End Bigotry in Venango County: Keystone Progress

Friday, February 6, 2009

Keystone Progress

by Michael Morrill:

Keystone Progress has been called "the most influential grassroots organization in Pennsylvania that no one has ever heard of."

We agree with that assessment. We've made a big impact in our first six months of existence, but most of what we've done has been behind the scenes, assisting other progressive organizations with their organizing and communication needs.

What did we accomplish?

* We built PA's largest multi-issue, multi-constituency online activist list. Keystone Progress can now reach out over 40,000 Pennsylvanians with each action alert.

* We have generated tens of thousands of emails, letters and phone calls to elected officials on issues ranging from the economic stimulus package to restoring hate crime protections in PA.

* KP produced videos exposing the racism and hatred at McCain and Palin rallies in PA. Over 2.5 million people saw our videos on YouTube, and millions more saw them when they aired by CBS, MSNBC and numerous other mainstream and new media outlets around the world.

* We helped our partner organizations get media coverage by writing news releases, organizing news conferences and facilitating relationships between media outlets and our partner organizations. This resulted in over 500 media hits.

* In addition, Keystone Progress created an online progressive job bank, two blogs, a progressive news service for bloggers and other media outlets, and held workshops for progressives attended by hundreds of activists.

Not bad for a new organization with one staffperson and almost no funding. Imagine what we could do with full funding!

In 2009, Keystone Progress will be even more influential as we grow our network to over 100,000, build local Progress Teams across Pennsylvania and help even more progressive groups get their message out to the public.

Check out Keystone Progress HERE.

Follow Keystone Progress on Twitter: http://twitter.com/keystoneprogres

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Principles for Equality

FULL CIVIL RIGHTS GOALS

Being united by common principles and engaging in united action, we will strive to achieve the following goals:

1.DIGNITY AND EQUALITY. Every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender person has inherent dignity and worth, and has the right to live free of discrimination and harassment.

2.FAMILY. Every LGBT person has the right to a family without legal barriers to immigration, civil marriage or raising children.

3.ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. Every LGBT person has the right to economic opportunity free from discrimination in employment, public housing, accommodation, public facilities, credit, and federally funded programs and activities.

4.EDUCATION. Every LGBT child and youth has the right to an education that is affirming, inclusive and free from bullying.

5.NATIONAL SECURITY. Every LGBT person should have the opportunity to serve our country openly and equally in our military and foreign service.

6.CRIME. Every LGBT person should enjoy life protected against bias crimes.

7.HEALTH CARE. Every person should have access to affordable, high quality, and culturally competent health care without discrimination.

The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action. In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow:

1.Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable.

2.We will not leave any part of our community behind.

3.Separate is never equal.

4.Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny civil rights.

5.The establishment and guardianship of full civil rights is a non-partisan issue.

6.Individual involvement and grassroots action are paramount to success and must be encouraged.

7.Success is measured by the civil rights we all achieve, not by words, access or money raised.

8.Those who seek our support are expected to commit to these principles.

CALL TO ACTION

1.We demand that government officials act now to achieve full civil rights without delay.

2.Our organizations and individuals need to develop a collaborative and revolutionary new organizing model that mobilizes millions of supporters through emerging web and phone technologies.

3.All LGBT individuals must accept personal responsibility to do everything within their power for equality and should get involved in the movement by volunteering, giving and being out.

4.We will hold elected officials and our organizations accountable for being transparent and achieving full civil rights by active participation when possible and active opposition when necessary.

5.Our allies need to be proactive in public support for full civil rights.

6.Every government measure that quantifies the US citizenry must permit LGBT individuals to self-identify and be counted in every way citizens are counted.

7.We demand that the media present LGBT lives in fair, accurate and objective ways that neither include nor give credence to unsubstantiated, discriminatory claims and opinions.

To join the growing chorus of Americans speaking in unison that now is the time to provide full civil rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens, CLICK HERE.

End Bigotry in Venango County

Friday, February 6, 2009

Keystone Progress

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