Date: Fri, 05 Apr 96 17:12:28 EST From: nakagawa, scot Subject: queer month and other matters Hi! I wanted to let you know that we are actively seeking interns who are interested in working in our Field Organizing Department. The Field Department is NGLTF's grassroots organizing operation. We are involved in a number of different projects including the following: 1) undo 2 day of actions -- we organized 36 coordinated demonstrations in local communities to capture media attention on the issue on the eve of oral arguments on the case, and will be coordinating as many as 50 local demonstrations on the day of the decision, 2) building a Cooperating Organizations Network of grassroots gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations nationwide through which to mount coordinated national grassroots campaigns, 3) building NGLTF's Activist Alert Direct Action Network that provides grassroots activists with information on hot issues and organizing emergencies on a monthly basis, 4) presenting the 2nd annual Youth Leadership Training Institute that will train 20 activists age 16-22 from throughout the nation in grassroots organizing skills over 10 days in San Diego in late July and early August, 5) the Campus Project that organizes around issues of concern to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people on college and university campuses, 6) organizing a demonstration opposing scapegoating and raising the visibility of the growing opposition to right wing hate tactics at the Republican National Convention in San Diego in August, 7) responding to anti-gay legislative attacks, particularly attacks against same gender marriage, and other emergency situations such as hate crimes, etc. 8) the linkages project that is working to educate our communities on issues such as immigration, Affirmative Action, welfare rights, bisexual and transgender identity, and queer families through distribution of educational materials, 9) organizing against violence -- NGLTF is often the political advocate for local communities in which hate motivated violence occurs, particularly in communities where there are no local anti-violence projects, 10) presenting VOICE (Voters Organized in Coalition for the Elections) 96, our federal elections/presidential election year program of educating our constituents on issues and candidates of concern to our communities, 11) staffing the phones and providing information, referrals, and publications to callers looking for resources or assistance, 12) demonstrations against scapegoating, a town hall meeting, and a movement building day of workshops at the Republican National Convention, 13) Movement Building Institutes -- two or three day mini-conferences designed to mobilize our community to oppose the theocratic right wing. Interns would be unpaid and overworked, but are guaranteed to have a great time with our lively staff, and will definitely have their hands full with more than enough to do. We especially need interns who can focus on the following tasks: 1) online communications -- updating and reorganizing our National Activist Rolodex; managing our electronic mail; and responding to requests for information that come to us via the internet. There are other ways those who have computer skills can assist us including helping us to get our activist alert program more fully online, and helping us to be more effective cyberactivists through use of our web site, etc. 2) clerical support -- we need people who are extremely well organized who can help us to organize our filing systems in organizer friendly ways. 3) media activists -- we need people who are interested in learning how to be effective media activists. Media activists would assist our Communications Director in shaping public opinion on our communities through media activism. Among the tasks media activists would take on are, monitoring gay and progressive newpapers and newsletters for newsworthy items to keep our media department abreast of what is happening in the world and to present to activists in the form of a electronic newsletter that will go to our 107 cooperating organizations on a monthly basis; assisting with developing message, writing press releases, and assisting local activists who are trying to work with the media. 4) undo Colorado Amendment 2 organizers -- help with coordination of 50 local demonstrations responding to the Supreme Court decision on Colorado Amendment 2, and organizing a local Washington, D.C. demo on the steps of the Supreme Court. 5) Campus Project activists -- manage online communications and work with us to further develop our project to improve campus life for staff, faculty, and students on college and university campuses nationwide. Among the things we are planning for are a major effort to mobilize campuses to participate in our demonstrations at the Republican National Convention, developing and coordinating a campaign to do outreach to gay and lesbian students in residence halls on campus, and helping to develop and mount our Fight the Right on Campus project to expose and build opposition to the right wing on campus -- academicians, funders, Campus Crusades for Christ, etc. 6) Youth Leadership Training Institute coordinators -- help us to prepare to present the second annual youth institute that will provide support, training and resources to activists 16 - 22. This year's institute will be held in August in San Diego. Coordinators may also opt for managing communications and follow-up with the network of 20 young activists that attended last year, assisting them with creating a newsletter, with fund raising and organizing projects, and maintaining our relationships with this important group of organizers. 7) VOICE '96 Campaign -- Help to organize our demonstrations against scapegoating, a town hall meeting, an activist center, and a movement building day of workshops at the Republican National Convention in San Diego in August. The preparations are going on now, and we especially need assistance during this period. Also help us to present our federal elections programs of education on the issues and the candidates. 8) Campaigners interested in working against the Oregon Citizen's Alliance 3rd attempt at passing a statewide anti-gay ballot initiative. Those interested should be in Oregon or be willing to travel to participate in this historic campaign. 9) Movement Building Institute coordinators -- help us to conduct outreach and develop curricula for our upcoming Movement Building Institute 2 day training session in Washington, D.C. scheduled for this coming July. Project workers will do outreach in the DC community, work with a host committee of local activists to recruit participants, and manage logistics. 10) Activist Alert Network -- help us get the word out about breaking news and pressing issues that require response from grassroots activists by assisting us in creating and disributing our monthly activist alert newsbulletins, and recruiting new people to participate in the network. Our goal for the year is to get to 5000 participants. 11) Pride visibility coordinators -- help to get the word out about activism and NGLTF by working with Pride committees nationwide and in the Washington, D.C. area to present NGLTF literature, collect names for our activist alert program, and assisting our youth network in raising the visibility of young people at Pride celebrations. There is all this and a lot more. If anyone is interested, please have them call Scot Nakagawa, NGLTF Field Director at 202-332-6483 ext. 3301.