Here's what I call doing it right: Queer Ontario

[lightningandsnow]

Queer Ontario is a new organization established from a liberationist perspective. It's basically a reincarnation of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights of Ontario

Key issues:

Arts & Culture

To urge continued and strengthened support for the arts and culture sectors, with particular emphasis on the development of queer culture, and its appreciation rather than it being targeted for censorship or prosecution.

Inclusion of ‘Gender Identity’ in the Ontario Human Rights Code

In Ontario, trans people have no explicit legislative human rights protections. Queer Ontario supports the Ontario Trans Human Rights Campaign in calling for the inclusion of ‘gender identity’ in the Ontario Human Rights Code as recognized prohibited grounds against discrimination and harassment.

Poverty/Employment Issues

Address issues of poverty in all its forms and continued workplace discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation with government, human rights commissions, labour boards, labour unions, etc.

There are even more issues listed in their "issues" page. Tons of them. And they are trying to be as inclusive as possible. (http://queerontario.org/issues/)

Do you know of any similar organizations in the US? I'm thinking the big LGBTQ ones (more like LGbtsomeotherlessimportantletters, it seems) could learn a lesson or two from Queer Ontario.

[offog]

1. I know a good LGBTQ website.

Have you ever checked out Soulforce? I came across it by accident a little over a year ago through a link from another site. I'm actually a straight woman, but I joined up because LGBTQ rights is one of my pet causes. Soulforce one of my favorite websites because the people are nice.

Maybe you could post something about Queer Ontario at the Soulforce site, or set up a link to this site.

Once you register at Soulforce, you can start posting right away. There's a section ("Hello, my name is...") where you can post a profile to introduce yourself. There are also forums where you can read and participate in discussion threads, or post your own thread. People quite often ask for advice for things in their personal lives, and the members are very supportive. They recently helped me get through something.

One of the forums is for "General Discussion", where people discuss life, the universe and everything; not necessarily LGBTQ issues. The very first time I ever posted my own thread, I went to Soulforce. It was shortly after my 50th birthday, and I wrote some funny stories about being middle-aged.

Hope this info is helpful.