Just before Saturday’s Miami Beach dinner, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force rebrands itself National... (original) (raw)

The new logo for the rebranded National LGBTQ Task Force, formerly the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.Via Facebook

Just before its big Miami Recognition Dinner on Saturday, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has become the National LGBTQ Task Force.

“The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is changing its name and upping its game to tear down any remaining barriers to full freedom, justice and equality for LBGTQ people. We’ve made progress and we need to finish the job we started 40 years ago. Our new name is National LGBTQ Task Force, our tagline is “Be you,” and vision is a society that values and respects the diversity of human expression and achieves freedom for all,” according to a blub on the Task Force’s YouTube channel, which introduced the name change with a new video:

Here’s the complete statement from Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey:

Today the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, America’s oldest national LGBT advocacy organization, is changing its name and upping its game to deliver full LGBTQ freedom, justice and equality.

The organization’s new name is the National LGBTQ Task Force, its tagline is “Be you,” and its vision is a society that values and respects the diversity of human expression and identity and achieves freedom and equity for all.

“We are seeing a real palpable hunger in LGBTQ people’s hearts not just to be out, but to bring their entire selves to every aspect of their lives: to ‘Be You’ without fear, without persecution, without discrimination,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force. “And there is a deep desire for more change, to look beyond marriage equality, with millions of us still facing formidable barriers in every aspect of our lives: at school, in housing, employment, in health care, in our faith congregations, in retirement and in basic human rights.”

The new more inclusive name adds bisexual, transgender and queer to lesbian and gay in the form of LGBTQ. The new tagline “Be You” speaks to the desire for freedom to be yourself in a just society — and also points to the remaining barriers that still exist for LGBTQ people and their families in experiencing real freedom. The evolved brand, with a new logo, color palette and website is designed to put forth the organization’s values, mission and strategic direction.

“Now more than ever we have the power to define the future we want — a world where every LGBTQ person can be themselves without any barriers. We have worked hard for decades to create this momentum. Let’s seize this opportunity, let’s be ourselves fully, and let’s make a future together that’s worthy of our struggle,” stressed Carey.

Miami Recognition Dinner

The Miami Recognition Dinner will be held 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel.

Honorees this year will be transgender Navy SEAL Kristin Beck and philanthropist James G. Pepper of South Florida, who will receive the 2014 Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award.

For tickets ($450 each) or more information, visit http://www.miamirecognitiondinner.org/

This story was originally published October 8, 2014, 2:09 PM.