January 26, 2010 Washington DC — With official launch of the nation’s once-in-a-decade national count — the 2010 U.S. Census — just a few weeks away (March 2010), Our Families Count expands endorsements this month to over 80 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender nonprofit and straight allied leaders at the national, state and community levels — plus LGBT business leaders and academics.
See full list below, and visit www.ourfamiliescount.org for more details.
This month, Che Ruddell-Tabisola was tapped by the U.S. Census to serve as national LGBT partnership leader and as the primary bridge between the LGBT-inspired Our Families Count and nearly two dozen U.S. Census Partnership Specialists who work with LGBT Communities. Prior to his role with the U.S. Census, Ruddell-Tabisola formerly managed Special Projects for the Human Rights Campaign where he directed the organization’s path-breaking Equality Forward study about the lives and experiences of LGBT people of color.
Many U.S. Census Partnership Specialists also will join Che by attending this year’s Creating Change conference in Dallas, Texas, starting on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.
“Awakening our community about the importance of this Census is critical,” said Ruddell-Tabisola. “Whether raising children, coupled or single, LGBT citizens, families and households are the face of America too. Through our visibility, we directly shape national policies on education, health, safety, immigration, taxes, and much more.”
Our Families Count will be stepping up its education and outreach through LGBT programs and conferences like Creating Change, but also through many virtual networks including popular online social tools. Organizations and individuals are invited to sign in and sign up to learn more at home, school and work by finding us and staying connected here on Facebook, by following updates on Twitter (twitter.com/rfamiliescount), or checking out our MySpace (myspace.com/ourfamiliescount).
The new 2010 Census education project, Out Families Count, is a truly collaborative and unique strategy to unite disparate populations across the entire LGBT spectrum. The outreach effort is designed to educate all about the importance of responding to the once-a-decade Census.
The campaign’s website is found at www.ourfamiliescount.org and updates online are available there in both English and Spanish. As more tools and materials become available, we hope to be able to offer in multiple languages to reach the geographically and ethnically diverse LGBT population in the United States.
In alphabetical order, the community, business and academic leadership groups to date that have endorsed the project and its education mission include:
Community leaders
Alliance for Responsible Communities
Alternatives to Marriage Project
American Institute of Bisexuality
Basic Rights Oregon
Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC)
Bialogue
The Bilerico Project
BiNet USA
Bisexual Resource Center
California Faith for Equality
Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
The Center for American Progress
Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE)
Delaware Valley Legacy Fund
Equality Across America
Equality California
Equality Federation
Equality Maryland
Family Equality Council
Freedom to Marry
Frisco Pride
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada
Georgia Equality
HONOR PAC
Human Rights Campaign
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Indiana Equality
International Federation of Black Prides, Inc.
LA Bi Center
Lambda Legal
Latino Equality Alliance
Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Family Services Program
MEGA Family Project
Metropolitan Community Churches
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Mi Familia Vota
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
New Hampshire Freedom to Marry
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
National Sexuality Resource Center
New Life MCC of Hampton Roads
New York Area Bisexual Network (NYABN)
One Iowa
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Palm Beach County (Fla.) Human Rights Council
PFLAG National
Rainbow Bridge Connection NLMCC
Safe Schools Coalition
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)
Transgender American Veterans Association
The Triangle Foundation
Unid@s
Upstate Pride SC
The Wall: Las Memorias Project
Youth Pride
Business Leaders
Adelante Magazine
Community Links Magazine
Dancenow Productions, Inc.
Echelon Magazine
Gay Rights Media Collections
GayLife Photography
Hi-Desert LGBT News
Maple Hill Manor
Mombian
MZM Farm, LLP
OmniStudio
PageOneQ
ThePowerOnline.org
Ptownwest.com
Renna Communications
Savvyplanners.com
Savvy Navigator Tours LLC
Shanskids
Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.
Research and Academic Leaders
Movement Advancement Project
National Sexuality Resource Center, San Francisco State University
The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law
For additional information generally on the 2010 Census: visit www.2010census.gov
FROM A NEWS RELEASE