Rockwood : 2010 Fellows in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advocacy

2010 Fellows in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advocacy

Asha Leong | Board Member, COLAGE & National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

Asha Leong has always been a southern belle at heart and lives in Atlanta, GA. Asha is the product of many parents, is proud queerspawn, and above all loves her international family. Asha identifies as a queer, Femme, multi-racial, and immigrant. At heart, Asha is a community organizer with a passion for social justice who has spent a decade organizing for queer allied communities. Asha is proud to be published in the book Visible: Femmethology a celebration of Femme identity. Currently Asha serves on the boards of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and COLAGE, and is an Online Organizer for 9 to 5.

Aubrey Harrison | Field Manager, Basic Rights Oregon, Portland, Oregon

Aubrey joined Basic Rights Oregon in 2006 as an intern, and became a full-time field staff member in 2007. She currently serves as field manager, mobilizing pro-LGBT Oregonians for transgender justice, marriage equality, racial justice and more. Born and raised in Oregon, Aubrey is thrilled to be part of an organization that has been such a positive force in the politics of her home state.

Brandie Balken | Executive Director, Equality Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Brandie is the Executive Director of Equality Utah, the state’s largest political advocacy organization for lgbtq people. Brandie has been working for social justice for the past 20 years from food insecurity to environmental justice to queer equality.

Chris Hartman | Director, Fairness Campaign, Louisville, Kentucky

Chris Hartman is the first director of Louisville's Fairness Campaign. He previously served as Congressman John Yarmuth's 2008 campaign press secretary and as Philadelphia director of the Democratic National Committee's open-air fundraising effort for the 2004 Presidential Election. Chris has toured the nation performing Shakespeare, and founded and produced two long-form improvisation troupes.

Crisosto Apache | Director, Two Spirit Society of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Crisosto Apache is a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. He was born and raised on that reservation, which is located in the southern central region of New Mexico. His occupation is in the field of education and works with disadvantaged youth. He joined the Two Spirit Society of Denver in 2001 and volunteers his time to conduct Two Spirit educational presentations. He is the current Director for the Two Spirit Society of Denver.

David Strong | Executive Director, AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington Board Member, Religious Coalition for Equality, Washington State

David Strong of Seattle, Washington has served as the Executive Director of the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma, Washington and since 2006 as Pastor/Bishop of Sojourner Truth Christian United Church, Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the Boards of the Pride Foundation, Religious Coalition For Equality and the Advisory Board of the University of Washington Nonprofit Management Program.

Gunner Scott | Executive Director, The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Gunner Scott is a founding member and the Executive Director of The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. He has been involved with the transgender rights movement for over ten years and is a nationally recognized activist, educator, and community organizer. He has written articles for What's Up magazine, Sojourner Women's Forum, and "Agitate and Activate", the introduction to Pinned Down by Pronouns, a 2003 Lambda Literary nominee anthology published by Conviction Books. He is on the Board of Directors for the Equality Federation, on the National Board of Advisors for the National Center for Transgender Equality, a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth, and the founder of the Coalition of State/City Transgender Advocacy/Political/Legal Organizations.

Jeff Graham | Executive Director, Georgia Equality, Atlanta, Georgia

Jeff first began advocating on LGBT and HIV issues as a college student in the mid-1980’s. He’s held a number of paid and volunteer positions in a broad range of social justice and advocacy organizations. After serving 13 years as the director of a statewide HIV advocacy organization , he became the executive director of Georgia Equality in 2008.

Jorge Cestou | Male Co-Chair, Unid@s, Chicago, Illinois

Jorge Cestou is the Male Co-chair of Unid@s – the National Latino LGBT Human Rights Organization. His leadership experience includes working locally in Chicago with LGBT organizations (Association of Latino Men for Action, Center on Halsted, Vida/Sida), at the regional level with the State of Illinois HIV/AIDS PCPG and at the national level with Unid@s.

Katie Belanger | Executive Director, Fair Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

Katie Belanger is the Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin. She has extensive experience in Wisconsin politics, state government, campaign and nonprofit fundraising and grassroots organizing. Katie joined Fair Wisconsin in 2009 to shepherd Wisconsin’s first pro-fairness legislation in over two decades, domestic partnership protections, through the 2009-2011 biennial budget process.

Kim Abbott | Director of Organizing, Montana Human Rights Network, Helena, Montana

Kim has spent the last five years at the Montana Human Rights Network. Her work there prioritizes the advancement of full LGBT equality in Montana through cross-issue organizing and education, with the goal of developing within ally organizations a clear understanding of LGBT rights.” She worked previously as Business Operations Manager for the Cleveland International Film Festival, an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Montana Legal Services Association and an organizer with Working for Equality and Economic Liberation.

Kylar Broadus | Board Chair, National Black Justice Coalition, Columbia, Missouri

Kylar W. Broadus is a professor at Lincoln University in Missouri, a historically Black college. Kylar is a lawyer, activist and public speaker in the area of LGBT rights representing clients and speaking at various universities around the country. He has served as the Board Chair of the National Black Justice Coalition for three years, and his leadership was critical during the challenging transition of staff leadership and organizational restructuring in 2009. He is a founding board member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.

Mija | Board Member, Montana Two-Spirit Society & Volunteer Coordinator, Western Montana Community Center, Missoula, Montana

Mija is a Two-Spirited sexual savant & steward to community. Mija’s advocacy for LGBTIQ & Two-Spirit people includes service on the boards of Montana Pride Network, Western Montana Community Center, and Montana Two Spirit Society. Mija provides counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS and HCV. Mija is also an outreach worker for persons who inject drugs, and is a committee member of the Montana Harm Reduction Task Force.

Monica Meyer | Public Policy Director, OutFront Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer has done grassroots organizing and advocacy on behalf of progressive causes since 1992, and has been with OutFront Minnesota since 2001. As OutFront Minnesota’s Public Policy Director, Monica coordinates political strategy and grassroots organizing. Monica also works with state and national organizations and coalitions including Take Action Minnesota, America Votes, Minnesota Participation Project, the Equality Federation, Headwaters Foundation, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Cabinet. She is a member of the GLBT Commission of the University of Minnesota.

Priscilla Hale | Co-Director, allgo, Austin, Texas

Priscilla A. Hale, MSW has been with allgo for 12 years. She has served in various capacities with the organization and is currently allgo’s Director of Organizational Development. She is an East Austin, Texas native who identifies as a Black Lesbian. Additionally, Hale is well versed in the areas of community organizing, program development and implementation and non-profit administration.

Rej Joo | LGBTQ Homeless Youth Advocate, Outside In, Portland, Oregon

Rej Joo is a 1.5-generation Korean-American who has been working for 8 years in the LGBTQ community as a community leader, educator, and a youth advocate. Rej joined Outside In to spearhead a pilot project called Queerzone, a program for LGBTQ homeless young adults in Portland which has grown into a more comprehensive array of services. He is a board member of Asian Pacific Island Pride, which aims to revitalize API visibility and activism in a predominantly white city. Rej has been active in the Trans communities in various ways, including organizing Trans Prom for two years, serving in Basic Right Oregon's TransJustice working group, and facilitating and organizing a monthly support/social group called Tranz Guys, which he founded in 2007.

Scout | Director, National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, Boston, Massachusetts

Dr. Scout is the Director of the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at Boston University School of Public Health, and the Director of Science Policy for the National Coalition for LGBT Health. He is an expert on LGBT data collection and has been involved in health policy advocacy for over a decade. He comes to this work from a long base of grassroots advocacy and activism, including co-founding Queer Nation Chicago and being elected one of four national co-chairs of the largest ever LGBT march on washington (in 1993).

Ted Howard | Executive Director, Florida Together, Tampa, Florida

Ted moved into full-time LGBT advocacy work in 1999, serving as Director of Operations and Leadership at Equality Florida through 2004. In 2002, Ted was selected as the first ever LGBT Outreach Director for a Florida Gubernatorial nominee and worked with the Florida Democratic Party and the Bill McBride for Governor Campaign. Since then, Ted has been very involved in local, state and national issue campaigns and elections as an organizer and coalition builder. Ted is currently the Executive Director of Florida Together Federation, Florida's statewide network of 80 local LGBT and allied organizations.

Terry Stone | Executive Director, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Terry Stone brings over 20 years of nonprofit experience with the LGBT, HIV/AIDS and aging communities. He previously served as the Executive Director of the National Adult Day Services Association, The Center of Orange County and the Northwest AIDS Foundation. Throughout his career, Terry has served on a number of boards and commissions at the national, state and local levels including CenterLink, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, AIDS Action Council, Men Alive, YMCA, and the Ryan White Planning Council (Orange County, Seattle and Dallas).

Theresa McClellan | Faith Advocacy Coordinator, Gays In Faith Together, Grand Rapids, Michigan

There are some in the faith community whose harmful, dismissive actions against the LGBT community only serve to turn people away from Christianity. Enough. As Faith Advocacy Coordinator for GIFT (Gays In Faith Together). Theresa D. McClellan, a retired journalist, is leading an effort creating a groundswell of support to turn that around with the affirming message that Yes! you can be gay and Christian.

Programs

Upcoming Trainings

09/13/2010 - Northern California

The Art of Leadership
09/19/2010 - NYC area

Advanced Art of Leadership: Leadership in Action
10/10/2010 - NYC area

The Art of Leadership

The Art of Leadership

	Asha Leong \| Board Member, COLAGE & National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance Asha Leong has always been a southern belle at heart and lives in Atlanta, GA. Asha is the product of many parents, is proud queerspawn, and above all loves her international family. Asha identifies as a queer, Femme, multi-racial, and immigrant. At heart, Asha is a community organizer with a passion for social justice who has spent a decade organizing for queer allied communities. Asha is proud to be published in the book Visible: Femmethology a celebration of Femme identity. Currently Asha serves on the boards of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and COLAGE, and is an Online Organizer for 9 to 5.

	Aubrey Harrison \| Field Manager, Basic Rights Oregon, Portland, Oregon Aubrey joined Basic Rights Oregon in 2006 as an intern, and became a full-time field staff member in 2007. She currently serves as field manager, mobilizing pro-LGBT Oregonians for transgender justice, marriage equality, racial justice and more. Born and raised in Oregon, Aubrey is thrilled to be part of an organization that has been such a positive force in the politics of her home state.

	Brandie Balken \| Executive Director, Equality Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah Brandie is the Executive Director of Equality Utah, the state’s largest political advocacy organization for lgbtq people. Brandie has been working for social justice for the past 20 years from food insecurity to environmental justice to queer equality.

	Chris Hartman \| Director, Fairness Campaign, Louisville, Kentucky Chris Hartman is the first director of Louisville's Fairness Campaign. He previously served as Congressman John Yarmuth's 2008 campaign press secretary and as Philadelphia director of the Democratic National Committee's open-air fundraising effort for the 2004 Presidential Election. Chris has toured the nation performing Shakespeare, and founded and produced two long-form improvisation troupes.

	Crisosto Apache \| Director, Two Spirit Society of Denver, Denver, Colorado Crisosto Apache is a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. He was born and raised on that reservation, which is located in the southern central region of New Mexico. His occupation is in the field of education and works with disadvantaged youth. He joined the Two Spirit Society of Denver in 2001 and volunteers his time to conduct Two Spirit educational presentations. He is the current Director for the Two Spirit Society of Denver.
	David Strong \| Executive Director, AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington Board Member, Religious Coalition for Equality, Washington State David Strong of Seattle, Washington has served as the Executive Director of the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma, Washington and since 2006 as Pastor/Bishop of Sojourner Truth Christian United Church, Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the Boards of the Pride Foundation, Religious Coalition For Equality and the Advisory Board of the University of Washington Nonprofit Management Program.
	Gunner Scott \| Executive Director, The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Gunner Scott is a founding member and the Executive Director of The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. He has been involved with the transgender rights movement for over ten years and is a nationally recognized activist, educator, and community organizer. He has written articles for What's Up magazine, Sojourner Women's Forum, and "Agitate and Activate", the introduction to Pinned Down by Pronouns, a 2003 Lambda Literary nominee anthology published by Conviction Books. He is on the Board of Directors for the Equality Federation, on the National Board of Advisors for the National Center for Transgender Equality, a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth, and the founder of the Coalition of State/City Transgender Advocacy/Political/Legal Organizations.
	Jeff Graham \| Executive Director, Georgia Equality, Atlanta, Georgia Jeff first began advocating on LGBT and HIV issues as a college student in the mid-1980’s. He’s held a number of paid and volunteer positions in a broad range of social justice and advocacy organizations. After serving 13 years as the director of a statewide HIV advocacy organization , he became the executive director of Georgia Equality in 2008.

	Jorge Cestou \| Male Co-Chair, Unid@s, Chicago, Illinois Jorge Cestou is the Male Co-chair of Unid@s – the National Latino LGBT Human Rights Organization. His leadership experience includes working locally in Chicago with LGBT organizations (Association of Latino Men for Action, Center on Halsted, Vida/Sida), at the regional level with the State of Illinois HIV/AIDS PCPG and at the national level with Unid@s.

	Katie Belanger \| Executive Director, Fair Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin Katie Belanger is the Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin. She has extensive experience in Wisconsin politics, state government, campaign and nonprofit fundraising and grassroots organizing. Katie joined Fair Wisconsin in 2009 to shepherd Wisconsin’s first pro-fairness legislation in over two decades, domestic partnership protections, through the 2009-2011 biennial budget process.
	Kim Abbott \| Director of Organizing, Montana Human Rights Network, Helena, Montana Kim has spent the last five years at the Montana Human Rights Network. Her work there prioritizes the advancement of full LGBT equality in Montana through cross-issue organizing and education, with the goal of developing within ally organizations a clear understanding of LGBT rights.” She worked previously as Business Operations Manager for the Cleveland International Film Festival, an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Montana Legal Services Association and an organizer with Working for Equality and Economic Liberation.
	Kylar Broadus \| Board Chair, National Black Justice Coalition, Columbia, Missouri Kylar W. Broadus is a professor at Lincoln University in Missouri, a historically Black college. Kylar is a lawyer, activist and public speaker in the area of LGBT rights representing clients and speaking at various universities around the country. He has served as the Board Chair of the National Black Justice Coalition for three years, and his leadership was critical during the challenging transition of staff leadership and organizational restructuring in 2009. He is a founding board member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.
	Mija \| Board Member, Montana Two-Spirit Society & Volunteer Coordinator, Western Montana Community Center, Missoula, Montana Mija is a Two-Spirited sexual savant & steward to community. Mija’s advocacy for LGBTIQ & Two-Spirit people includes service on the boards of Montana Pride Network, Western Montana Community Center, and Montana Two Spirit Society. Mija provides counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS and HCV. Mija is also an outreach worker for persons who inject drugs, and is a committee member of the Montana Harm Reduction Task Force.
	Monica Meyer \| Public Policy Director, OutFront Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer has done grassroots organizing and advocacy on behalf of progressive causes since 1992, and has been with OutFront Minnesota since 2001. As OutFront Minnesota’s Public Policy Director, Monica coordinates political strategy and grassroots organizing. Monica also works with state and national organizations and coalitions including Take Action Minnesota, America Votes, Minnesota Participation Project, the Equality Federation, Headwaters Foundation, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Cabinet. She is a member of the GLBT Commission of the University of Minnesota.
	Priscilla Hale \| Co-Director, allgo, Austin, Texas Priscilla A. Hale, MSW has been with allgo for 12 years. She has served in various capacities with the organization and is currently allgo’s Director of Organizational Development. She is an East Austin, Texas native who identifies as a Black Lesbian. Additionally, Hale is well versed in the areas of community organizing, program development and implementation and non-profit administration.

	Rej Joo \| LGBTQ Homeless Youth Advocate, Outside In, Portland, Oregon Rej Joo is a 1.5-generation Korean-American who has been working for 8 years in the LGBTQ community as a community leader, educator, and a youth advocate. Rej joined Outside In to spearhead a pilot project called Queerzone, a program for LGBTQ homeless young adults in Portland which has grown into a more comprehensive array of services. He is a board member of Asian Pacific Island Pride, which aims to revitalize API visibility and activism in a predominantly white city. Rej has been active in the Trans communities in various ways, including organizing Trans Prom for two years, serving in Basic Right Oregon's TransJustice working group, and facilitating and organizing a monthly support/social group called Tranz Guys, which he founded in 2007.
	Scout \| Director, National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, Boston, Massachusetts Dr. Scout is the Director of the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at Boston University School of Public Health, and the Director of Science Policy for the National Coalition for LGBT Health. He is an expert on LGBT data collection and has been involved in health policy advocacy for over a decade. He comes to this work from a long base of grassroots advocacy and activism, including co-founding Queer Nation Chicago and being elected one of four national co-chairs of the largest ever LGBT march on washington (in 1993).
	Ted Howard \| Executive Director, Florida Together, Tampa, Florida Ted moved into full-time LGBT advocacy work in 1999, serving as Director of Operations and Leadership at Equality Florida through 2004. In 2002, Ted was selected as the first ever LGBT Outreach Director for a Florida Gubernatorial nominee and worked with the Florida Democratic Party and the Bill McBride for Governor Campaign. Since then, Ted has been very involved in local, state and national issue campaigns and elections as an organizer and coalition builder. Ted is currently the Executive Director of Florida Together Federation, Florida's statewide network of 80 local LGBT and allied organizations.
	Terry Stone \| Executive Director, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Terry Stone brings over 20 years of nonprofit experience with the LGBT, HIV/AIDS and aging communities. He previously served as the Executive Director of the National Adult Day Services Association, The Center of Orange County and the Northwest AIDS Foundation. Throughout his career, Terry has served on a number of boards and commissions at the national, state and local levels including CenterLink, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, AIDS Action Council, Men Alive, YMCA, and the Ryan White Planning Council (Orange County, Seattle and Dallas).
	Theresa McClellan \| Faith Advocacy Coordinator, Gays In Faith Together, Grand Rapids, Michigan There are some in the faith community whose harmful, dismissive actions against the LGBT community only serve to turn people away from Christianity. Enough. As Faith Advocacy Coordinator for GIFT (Gays In Faith Together). Theresa D. McClellan, a retired journalist, is leading an effort creating a groundswell of support to turn that around with the affirming message that Yes! you can be gay and Christian.