Advocay Organizations and Action Opportunities

Below are organizations and coalitions dedicated to protecting rights for LGBT people. Each of these groups either bases itself in Boston or has a Boston chapter. To learn more about how you and your institution can join in these organizations' efforts, please visit the websites below.

Jewish Coalition for Equal Marriage

This coalition of Jewish organizations in the Boston area uses grassroots organizing to protect equal marriage in the state of Massachusetts. Members of the coalition include: Temple Israel of Boston, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Keshet, and the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Justice (JALSA). For more information, please contact Alex Coleman at alexcoleman@rcn.com.

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry (RCFM) is a group of more than 600 individual clergy, congregations and faith-based organizations representing 21 denominations and faith communities. We are united in our support and advocacy for civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. We also seek to promote understanding and dialogue within Commonwealth about the distinction between civil and religious marriage. For more information on the Coalition and how you can help, visit http://www.rcfm.org/about/howhelp.html

MassEquality

MassEquality is a coalition of local and national organizations defending equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Massachusetts. They work to protect the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision on marriage equality, and to defeat any discriminatory amendment to the Massachusetts State Constitution. To take action through contacting your legislators or sharing your personal story, please visit www.massequality.org.

Keshet

A JCRC member organization since its inception, Keshet (Hebrew for "rainbow") seeks to create a fully welcoming and inclusive Jewish community for LGBT Jews in Greater Boston. Keshet develops leadership for change among LGBT Jews and allies to effect concrete changes in Jewish institutions' policies and cultures. Keshet also creates opportunities for LGBT Jews to come together, celebrate, and explore Jewish identities in an affirming environment. For the latest information on how to get involved in Keshet, visit www.boston-keshet.org

Gay-Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

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.

GLAAD volunteers for the Monitor and Mobilize program have the opportunity to "work closely in their area to monitor local television, newspaper and/or radio programming. The program combines online technology with grassroots activism to allow volunteers to report and act on defamation in all forms of local and regional media." For more information on this and other volunteer opportunities at GLAAD, visit www.glaad.org

Gay-Lesbian Task Force

Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation was the first national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights and advocacy organization and remains the movement's leading voice for freedom, justice and equality. The GLTF "works to build the grassroots political power of the LGBT community to win complete equality."

Since the landmark 2003 decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirming marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, communities all over the country are facing new struggles for equality. These are taking place on many fronts:

Fighting for the freedom to marry
Defeating anti-LGBT ballot measures
Passing pro-LGBT nondiscrimination and hate crimes legislation
To find out how you can join the GLTF's lobbying efforts at the state and national levels, visit www.thetaskforce.org

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)

GLAD is New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression. GLAD has a number of volunteer opportunities available, particularly for attorneys through the GLAD Lawyer Referral Service. Visit http://www.glad.org/Join_Us/attorneys.shtml.

Other agencies and organizations can be part of GLAD's Legal Information Hotline http://www.glad.org/Join_Us/agency.php. Other volunteer opportunities are available at http://www.glad.org/Join_Us/volunteer.php.

Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action

JALSA is a progressive voice within the Jewish community, engaged in working on issues of social and economic justice, civil rights, and constitutional liberties. JALSA has taken part in protecting marriage equality by serving on the Jewish Coalition to Protect Equal Marriage, and by serving as an organized Jewish voice against the Defense of Marriage Act and other anti-gay legislation. To find out how to join or support JALSA, visit www.jalsa.org.
Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation (IJSO)

The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation is driven by Jewish religious values and the spiritual quest for holiness. The institute works to achieve complete inclusion, integration and equal standing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in our congregations and communities. To achieve this, the Institute educates and trains students, scholars and professionals toward this goal. The Institute also seeks to encourage progressive dialogue between organizations within the Reform Movement on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics as well as with community based educational, political and social service organizations.

For further information, please contact the Director of the Institute:

Joel. L. Kushner, Psy.D. jkushner@huc.edu