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NEAT Needs You This Year for #GiveOUTDay

6/26/2020

The annual #GiveOUTDay is back June 30 and we need your help to make it a huge success! Give Out Day is the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ+ community, raising millions of dollars for hundreds of LGBTQ+ organizations since 2013. Each donation of $10 or more given to NEAT between now and June 30th will help us win additional cash and other valuable prizes. Go to www.giveoutday.org/organization/Neat and donate today!

This year, the Give OUT Day campaign lasts throughout all of Pride Month! Give OUT Day is on June 30, but donations during all of June count. Close to $100,000 will be awarded to qualifying organizations. Your donations are what allow NEAT to continue the fight for Justice for the LGBTQ+ community.

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Intersections: Leveraging Privilege Against Systemic Racism

6/22/2020

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Recently, NEAT proudly joined over 800 other LGBTQ-focused organizations to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, in the joint statement LGBTQ Organizations Unite to Combat Racial Violence. As a continuation of that solidarity, Intersections this month is going to examine how we can improve allyship in service of this cause.

“Privilege” is a word tossed around these days and sometimes it can put people into a defensive position. But everyone has different privileges. For example, a rich person has the privileges that come with financial security. Below is a simple and quick four-minute video to understand the basics of privilege.

Now, it is time for the entire LGBTQ+ community--especially white individuals--to raise up and fight for our black family, protect them from harm, and elevate their equality. Every ounce of privilege that was used to push for marriage equality should be directed to and leveraged for Black Lives Matter. This call to action is easier said than done: privilege doesn’t appreciate being used to diminish itself. But Pride is a hollow and sad celebration if it doesn’t include all of us, and it is once again time to earn the right to be proud.

If you have privilege and are unsure where to start, NEAT also endorsed the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ Organizations Unite in Calling for Transformational Change in Policing statement, which contains a concrete list of changes that should be implemented nationwide:

1.   Divesting of Public Funding From Police and Investing in Our Communities

2.   Shifting Most First Responder Responsibilities Away From Police

3.   End Predictive Policing

4.   Police Union Contracts Should Be Made Public and Officers Held Liable

Demand that your communities and lawmakers shift focus and resources to these topics to create real change in our country.

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VICTORY!! U.S. Supreme Court Rules LGBTQ+ Discrimination Illegal under Federal Law

6/15/2020

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written by NEAT News Team

The U.S. Supreme Court has just issued its opinion on three cases and ruled LGBTQ+ employment discrimination is illegal under federal law! National Equality Action Team (NEAT) will be hosting a Virtual National Rally, followed by our Virtual Town Hall. Join the Rally here or via our Facebook page tonight at 7pm ET where we’ll gather together as a community and hear from some amazing speakers. Also RSVP for the login to the Town Hall which will feature experts providing analysis of the opinion, how it will affect our lives, and what still needs to be done.

The historical 6-3 opinion was delivered by conservative Associate Justice Gorsuch, joined by Chief Justice Roberts, and their liberal colleagues. Essentially, the court agreed with the argument that it is impossible to separate someone’s sex from discriminating against them based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The holding is clear and unequivocal: “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII.” While this case is limited to a change in employment, it necessarily creates protected classes for the LGBTQ+ community. This should be celebrated as a huge victory with far-reaching and broad implications for lived equality.

It is important to remember that these cases are brought by real people and citizens. We mourn the recent loss of Aimee Stephens, the Michigander transgender woman who brought one of these cases all the way to the high court, and Don Zarda who also died during the course of the litigation but his representation was continued by family. Unfortunately, neither Don nor Aimee were able to see this triumphant conclusion. However, along with Gerald Bostock, a mental health counselor, these three have left a marked legacy on this country, and they should be recognized now and in history as champions for human rights.

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NEAT Needs You This Year for #GiveOUTDay

Intersections: Leveraging Privilege Against Systemic Racism

VICTORY!! U.S. Supreme Court Rules LGBTQ+ Discrimination Illegal under Federal Law

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