Left to right: Abby Jensen, Southern Arizona Gender Alliance; David Martinez, HRC; Steve Kilart, ACLU, Alice Frier, GLAAS; Carlos Galindo-Elvira, ADL
Alice Frier
The subject is vitally important to all of us, and a matter of life and death for some. The panel discussion presented on April 3 by GLAAS (Gays, Lesbians and Allies at SaddleBrooke) focused on whether our civil rights are in jeopardy. The impressive panel of speakers were both articulate and expert in their fields and represented several major civil rights advocacy organizations: The ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance and the Human Rights Campaign.
Panelists discussed current challenges to the rights of vulnerable communities such as people of color, Jews, women, immigrants and the LGBT+ community. Each addressed the topic from the perspective of his/her/their particular organization and provided fascinating facts—-historical, personal, legal and social—-on how civil rights protections are devolving under the new administration. A lively Q&A followed.
At different times, all of the panelists affirmed that we are all interconnected and that a threat to any group’s civil rights is a threat to all of us.
GLAAS will be offering many interesting educational forums in the future, so keep your eyes open for more mind-expanding topics.