Founded 2004 Method Education, advocacy | Focus Civil rights Website atticuscircle.org | |
Location Austin, Texas, United States | ||
Atticus Circle is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and mobilize heterosexual people to advance equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender partners, parents, and their children.
Contents
With the national office located in Austin, Texas, Atticus Circle focuses on straight allies of the LGBT social movements. The organization is founded and run mostly by straight people and works to empower straight and other allies to give them a sense of ownership in this civil rights struggle.
History
Atticus Circle, named for Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, was founded in late 2004 by Anne Wynne after 11 states passed what she considered anti-gay "Discrimination Amendments". Wynne is straight and noticed the lack of organizations catering to straight allies. Since its inception, Atticus Circle has participated in campaigns in Texas around GLBT domestic partnership benefits and "Discrimination Amendments". They have advocated against "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policies and for fair family policies. Wynne notes that most gay rights activism is done by gay people, although she finds it a natural issue for straight progressives to support: she says "we haven't gotten on their radar yet."
In October 2007, the organization ran a national "Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights" event, where the straight community could show support for LGBT rights. It was one of the first such events in Austin and in the United States. The event was held again in 2008.
Mission statement
Atticus Circle's official mission statement describes the organization and its aims thus:
Atticus Circle educates and mobilizes fair-minded straight people to advance equal rights for LGBT partners, parents, and their children. To accomplish our goal, Atticus Circle will focus its efforts on education, policy development, and legal advocacy.Projects
January–May, 2007: Atticus Circle formed the "Equality Circle," a group of straight volunteers in Austin, Texas who paired with LGBT people to advocate for equal rights during the 2007 Texas Legislative Session.
October 7–13, 2007: Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, in partnership with Soulforce was held October 7–13, 2007 in many cities throughout the United States, including Montgomery, Alabama; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles and Humboldt County, CA; Atlanta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Shreveport, Louisiana; Augusta, Maine; New York City; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salem, Oregon; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Seattle, Washington. Straight individuals, couples and families held overnight vigils all over the country stating their support for LGBT equal rights.