering services including; social services, mental health counseling, cultural programs, recreational activities, libraries, educational programs, support groups, youth support, elder support, computer access, and care and treatment (just to name a few).

Created by CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Center Awareness Day is an annual day of awareness promoting the vital services offered by community centers and the central role they play in local communities.

www.lgbtcenters.org

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

September 18th, 2015

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness day focuses on the challenging issues facing the aging population with regards to HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment. In addition, there is an increased need for prevention, research, and data targeting the aging population, medical understanding of the aging process and its impact on HIV/AIDS.

www.theaidsinstitute.org

Celebrate Bisexuality Day

September 23rd, 2015

Celebrate Bisexuality Day is observed worldwide on September 23, 2015 by members of the bisexual community and their supporters. The day, which is celebrated annually, is a call for the bisexual community, their friends and supporters to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and the bi- and pansexual people in their lives.

First observed in 1999, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is the brainchild of three United States bisexual rights activists: Wendy Curry, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilbur. This celebration of bisexuality in particular, as opposed to general LGBT events, was conceived as a response to the prejudice and marginalization of the bisexual persons by some in both the straight and greater LGBT communities.

www.facebook.com/bivisibility

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

September 27th, 2015

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed every year on September 27th. In 2008 the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) Launched this observance to recognize the disproportionate impact of the epidemic on gay men. While NAPWA no longer exists as an organization, the observance continues.

National Coming Out Day

October 11th, 2015

Every year on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) or as an ally. On Oct. 11, 2014, we marked the 26th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

26 years ago, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, we first observed National Coming Out Day as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in 10.

Coming out STILL MATTERS. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.

www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day

Spirit Day

Date TBD, October 2015

Millions go purple on Spirit Day in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Observed annually since 2010, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, and public figures wear purple, which symbolizes ‘spirit’ on the rainbow flag.

www.glaad.org/spiritday

National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

October 15th, 2015

The last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, October 15th, has been designated as National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). In 2003, NLAAD was established in response to the impact of HIV and AIDS on Hispanic/Latino communities nationwide, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. NLAAD is a national community mobilization and social marketing campaign that unites the Hispanic/Latino community in efforts to raise HIV awareness, promotion of HIV testing, prevention and education.

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day has demonstrated to be a successful AIDS Awareness Day. NLAAD has solidified support from 450 partners who together, organized 350 events in 45 states across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

www.nlaad.org

Intersex Awareness Day

October 26th, 2015

Intersex Awareness Day is an international day of grass-roots action to end shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children. Between October 26 and November 8, intersex organizations try to bring attention to the challenges intersex individuals face.

The event marks the first public demonstration by intersex people in North America. On October 26, 1996, intersex activists from Intersex Society of North America (carrying the sign “Hermaphrodites With Attitude”) and allies from Transexual Menace demonstrated in Boston, outside the venue where the American Academy of Pediatrics was holding its annual conference.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

November 20th, 2015

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose was murdered on November 28th, 1998. Her murder, like many anti-transgender murder cases, remains unsolved.

www.tdor.info

World AIDS Day

December 1st, 2015

World AIDS Day is celebrated around the world on December 1st each year. It has become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

UNAIDS took the lead on campaigning for World AIDS Day from its creation until 2004. From 2004 onwards the World AIDS Campaign’s Global Steering Committee began selecting a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organisations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response.

Themes run for one or two years and are not just specific to World AIDS Day. Campaigning slogans such as ‘Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise’ have been used year-round to hold governments accountable for their HIV and AIDS related commitments.

www.un.org/en/events/aidsday

National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

December 7, 2014 by David Mariner

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is an annual observance that takes place on April 10. The first ever National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day took place on April 10, 2015.

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day will be celebrated all across the country. There will be events hosted by various organizations and individuals in high schools, colleges, churches, community centers and more! There also will be opportunities for online participation.

Find out more at www.youthaidsday.org

Great American Condom Campaign

December 30, 2014December 6, 2014 by David Mariner

Applications to become a Great American Condom Campaign Spring Semester SafeSite are now open!

The Great American Condom Campaign is a youth-led grassroots movement to reduce unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections by normalizing condom use on college and university campuses. Students from across the country apply to become SafeSites, individual condom distribution points, and upon selection receive a box of 500 Trojan condoms to distribute to their peers. SafeSites are also tasked with educating their peers about safer sex and advocating on campus and within their community for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.

The Great American Condom Campaign is a program of Advocates for Youth. In the past academic year, 2,600 SafeSites distributed more than 1,300,000 condoms to students on 1,234 campuses. SafeSites were established in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Sound like fun? Apply for the GACC NOW!

We receive more applications than we can accept, so make sure your application stands out! Be clear about how you will distribute condoms and why you want to be part of the GACC. To learn more about the GACC and the awesome work of previous SafeSites, go to the GACC Facebook page.

Applications to be a Fall Semester SafeSite are open through December 31st, 2014. It only takes 10 minutes to fill out an application, so start now!

Do it for your country.

Top 30 National LGBT Advocacy Websites

January 4, 2016November 30, 2014 by David Mariner

There are three types of media that our National LGBT organizations can use to call attention to their important causes. The first type is paid media. This is when an organization pays for an advertisement on a website or in a newspaper. The second type is earned media. This is when an organization does something that is worthy of press attention and receives coverage in an article, or even a retweet or facebook mention from a third party. The final type is owned media. Owned media encompasses all the ways an organization can communicate directly with their supporters without relying on anyone else. In thew not-so-new age of social media, owned media is more important than ever for National LGBT organizations. Owned media includes an organizations’s website, blog, and social media channels, as well as any other ways the organization reaches supporters directly, like a newsletter sent through the mail.

Which LGBT organizations are dominating the owned media field and which are falling behind? I looked at over 50 national LGBT websites to find out. This analysis weighed several different factors. Each ranking is based primarily on the Alexa.com ratings. Alexa’s traffic estimates are based on data from their sample of millions of Internet users using one of over 25,000 different browser extensions. The complete breakdown of each score is as follows:

60% – Alexa.com rating (lowest numbers are the highest ranking)
10% – Google estimated number of backlinks
10% – Facebook likes
10% – Twitter followers
10% – Instagram follwers

There are a few important disclaimers to consider. First, the focus of this list is to look at the influence of national LGBT organizations. Many state and local LGBT organizations are therefore not included in this list, but have an equal or greater influence then many of the national groups. Similarly, this list does not include LGBT programs that exist within organizations that are not exclusively focusedo n the LGBT community. Notable exclusions include the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University; the Williams Institute at UCLA Law; and LGBT Initiatives at the Center for American Progress.

Top Ranked Websites

Included below are the rankings as of November, 2014 for the top 30 websites I identified. The entire list of websites is included at the end of this article.

Website		Alexa	Backlinks	Facebook	Twitter	Instagram	Score
Human Rights Campaign	hrc.org	57006	225000	2067056	457194	593000	96
No H8 Campaign	noh8campaign.com	604501	34322	1224646	689766	214000	79
GLAAD	glaad.org	112538	56894	256573	242567	22400	67
Trevor Project	thetrevorproject.org	374613	49080	308630	187703	20900	66
It Get’s Better	itgetsbetter.org	376321	49183	375941	117239	0	65
Freedom to Marry	freedomtomarry.org	121860	35651	514973	58374	867	65
GLSEN	glsen.org	139745	22411	545752	52618	1100	64
Lambda Legal	lambdalegal.org	438136	23591	221013	77253	150	62
National LGBTQ Task Force	thetaskforce.org	944352	37390	92317	33608	602	60
National Center for Lesbian Rights	nclr.org	422430	13581	40354	22264	8	60
IGLHRC	iglhrc.org	653872	29796	41668	12978	14	60
PFLAG	pflag.org	612298	13856	51574	37821	714	60
Campus Pride	campuspride.org	396341	13607	4514	8211	380	60
Lambda Literary Foundation	lambdaliterary.org	514535	17779	6069	8562	0	59
Transgender Law Center	transgenderlawcenter.org	687135	7473	52162	14534	482	59
NGLCC	nglcc.org	703463	16963	6034	2951	0	59
Family Equality Council	familyequality.org	1202758	31798	11738	13716	54	58
Metropolitan Comm Church	mccchurch.org	902538	7392	6854	4188	0	58
Out and Equal	outandequal.org	1078521	13210	24579	3879	115	58
SAGE	sageusa.org	985465	1313	7542	4533	96	57
Immigration Equality	immigrationequality.org	1105060	4976	19124	11302	0	57
CenterLink	lgbtcenters.org	1346060	20883	5736	10401	0	57
Equality Giving	equalitygiving.org	1163307	203	0	0	0	57
Victory Fund	victoryfund.org	1519667	3137	122885	16450	342	57
NLGJA	nlgja.org	1507660	4025	5713	8548	0	56
Sylvia Rivera Law Project	srlp.org	1471720	1602	7264	1213	0	56
National LGBT Museum	nationallgbtmuseum.org	1496746	817	262	2632	0	56
Equality Federation	equalityfederation.org	3633883	11958	3004	373686	0	56
Bi Net USA	binetusa.org	1617622	2940	251	5650	0	56
Arcus	arcusfoundation.org	2056431	19947	1369	6515	0	55

Lessons from the Numbers

Welcome to Three New Players

Three new LGBT organizations did not quite make the top 30, but they did rank among the top 50. They are:

The LGBT Tech Partnership. Spearheaded by ED Chris Wood, the LGBT Tech Partnership explores the intersection of the LGBT community and technology, and has an impressive team including former OutServe/SLDN ED, Allyson Robinson.
Trans Women of Color Collective. Inspired by the success of local chapters of TWOCC, Ashley Lourdes Hunter recently moved to Washington, DC to start the National Headquarters for this budding organization.
LGBT-FAN. The LGBT Freedom Asylum Network (formerly the LGBT Freedom Asylum Network) is an inspiring network of local grassroots initiatives to support the growing influx of LGBT Asylum Seekers.

Goodbye to Old Friends

Although there has been no official announcement, it is pretty clear at this point that the National Office of Stonewall Democrats, once an important player in the nation’s capitol, is now defunct. The same can be said for the National Coalition for LGBT Health. There has been little dialogue, if any, on what the demise of these organizations means for our movement.

A Slow, Steady Decline for the Task Force Alexa Rating

I remain a huge fan of the National LGBTQ Task Force (formerly the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force), and an even bigger fan of the annual Creating Change Conference, which plays such an important role for activists across the country.

The numbers don’t lie, however. When I first started tracking Alexa ratings more than a decade ago, the Task Force had an Alexa rating of 152, 139, which means the Task Force website was among the top 153,000 websites in the world. Over the years, there has been a gradual decline. As of this analysis, the number was at 944,352. This means, that the site has dropped to being among the top million sites in the world. In contrast, several of the groups I first looked at in 2003, including NGLCC and Pride at Work, have grown their online presence.

A National LGBT Latina/o Organization

Ever since the National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization (LLEGÓ) closed their doors in 2004, there have been rumblings about starting a new national organization for the LGBT Latina/o community. Unid@s LGBT- The National Latin@ LGBT Human Rights Organization, was founded in 2007. While their facebook page remains online, their website is now defunct, and the future direction of the organization is unclear.

What do the Numbers Tell You?

What is most interesting to me about these numbers are the comments and feedback I receive after posting them. What do these numbers mean to you? Are their LGBT organizations that I missed and should have included? What suprises you about the rankings? Please be sure to post your comments below.

Complete Ranking of all Organizations Researched

Website		Alexa	Backlinks	Facebook	Twitter	Instagram	Score
Human Rights Campaign	hrc.org	57006	225000	2067056	457194	593000	96
No H8 Campaign	noh8campaign.com	604501	34322	1224646	689766	214000	79
GLAAD	glaad.org	112538	56894	256573	242567	22400	67
Trevor Project	thetrevorproject.org	374613	49080	308630	187703	20900	66
It Get’s Better	itgetsbetter.org	376321	49183	375941	117239	0	65
Freedom to Marry	freedomtomarry.org	121860	35651	514973	58374	867	65
GLSEN	glsen.org	139745	22411	545752	52618	1100	64
Lambda Legal	lambdalegal.org	438136	23591	221013	77253	150	62
National LGBTQ Task Force	thetaskforce.org	944352	37390	92317	33608	602	60
National Center for Lesbian Rights	nclr.org	422430	13581	40354	22264	8	60
IGLHRC	iglhrc.org	653872	29796	41668	12978	14	60
PFLAG	pflag.org	612298	13856	51574	37821	714	60
Campus Pride	campuspride.org	396341	13607	4514	8211	380	60
Lambda Literary Foundation	lambdaliterary.org	514535	17779	6069	8562	0	59
Transgender Law Center	transgenderlawcenter.org	687135	7473	52162	14534	482	59
NGLCC	nglcc.org	703463	16963	6034	2951	0	59
Family Equality Council	familyequality.org	1202758	31798	11738	13716	54	58
Metropolitan Comm Church	mccchurch.org	902538	7392	6854	4188	0	58
Out and Equal	outandequal.org	1078521	13210	24579	3879	115	58
SAGE	sageusa.org	985465	1313	7542	4533	96	57
Immigration Equality	immigrationequality.org	1105060	4976	19124	11302	0	57
CenterLink	lgbtcenters.org	1346060	20883	5736	10401	0	57
Equality Giving	equalitygiving.org	1163307	203	0	0	0	57
Victory Fund	victoryfund.org	1519667	3137	122885	16450	342	57
NLGJA	nlgja.org	1507660	4025	5713	8548	0	56
Sylvia Rivera Law Project	srlp.org	1471720	1602	7264	1213	0	56
National LGBT Museum/Velvet Foundation	nationallgbtmuseum.org	1496746	817	262	2632	0	56
Equality Federation	equalityfederation.org	3633883	11958	3004	373686	0	56
Bi Net USA	binetusa.org	1617622	2940	251	5650	0	56
Arcus	arcusfoundation.org	2056431	19947	1369	6515	0	55
Gill Foundation	gillfoundation.org	2032092	4140	3732	1918	0	54
GLMA	glma.org	2180739	2743	4787	851	0	54
Astrea Foundation	astraea.org	2318937	2121	4880	2293	0	54
National Gay Pilots Association	ngpa.org	2536174	512	1700	104	0	53
LGBT Bar Association	lgbtbar.org	3294566	2386	2324	1617	7	51
Funders for LGBTQ Issues	lgbtfunders.org	3501132	1335	3577	2328	0	50
Out for Work	outforwork.org	3582352	461	195	747	0	50
OutServe SLDN	sldn.org	4719528	55251	28014	9288	0	49
COLAGE	colage.org	4215347	8452	5084	1275	0	49
Get Equal	getequal.org	4528989	9541	31412	28883	205	48
National Black Justice Coalition	nbjc.org	6353583	1507	7824	2700	0	42
Bohnett Foundation	bohnettfoundation.org	4395104	6481	1064	523	0	48
Faith in America	faithinamerica.org	5,337,820	726	10,783	1124.00	0	45
LGBT Tech Partnership	lgbttechpartnership.org	6987137	242	966	1129	0	40
Trans Women of Color Collective	twocc.us	8275220	2	0	0	0	37
Center for Black Equity	centerforblackequity.org	9536384	69	1978	462	23	33
Pride at Work	prideatwork.org	10404989	8883	5916	2296	0	31
National LGBT Cancer Network	cancer-network.org	13364027	1121	2154	20834	0	23
Military Partners & Families Coalition	milpfc.org	14688889	375	7816	809	0	19
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance	nqapia.org	15381834	509	1655	2208	0	17
LGBT Faith (Freedom) Asylum Network	lgbt-fan.org	17369035	3372	393	94	0	11
National Center for Trans Equality	nctequality.org	19652409	1603	36333	26771	0	5
Transgender Legal Defense & Ed Fund	tldef.org	20077845	4100	3448	16018	0	4
Transgender Americans Veteran’s Association	tavausa.org	21252285	1429	688	104	0	0

Note: this data, along with the formulas I used to come to the final number, are available on a google spreadsheet. I will gladly share this spreadsheet with whoever is interested and I encourage you to a dd, tweek, change, and share. I would be very interested in seeing what changes others might make.

International Family Equality Day

December 1, 2014November 22, 2014 by David Mariner

On May 3, 2015, LGBTQ family organizations from around the world will join forces, for the fourth time, to increase the international visibility of LGBTQ families.

International Family Equality Day will take place every year on the first Sunday in May. Find out more at www.internationalfamilyequalityday.org.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

January 23, 2016November 21, 2014 by David Mariner

HIV affects all people, but some communities have been particularly hard hit. Of the more than 1.1 million Americans living with HIV today, half are Black. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV relative to their share of the U.S. population, accounting for 44% of all new infections in the U.S. while representing just 12% of the population. The epidemic has touched many lives. According to a national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, three in five Black Americans now know someone living with HIV or who has died of AIDS.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is an HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative for Blacks in the United States and across the Diaspora.

There are four specific focal points: Get Educated, Get Tested, Get Involved, and Get Treated. Find out more at: www.nationalblackaidsday.org.

LGBT Support for Hillary Clinton

October 23, 2015November 18, 2014 by David Mariner

Hillary Clinton has not yet announced if she intends to run for President in 2016, but that hasn’t stopped many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community from coming out to show their support. In fact, hundreds of people showed up for an LGBT ‘Out and Ready for Hillary’ fundraiser last January, and community members are not waiting for an announcement to start organizing.

A few friends and I have already joined in the planning. You can find us on facebook at fb.com/outforhillary or on twitter at twitter.com/outforhillary. You can also check out our website at www.outforhillary.com.

Of course, the LGBT community is very diverse so there will likely be LGBT folks involved in a number of different campaigns. There will also be people working hard to make hold Hillary (and her supporters) accountable every step of the way.

When Bill Clinton spoke at the Human Rights Campaign back in October, Get Equal took the opportunity to encourage the Hillary Clinton to be a strong advocate for many of the broader social justice issues important to our community.

“Today’s action was a chance for the LGBTQ community to make sure that Hillary Clinton hears loud and clear that, as she readies a presidential bid, we need her to stand up for progressive values as a champion and leader, not simply as a middle-of-the-road political candidate,” said Heather Cronk, GetEQUAL co-director. “I hope Secretary Clinton hears that the LGBTQ community cares deeply not only about passing a full LGBTQ equality bill, but also about reforming our broken immigration system, ensuring full reproductive health access, ending widespread and system police brutality, and winning economic justice measures that allow us to provide for and support our families. Our community won’t be swayed simply by high-profile speeches — we need to see serious action.”

My Secret App Secrets

December 4, 2016November 18, 2014 by David Mariner

The app secret is officially dead, and for good reason. It has been fading away slowly for some time now, as people realize exposing each other’s secrets is not as fun as it first seems. In honor of it’s demise, however, I would like to share a few of secrets of my own

I once went to trader joes and purchased a package of pre hard boiled eggs and a tub of ready-made hollandaise sauce. What happened next is not something I am proud of.
In my itunes collection I own the Glee version of the Justin Bieber song “somebody to love”
I have a purple satin sleep mask. It helps me sleep at night, and it smells nice.
I would much rather have a bud light lime-a-rita than the craft beer you drink.
Last night I played the game RISK online and took great pleasure in defeating a high school student from Lincoln Nebraska.

This is me. Deal with it.