May 18, 2006  |  By: LOU CHIBBARO J  | COMMENTS     

Justin Nelson, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, said his group could provide an important perspective on gay-owned businesses and workplace issues to the Roundtable, but the Task Force has yet to reply to his written request for information on how to join.

Foreman said he was unaware that the NGLCC had sent such an inquiry and said he would look into the matter.

Nelson said his group lobbies Congress for passage of gay-related legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which calls for banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. He said the group, which he said includes 24,000 member businesses, has lobbied for an immigration bill that would allow foreign-born domestic partners of American citizens the same right to live in the U.S. that foreign-born spouses of heterosexual Americans currently enjoy.

Roundtable members happened to be meeting in Washington last year when the Ford Motor Co. initially bowed to pressure from the anti-gay American Family Association and announced it would stop placing advertisements promoting Ford cars in gay publications.

Foreman said the Task Force used the Roundtable’s contact list to put together a working group of gay leaders that approached Ford and urged the company not to discontinue its ad campaign in the gay press. A short time later, Ford reversed its initial decision and said it would continue to place car ads in the gay press.

Building trust, cooperation

Jody Huckaby, executive director of PFLAG, said the Ford development highlighted the Roundtable’s ability to provide a mechanism for gay leaders to act quickly and in a coordinated way to fend off an anti-gay campaign against Ford by the American Family Association.

“I have found the policy discussions meaningful as PLAG determines its work plans and assists our chapters in being more engaged in various legislative initiatives across the country,” Huckaby said.

Steve Ralls, a spokesperson for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which represents gay service members, said Dixon Osburn, the group’s director, regularly attends Roundtable meetings.

“SLDN feels the most important aspect of the gathering is the resulting trust and cooperation that has been built among the LGBT organizations represented at the Roundtable