The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Caleb Levine Period One

The National Gay And Lesbian Task Force:

- In 1973 the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force was founded.

- Prior to this there were many anti-sodomy laws.

- Many parents would send their child to a mental institution if they found out that their child was gay.

Concerns:- At the time, many gays, bisexuals, lesbians, and

transgenders were discriminated against.

- The gay community was blamed for the AIDS epidemic.

- There was a growing amount of homophobic violence.

Actions:- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force conducts

social science research, policy analysis, strategy development, public education, and advocacy.

- Annually, The NGLTF Task Force organizes a skill-building event for community members with over 2,000 participants each year.

Accomplishments:- 1970s The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force made

the Democratic Party responsive to the gay community.

- 1980s The NGLTF task force organized against homophobic violence.

- The NGLTF founded the Military Freedom Project which led to the gays-in-the-military debate of 1993.

Quote from the official NGLTF Website:

“No account of the changes in laws and public policies would be complete without attention to [the Task Force's history]. The Task Force played a critical role in the campaign to eliminate the sickness classification of homosexuality. It worked to lift the prohibition on federal civil service employment for gays and lesbians. It strove in the 1970s to make the Democratic Party responsive to the gay community. It took the lead in the 1980s in national organizing against homophobic violence. As AIDS began to devastate gay male communities, the Task Force shaped the first serious efforts in Washington to address the epidemic. It was a founding member of the Military Freedom Project, which prepared the ground for the gays-in-the-military debate of 1993. It has worked with the administrations of presidents from Carter to Clinton.”- John D'Emilio Interpreting the NGLTF Story

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Works Cited"The Task Force - Be You." The Task Force. N.p., n.d. Web.

11 June 2015.

"National LGBTQ Task Force." Wikipedia. WikimediaFoundation, n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.