The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund (known as the Task Force Action Fund) is the political arm of the National LGBTQ Task Force (the Task Force), a left-of-center LGBT advocacy group and the oldest national LGBT rights group in the United States. The Task Force also has a policy think tank, the Task Force Policy Institute. ¹

In 2020, the Task Force Action Fund is supporting the Equality Act, which expands legally mandated nondiscrimination protections to LGBT individuals to an extent that critics contend infringes on religious freedom,² and the EACH Woman Act, which would permit the use of federal funding for abortions.³

History

In 1973, the National Gay Task Force was founded to advocate for gay acceptance and political rights by a group of gay and lesbian activists in New York City, including Howard Brown, Martin Duberman, Barbara Gittings, Ron Gold, Franklin Kameny, Nathalie Rockhill, and Bruce Voeller. One of the organization’s first focuses was lobbying the American Medical Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. In 1975, the Task Force successfully lobbied the government to permit the hiring of openly gay federal employees.⁴

In 1977, the National Gay Task Force sent representatives to a meeting with former President Jimmy Carter, marking the first meeting between a U.S. President and LGBT activists at the White House.⁵

Throughout the 1980s, the Task Force organized efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic within the LGBT community. It received the first federal grant for an AIDS education program and pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pursue antibody testing. In 1985, Task Force Director Virginia Apuzzo testified before Congress that the federal government had failed in its response to the AIDS crisis.⁶

Also in the 1980s, the Task Force created the Gay Media Task Force to monitor the portrayal of gay figures in movies and television. In 1981, the Task Force opposed the Family Protection Act, which allowed parents to have more control over local schools, actions the Task Force alleged would lead to anti-gay discrimination.⁷

In 1985, the Task Force was renamed to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. In 1986, the Task Force formed the Privacy Project, an initiative which aimed to repeal anti-sodomy laws across the country.⁸

In 1995, the Task Force formed the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.⁹

In 1997, the Task Force officially added bisexual and transgendered people to its mission, and launched the Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Statewide Political Organizations.¹⁰

In 2014, the Task Force was renamed to the National LGTBQ Task Force.¹¹

2020 Legislative Priorities

Equality Act

The Task Force Action Fund supports the “Equality Act,” which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to expand protection to LGBT individuals, thereby making it illegal to discriminate against LGBT individuals in any economic transaction.¹² As part of his 2020 Presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden (D) promised to sign the Equality Act within the first 100 days of his administration.¹³

EACH Woman Act

The Task Force Action Fund supports the EACH Woman Act. The bill would overturn the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions except in cases of rape or incest. If passed, the EACH Woman Act would permit the government to pay for abortions through Medicare, Medicaid, and any other federal government-funded or subsidized insurance programs.¹⁴

Grants

In 2017, the Task Force Action Fund spent $10,000 in grants. It gave one grant to Fair Anchorage, a nonprofit which opposed Anchorage, Alaska’s 2018 Proposition 1 which would mandate that public restrooms be used according to sex at birth rather than gender identity.¹⁵ In the past, grantmaking to political advocacy groups was the Task Force Action Fund’s primary activity. In 2004, the organization gave $636,000 in grants, including $485,000 to No On Constitutional Amendment 36, opposing a ballot campaign to limit marriage in Oregon to unions between one man and one woman.¹⁶

Lobbying

In 2019, the Task Force Action Fund spent $30,000 on lobbying. As of November 2020, it has spent $10,000 on federal lobbying in the year. In 2017 and 2018, the Task Force Action Fund reported no lobbying expenditures.¹⁷

1. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
2. McCormack, John. “The Economist Warns Democrats the Equality Act Goes Too Far.” National Review. National Review, October 31, 2020. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-economist-warns-democrats-the-equality-act-goes-too-far/.
3. “Joe Biden Says Will Pass Equality Act in 100 Days if He Wins. Here’s What it is, How it Helps LGBTQ.” News 18. November 2, 2020. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/joe-biden-says-will-pass-equality-act-in-100-days-if-he-wins-heres-what-it-is-how-it-helps-lgbtq-3034553.html.
4. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
5. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
6. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
7. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
8. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
9. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
10. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
11. “National LGTBQ Task Force records, 1973-2017..” Cornell Library. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM07301.html.
12. “Tell Your Senators: Pass the Equality Act.” National LGTBQ Task Force Action Fund. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.thetaskforceactionfund.org/take-action/tell-senators-pass-the-equality-act/.
13. “Joe Biden Says Will Pass Equality Act in 100 Days if He Wins. Here’s What it is, How it Helps LGBTQ.” News 18. November 2, 2020. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/joe-biden-says-will-pass-equality-act-in-100-days-if-he-wins-heres-what-it-is-how-it-helps-lgbtq-3034553.html.
14. “Pass the EACH Woman Act: Overturn the Hyde Amendment.” National LGTBQ Task Force Action Fund. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.thetaskforceactionfund.org/take-action/pass-the-each-woman-act-overturn-hyde-amendment/.
15. “National LGTBQ Task Force Action Fund Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/132772832/12_2019_prefixes_06-13%2F132772832_201806_990O_2019122616978121.
16. “National LGTBQ Task Force Action Fund Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed November 2, 2020.  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/132772832/2006_06_EO%2F13-2772832_990O_200506.
17. “Client Profile: National LGTBQ Task Force.” Open Secrets. Accessed November 3, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2018&id=F226486.