Alliance For Full Acceptance

Charleston, South Carolina

The The Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA) is a social justice nonprofit organization working towards a South Carolina where LGBTQ people possess equal rights and thrive in an environment that fosters safety, freedom, and holistic well-being.

Our Mission: To achieve, nurture, and defend equality and full acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. To dispel the myths and half-truths that trap us all – about economy, race, and origin; who we can and can’t be; who we can and can’t love; who’s entitled to freedom and expression, and who’s not; who’s valuable, and who’s expendable – and reveal our true essence and pride.

That’s why we root out ignorance, hatred, and inequity wherever they live – in courtrooms, in fine print, in emergency rooms and classrooms, in boardrooms and living rooms, in systems, institutions, and language, in private and public spaces – and replace them with knowledge, empathy, and justice.

AFFA Resource Hub: Crowdsourcing QR Code

Our History: In Charleston, our rich storytelling tradition is rooted in a culture of secrets, half-truths, and people hidden in shadow. We live, work, and raise families in a city of opposing forces, where gracious hospitality exists alongside systematic exclusion; where breathtaking beauty meets punishing heat.

To be lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender in Charleston in 1998 was to be hidden, closeted, excluded, and denied. That is, until a group of committed lesbian and gay citizens united around a belief – that the success of our shared future lies not just in our ability to make sense of culture’s opposing forces, but to create a new narrative of a healthy, strong, and prosperous community – with equality and acceptance for all.

A community that understands when we marginalize, attack, discriminate against, or define any part of our people as “other” or “less than,” we weaken, degrade, and devalue the community as a whole.

AFFA Resource Hub: Crowdsourcing QR Code

Tari Holmbeck, They/Them, Administrative Assistant
3265 N Carolina Ave, Suite 202 North, Charleston SC 29405

843-883-0343 

AFFA Email 

AFFA Website 

AFFA Facebook

LGBTQ Victory Fund

Washington DC

The LGBTQ Victory Fund was formally created in 1991 as a non-partisan political action committee. LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of out LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve.

Among the many candidates they have endorsed, many won their campaigns and went on to serve. You may recognize some of the Victory Fund candidates: Tammy Baldwin (US Senator, WI), Sarah McBride (US House of Rep, DE), Angie Craig (US House of Rep, MN), Sharice Davids (US House of Rep, KS), Evan Low (US House of Reps, CA), Jamie McLeod-Skinner (US House of Reps, OR), Eddy Morales (US House of Reps, OR), Chris Pappas (US House of Reps, NH), Emily Randall (US House of Reps, WA), Will Rollins (US House of Reps, CA), Eric Sorensen (US House of Reps, IL), Ritchie Torres (US House of Reps, NY), Joseph Vogel (US House of Reps, MD).

In addition to candidates for the US Senate and House of representatives, the Victory Fund endorses many candidates for state senators and representatives, mayors, city councils, and school boards, and police chiefs.  Noteworthy among state candidates are: Danica Roem (State Senator, VA), Jane Castor (Mayor, Tampa FL), Steve Hansen (Mayor, Sacramento CA), Satya Rhodes-Conway (Mayor of Madison).

Annise Parker - President & CEO

Sean Meloy - Vice President of Political programs

Marty Rouse - Vice President of Outreach & Engagement

Seth Schermer - Chief Operating Officer/Chief Development Officer

LGBTQ Victory Fund
Candidates Endorsed by LGBTQ Victory Fund
History of LGBTQ Victory Fund

Invisible Histories Project

Alabama | Mississippi | Georgia

The Invisible Histories Project (IHP) locates, preserves, researches, and creates for local communities an accessible collection of the rich and diverse history of LGBTQ life in the US South. Currently, IHP collects in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. IHP acts as an intermediary between the Queer community and various institutions like universities, museums, archives, and libraries in order to preserve Southern LGBTQ histories.

The Invisible Histories Project is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Co-founders, Joshua Burford (Director of Outreach & Lead Archivist) and Maigen Sullivan (Director of Research & Development), began working on the concept in late 2015. 501(c)3 status was obtained in October 2016 and the project officially launched and began collecting in February 2018. Both Burford and Sullivan were working on the project full time by September 2018.

In the first year of operations, IHP located 18 new LGBTQ collections in Alabama; identified 3 repository archive partners; helped develop 3 undergraduate courses at 2 state universities; organized and held the inaugural Queer History South Conference of 115 archivists, historians, students, faculty and staff; mentored 4 undergraduate and graduate interns/scholars; and received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to expand their work into Mississippi and Georgia.

In addition to preserving the rich history of LGBTQ Southerners, the project’s goals are to:

--Create opportunities for intergenerational connection with queer and trans people in the South
--Create research opportunities for students, faculty, and community members in archives, research and preservation
--Provide a network for LGBTQ historians and archivists through the South through the Queer History South network and conference
--Work with universities, libraries, museums, and archives to create collection and preservation partnerships throughout the South
--Establish a community based, centrally located space to display these histories and act as a space for community dialogue around Queer history.

IHP focuses on four key elements related to advancing LGBTQ Southern History:

--Community Engagement
--Archiving, Preservation, Research, Scholarship
--Education
--Professional Development, Best Practices
 

IHP acts as an intermediary between institutions, organizations, and everyday folks. We strive to break barriers between organizations and their local communities to ensure that preservation and research exist in a co-productive and relationship centered way. In addition to direct collection and preservation, IHP is invested in providing scholars with direct access to materials as well as creating a network of people conducting LGBTQ Southern archiving, preservation, education and research to make scholarship more accessible. We focus on providing education around the Queer South to those within and outside the region through speaking, exhibiting, online materials, and publications. Finally, IHP seeks to help develop a new generation of scholars working in the Queer South as well as work alongside other professionals in the field to develop best practices for this work.

Joshua Burford - Co-Founder & Director of Outreach & Lead Archivist
Maigen Sullivan - Co-Founder & Director of Research & Development

IHP Website

IHP Facebook
IHP Instagram

Southerners on New Ground

Atlanta, Georgia

Southerners on New Ground (SONG) is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South. SONG builds, sustains, and connects a southern regional base of LBGTQ people in order to transform the region through strategic projects and campaigns developed in response to the current conditions in the communities. SONG builds this movement through leadership development, intersectional analysis, and organizing. Since 1993, SONG has been known, both regionally and nationally, for organizing and training work across issues of race, class, gender and sexuality with both LGBTQ people and allies. SONG works to build and maintain a southern LGBTQ infrastructure for organizers strong enough to combat the southern-specific strategy of the right to divide and conquer southern oppressed communities.

Board Members - Roberto Tijerna, Paulina Helm, Salem Acuña, DJ Hudson, Selma Alamin, Hermalinda Cortes, Karen Mosely

CO-DIRECTOR - Carlin Rushing
CO-DIRECTOR - Jade Brooks
CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR - Shahidah Jones
CO-CAMPAIGN LEAD - Angela Henderson
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR - Hunter King
OPERATIONS MANAGER - Hieu Tran
OPERATIONS MANAGER - Rojauna McPherson
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER - D Lilton
MEMBERSHIP CULTURAL ORGANIZER - Rebecca Keel

SONG Website
SONG Staff
 

Ali Forney Center

New York City

The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ young people, our mission is to protect them from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

A 24-hour program, located in Midtown Manhattan, The Ali Forney Center never closes its doors. We provide more than just a bed and food for those in need — from initial intake at our drop-in center to transitional housing and job readiness training, we provide homeless LGBTQ youth a safe, warm, supportive environment to escape the streets.

We provide youth with quality services in an LGBTQ affirming environment. Given the discrimination and harassment that so many of these young adults face, they need comprehensive support to develop pride and security in their LGBTQ+ identities. At AFC, we approach each young person with respect and sensitivity— to develop trust first so we can help get their life back on track.

--Drop-In Center
--Housing
--Job Readiness and Education
--Health Services
--Programs for Trans Clients
--Legal Services
--Technical Assistance Program Resources

Shawnell, Intake Coordinator

Victoriah, Program Assistant

212-206-0574 Ext 100
307 West 38th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10018

Website: Ali Forney Center for Homeless LGBTQ Youth

Book by Carl Siciliano: Making Room: Three Decades of Fighting for Beds, Belonging, and a Safe Place for LGBTQ Youth
YouTube: Ali Forney Center

E-Mail: Ali Forney Center

Movement Advancement Project

Boulder, Colorado

Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank. We work to create a thriving, inclusive, and equitable America where all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life.

Founded in 2006, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank that provides rigorous research, insight, and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all.

MAP believes that to transform America, we need to change hearts and minds. This means people need to better understand the critical issues our country faces—and also better understand each other. We also believe we are stronger when we work together. MAP’s extraordinary impact comes from the way we fuse communications, policy and collaboration to advance equality and opportunity for all.

We advance the conversation. So often in America, we’re not actually having a conversation, rather it’s two sides talking past each other. We believe that to effectively reach and persuade people, we first have to understand them. How do they think? What are their hopes and fears? What inspires them? MAP conducts groundbreaking research to deeply understand our audiences and then develops transformative messages and communications based on that understanding. Our public education campaigns, multimedia content, ads, graphics and media outreach are designed to shift people’s thinking and drive action. From innovative videos to messaging guidance and training, MAP works to advance the conversation.

We advance policy change. It’s easy to publish reports and graphics. It’s hard to publish reports and graphics that people read—and that actually shift hearts and minds. We infuse our deep understanding of our audience throughout our policy work. We don’t write long, academic reports. We create graphics and narratives that are easy-to-understand. We design our narratives and carefully tailor our language to more effectively change hearts and minds. On issues from nondiscrimination to criminal justice to voting to health care, MAP frames problems and policy solutions for maximum impact.

We advance collaboration. MAP believes we’re stronger when we work together. So we approach our work very collaboratively, engaging hundreds of organizations (and hundreds of thousands of businesses) to work together for change. MAP is a leader in building coalitions and partnerships within the LGBTQ and democracy movements and across movements, such as the 200+ nonprofits and 500,000 businesses that make up the Open to All coalition. MAP’s resources are persuasive, easy to understand and actionable. From infographics to in-depth analyses, our policy and communications expertise empowers our partner organizations and advocates with the tools they need so we can work together for change.

Chris Maggiano - Board Chair
Michael Fleming - Vice Chair
Debbie Felix - Communications Strategist

Naomi Goldberg - Deputy Director, LGBTQ Program Director

MAP Website
MAP Facebook
MAP Instagram