The New Beginning Initiative-kicked off more than a year ago as a part of the National Policy Roundtable-is designed to push for concrete changes in federal policies and regulations that would directly benefit LGBT individuals through the administrative process.
"The NGLCC aims to stay on the forefront of important federal issues and act as an advocate for LGBT business causes," said NGLCC Chief of Staff Kate Karasmeighan, who is the NGLCC's project leader for the initiative. "By getting involved with the New Beginning Initiative, we're closer than ever to helping make the changes that we've always advocated for."
There are currently more than 80 policies that the initiative has identified as needing to be altered to ensure equality, all of which could be changed by the Obama administration without congressional approval.
"We have an unprecedented opportunity to push the federal government for policy changes that will directly improve the quality of life for LGBT people and families," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It is time for the government to step up and fulfill the promise of full equality."
Funded by the Open Society Institute, the initiative encourages participating LGBT organizations to identify federal policies, funding or regulatory changes and then work with Obama administration officials to pursue those changes. Many of the LGBT groups are taking leadership roles in writing sample executive orders to enact the changes.
For example, the NGLCC is the lead organization in drafting an executive order requesting the development of a plan to increase the number of federal procurement contracts going to small, LGBT-owned businesses. Such an order would cite the importance of coordination between the U.S. Small Business Administration and agencies responsible for procuring goods and services for the federal government.
A policy that was initially identified but has already been revised involved the U.S. Census Bureau's refusal to count married same-sex couples. The Census Bureau recently reversed its previous policy of excluding them.
The current recommendations represent an initial view of the areas that can and should be revised. Any additional policy changes will be identified and added to the list over time.
Some examples of recommended policy changes include:
- Amending a previous executive order to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in the federal civilian workforce, ensuring that transgender federal employees are able to update both their name and gender in their employment records to reflect the accurate and appropriate gender in which they live;
- Issuing regulations stating that federal funds given to faith-based social services organizations by the Small Business Administration may not be used to discriminate in employment or in the provision of services on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; and
- Beginning a White House and State Department dialogue with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the NGLCC regarding the need for American companies to implement workplace policies in their overseas offices and manufacturing plants that reflect core American values, including respect for the rights of LGBT employees.
A full list of the current policy changes and recommendations are available on the New Beginnings site.
Along with the NGLCC and the Task Force, the organizations participating in the initiative launch include: Council for Global Equality; Family Equality Council; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network; Immigration Equality; Lambda Legal; Mautner Project; National Black Justice Coalition; National Center for Lesbian Rights; National Coalition for LGBT Health; National Youth Advocacy Coalition; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders; Servicemembers Legal Defense Network; and The Trevor Project.
