Friday October 6, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 40 |
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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
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Equal Rights Washington announces GLAAD partnership ERW to offer six month communications fellowship |
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| Equal Rights Washington announces GLAAD partnership ERW to offer six month communications fellowship | |
| Equal Rights Washington, Washington's statewide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy group, today announced a partnership with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to sponsor a 6 month Communications Fellowship.
ERW and GLAAD view the creation of the Communications Fellowship program as an opportunity to mentor a new generation of leaders in the struggle for LGBT equality while strengthening partnerships between national organizations and statewide advocacy groups. Statewide and local organizations like ERW play a crucial role in responding to the needs of their communities, building momentum around local political issues, and improving the visibility of the LGBT community. GLAAD regularly works with ERW and other groups nationwide, providing media and public relations support in the form of media trainings, press contacts, and communications support. The Communications Fellowship program will help ERW to further increase their visibility and strengthen their media programs at a time when the LGBT community faces a heightened level of political and public scrutiny. The Communications Fellow will work at ERW and have mentorship support both from ERW staff and from a member of GLAAD's Regional Media team. Each fellow will play a key role in supporting the organization's communications efforts as a way to educate the public and move opinion to support LGBT rights by heightening the visibility of ERW and their mission. With the recent Washington State Supreme Court decision upholding the State's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) the court of public opinion matters more then ever before. As voters and legislators learn more about families headed by Gay and Lesbian couples, support for marriage equality continues to grow. Lack of exposure to the issues facing LGBT families and lack of familiarity with Gay couples and their children is a significant obstacle to the goal of equality. The GLAAD Communications Fellow will help ERW devote additional resources to making sure that there is an appropriate discussion of issues that face Gay families. According to Barbara Green, Interim Executive Director at ERW, "The GLAAD communications fellow will help put a human face on the issue of marriage equality throughout Washington State. The public needs to see the hardship Gay and Lesbian couples and surviving partners face because they do not have marital protections, and the harms faced by children being raised by Gays and Lesbians because their parents may not marry." "GLAAD is excited about the great work happening in Washington, and are of proud of the partnership and trainings we have done with Equal Rights Washington," says Rashad Robinson, Director of GLAAD's Media Field Strategy program. "We are confident that through the addition of more resources for communications, Equal Rights Washington will be able to spread their important message of fairness and equality to even more people in the state." Equal Rights Washington (ERW) ensures and promotes dignity, safety and equality for all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Washingtonians. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Persons wishing to apply for the fellowship should email their cover and resume to mlee@equalrightswashington.org. A ERW press release |
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International Readers |
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 It's new! and live from Bumbershoot! |
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working for the freedom to
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