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A letter from TEA Co-chair Judith Kobler

TEA dance: "an afternoon dance, often outside and usually held on Sunday, started at the Blue Whale on Fire Island in 1966"

TEA Act: A tax imposed by the British parliament on colonial America that revived American passions about the issue of taxation without representation and thus, The Boston Tea Party.

Since April 15th, 2004, you may have been driving along between Greensboro and Winston-Salem where the two 40’s merge and may have seen the Triad Equality Alliance billboard prominently displayed. We hope it makes you proud!

How did this happen? The inspiration came when Linda Ketner of South Carolina’s Alliance for Full Acceptance presented her work to the Triad Business and Professional Guild in November 2003. She challenged us to launch a similar effort in the Triad, and generously offered us the use of all her creative work. It took a little time and a suggestion that our right to equality might be threatened by a constitutional amendment, but in just a few weeks in the late winter of 2004, TEA was born.

Why did it happen so quickly? First, money was offered almost immediately. Second, Equality NC provided 501(c)(3) status for our group, making all donations 100% tax deductible. Equality-NC Executive Directors Ed Farthing and Ian Palmquist and their board had the underpinnings in place within 24 hours of our request for assistance. There was a sense of urgency! An April billboard launch in the Triad could motivate other parts of the state to join in this very visible statement, that we are all entitled to equal rights. It would give them time to respond to the power of this billboard, raise some money and get on board. Then, an April launch would have this billboard in place when Furniture Market begins on April 22nd The prospect of 75,000 visitors from 110 foreign countries and all 50 U.S. states seeing this in the Triad, spurred us on to find a location and get publicity for this effort. So, remarkably, by March 12th the key arrangements were made, the billboard location was selected and locked in, a task force was in place and we had a name, Triad Equality Alliance. At the risk of sounding corny, there has been a synchronicity around this effort that has been empowering and which keeps this task force grinning and using words like amazing, exciting, pinch-me.

Who is involved? The basic task force members are Mike Barringer, Allen Broach, Michael Cooke, Sean Cowart, Joyce Herbold, Judith Kobler, John Overfield, Richard Partridge and Wil Watkins. Major donors/advisers for this effort at this early stage are community leaders Bob Page, Ron Johnson, Dawn Chaney, Lee Carter/Greg Bradley, Gay Cheney, Judith Abraham, Kathy Tritschler/Eliza Taylor, Sandra O’Connor, Joanne Clarey, Lennie Gerber/Pearl Berlin. The Broach Kinley Agency (Allen and Derik) provide the advertising know how to make the arrangements with billboard company, Fairway and to negotiate the best possible location available at the best possible price.

What next? By the time you read this article we hope that every LGBT organization in the Triad knows about TEA and embraces it as a community effort. We wish to engage every gay friendly church/synagogue, every fair minded business, every educational institution and every straight and gay ally in this effort. We are off to a good start with enough funds to pay for three full months of billboard exposure. We plan to move into radio ads and other media to reach Triad neighbors with our message.

If you doubt the power of a few, recall that group of four African American students who, on February 1, 1960 sat down at a Woolworth counter in Greensboro, NC and politely asked for service. Some cite that event as the launching of the Civil Rights movement! YES WE CAN!

We want all of you to own a piece of this historic billboard and of TEA's future efforts! Those who gave big donations, $2000, $500, $300, $200 and $100 got this ball rolling. We could not have done it without you. You are our inspiration. We can keep up the momentum with every donation we receive, large or small. You can donate on-line with your credit card or you can write a check to EqualityNC Project and mail it to Triad Equality Alliance c/o P.O. Box 19842 , Greensboro, NC 27419. We can also be reached by email at TEA@equalityNC.org.

Okay...we can’t resist a few final inspirational words…YOU ARE THE WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS!

 
 

Triad Equality Alliance ● P.O. Box 19842 Greensboro, NC 27419 ●  info@triadequality.org

Tea is part of EqualityNC Project,
a 501(c)(3) group.

website © 2004
by Triad Equality Alliance