Sunday, May 16, 2010

Laura Gentle's GA Voice editorial

Laura Gentle of the Shirt Off My Back Campaign (see previous post) wrote an incredible editorial -- Why a clothing donation campaign is taking a stand against homophobia -- published in the GA Voice yesterday. In her column she explained:
…a disproportionate number of LGBT residents experience poverty and homelessness, and it's not just because of a tough economy. How many fresh, young faces do we see popping up in our city every week? A lot of LGBT youth flock to Atlanta escaping unhealthy, and even abusive, living situations back home and struggle to make it on their own. Or how about the number of people who have been fired for being openly gay or transgender? Poverty is the number one cause of homelessness, and homophobic actions are linked to the number of LGBT people who experience poverty- because of nothing more than bigotry.
Laura goes on to describe the commitment that the Shirt Off My Back Campaign (SOMB) makes in aiding "the less fortunate in our communities, no matter who they are."

Please, go read Laura's entire editorial at the GA Voice. Short excerpts don't do justice to a smart, timely, on strategy column that not only outlines the reasons why SOMB is a worthy cause to support but also identifies the root cause of homelessness and poverty in our community -- homophobia.

One particular passage involves a topic that Betty and I talk about frequently. Laura wrote:
The bottom line is we have to join organizations, causes and events together to make any real impact. It makes no sense to fight improving an issue without involving people who are fighting for the same thing. SOMB wants to help the people in our communities experiencing poverty and homelessness, and the Alternative Perspectives staff and other community groups want to stop homophobia, so I got together with Betty Couvertier and Becki Jayne Harrelson to make some community magic. Campaign supporters are excited to kick off the march to the wonderful events organized at Virginia-Highland Church starting at 6pm. [Emphasis added.]
SOMB is an official sponsor of Atlanta's International Day Against Homophobia. But Laura Gentle and her group are more than simply a sponsor. They are partners with us -- activists with heart and energy. We hope to continue to work together with Laura and others in addressing the myriad issues the LGBT community faces.

All of us together make each of us better. And that's "real impact."

Thank you, GA Voice, for allowing Laura to speak so powerfully.

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