In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Amanda McLain-Snipes, Director of Advocacy Programs at Equality Federation the strategic partner to 40 state-based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people nationally. From Equality Florida to Freedom Oklahoma to Basic Rights Oregon to Equality California, the largest member of the Equality Federation, they amplify the power of the state-based LGBTQ movement. Equality Federation works collaboratively on critical issues from advancing workplace fairness and family recognition to defeating anti-transgender bathroom bans and HIV criminalization laws that affect how LGBTQ people experience the world from cradle to grave. Together with their partners Equality Federation works on cross-cutting issues impacting our LGBTQ community such as racial equity, reproductive justice and immigration. Their advocacy program partners with leaders on the ground to fend off attacks on our community and advance protections for LGBTQ people in state legislatures where hundreds of bills affecting our community are introduced every year. We talked to Amanda about what’s on the agenda in 2018 for Equality Federation and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.
When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in this Trump administration McLain-Snipes stated, “It’s really tough but we’ve been under administrations that were really tough and mean and bullying. We know how to deal with this situation and what we do is organize; we change who the policy makers are. So I’m excited to see in the moments after the election where people were very scared and angry, now there’s a lot of momentum, that moment has turned into a movement and we’re seeing people come together and organize and do things like pick up a US Senate seat in Alabama of all places. We saw Danica Roem in Virginia win her special election seat becoming the first openly transgender elected in that neck of the woods and she unseated the person who authored the bathroom bill. So if anyone wants to take us on good luck because we know how to do these battles. Unfortunately we ended up with the leadership that we did nationally but I don’t think that’s going to happen again with as focused as people are going into 2018 and even talk about 2020. I do think that there’s a lot of momentum on our side.”
Amanda McLain-Snipes as Director of Advocacy Programs at the Equality Federation works with state affiliates on using data-driven field programs and legislative advocacy projects to secure fairness in all 50 states. Amanda works with other national LGBTQ organizations on data and analytics programs to inform movement strategy. She brings over a decade of field experience, specializing in targeted public outreach programs starting out in campaigns and elections. Amanda is always seeking to change the landscape and secure equality in the communities we all call home. As the campaign manager for Southerners for the Freedom to Marry she led the organization’s work to grow support for marriage across the South. Amanda resides with her wife in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
For More Info: equalityfederation.org
1 comment:
Amanda is an incredible advocate and community leader. What a warrior. Her mantra from the Talmud is very meaningful to me and I will always remember that.
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