National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (The Task Force) builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country’s premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBT people, and working to create positive, lasting change and opportunity for all. It was founded in 1973 by Dr. Howard Brown, Dr. Bruce Voeller, who was the organization's first director, Reverend Robert Carter and Dr. Frank Kameny, in New York. It is the oldest national LGBT rights organization in the United States. The current executive director is Rea Carey.

Mission statement
The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is "to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referendums and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all."

Academy for Leadership and Action
The Academy for Leadership and Action was created by the Task Force in 2008 in response to a shortage of qualified candidates to fill local, state and national positions of significant responsibility in the LGBT movement. One of the Academy’s primary goals is to build a diverse pool of skilled leaders and activists across the country. So the Task Force tries to develop strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations that are known as the best trainers in their fields across political and social justice movements. The Academy is also involved in Faith work, largely through its Institute for Welcoming Resources (IWR). Through these activities the Task Force is able to promote the voice of pro-LGBT faith leaders to help counteract today’s seemingly unending stream of religious-based bigotry.

Creating Change Conference
Creating Change is a national grassroots organizing LGBT conference. It is a skills building conference with over 2,000 attendees from all over the country. Each year the conference is held in a different region of the United States and is considered a unique environment where activists and leaders come together from diverse places and backgrounds to create a unique community that is both strengthening and inspiring to the participants. Plenary sessions provide a common meeting ground for the conference to explore current issues in the LGBT community. In 2003, the conference featured the first ever Skills Academy for Leadership and Action, an all day session dedicated to skills training for grassroots activists.

Public Policy & Government Affairs
This program lobbies public officials for new money, comprehensive anti-discrimination laws and equal protections, benefits and opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans.

Their federal advocacy includes advocating for hate crimes protections, employment and other nondiscrimination protections and equal benefits and regulatory treatment for LGBT people, couples and families.

This program's goals are to gain:
 * A fair share of our tax dollars for the LGBT community.
 * Government resources to meet for the LGBT community’s health and human service needs.
 * Federal legislation to achieve hate crimes protections, employment and other nondiscrimination protections and equal benefits and regulatory treatment for LGBT people, couples and families.


 * Transgender Civil Rights Project

The primary goal of the Transgender Civil Rights Project is to increase the number of state, local, and federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression. It provides legislative and strategy assistance, including evaluation of legislative language, to activists and organizations working to pass trans-inclusive anti-discrimination bills or to add transgender protections to existing laws. Although the primary work centers on nondiscrimination laws, the project provides assistance to policymakers and activists working to develop other policies or laws relating to transgender equality.

Provides assistance to community-based organizations working to attain government resources.
 * Government Resources Project

Provides assistance to activists, organizations, policymakers and political leaders with their efforts to pass pro-LGBT measures and defeat anti-LGBT proposals.
 * Legislative Lawyering Project

Roundtable that brings together people of faith who support equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The Task Force has convened these meetings since 1997.
 * National Religious Leadership Roundtable

The goals of this project are to:
 * Amplify the voice of pro-LGBT faith organizations in public discourse.
 * Promote understanding of and respect for LGBT people within society at large and in communities of faith.
 * Promote understanding and respect within LGBT communities for a variety of faith paths and for religious liberty.
 * Achieve common goals that promote equality, spirituality and justice.

In 2005, it protested against the Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders, forbidding the ordination of gay seminarians.

Provides new resources, training and strategies to help increase the number of people of faith who support equality for LGBT people.
 * Institute for Welcoming Resources

Convenes the executive directors of policy-oriented national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and HIV/AIDS organizations and the national co-chairs of policy-oriented national associations of local and state organizations semi-annually for two days of discussion, strategic thinking, information sharing and development of collaborative projects. The Task Force has convened these meetings since 1997.
 * National Policy Roundtable

The goals of this project are to:
 * Strengthen relationships between national LGBT organization leaders.
 * Brief LGBT organization leaders on policy issues of common concern.
 * Strategize about pending challenges to the LGBT movement and mechanisms for response.
 * Generate collaborative efforts among national LGBT organizations and associations.

Policy Institute
The Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is a think tank that conducts social science research, policy analysis, strategy development, public education and advocacy to advance equality and greater understanding of LGBT people. The Policy Institute is the leading LGBT research institute in the U.S., and conducts groundbreaking research and analysis to document the demographics of the LGBT community and ways various policy frameworks affect LGBT people and families. The Policy Institute provides both in-depth, comprehensive studies and reports on key issues and research and data to respond to immediate challenges. The Policy Institute's publications and research studies are used by academics, other national and local organizations, grassroots activists, and the media.

The Policy Institute conducts research, public policy analysis and strategy development on an array of issues, including :


 * Aging
 * Anti-gay movement
 * Bisexual issues
 * Demographics of the LGBT community
 * Discrimination
 * Economic issues
 * Education policy
 * Elections and politics
 * Faith Family policy, including marriage/partner recognition and parenting
 * Hate violence
 * Health and HIV/AIDS
 * Public opinion
 * Racial and economic justice
 * Transgender issues
 * Youth

Previous Executive Directors

 * Matt Foreman
 * Lorri Jean
 * Elizabeth Toledo
 * Kerry Lobel
 * Melinda Paras
 * Peri Jude Radecic
 * Torie Osborn
 * Urvashi Vaid
 * Virginia Apuzzo
 * Jeff Levi
 * Bruce Voeller
 * Jean O'Leary
 * Charles Brydon
 * Lucia Valeska