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01/10/09-01/12/09

Black Woman to Lead Michigan's Largest LGBT Organization

Alicia Skillman has been named executive director of Michigan's Triangle Foundation, the first woman, and the first woman of color, to lead the organization.

The Detroit-based Triangle Foundation is Michigan's largest LGBT organization. Skillman is also involved with a group called Project Harmony, an initiative of the Family Equality Council that engages LGBT families of color on issues of homophobia and racial and economic injustice.

"What a great moment for Michigan," said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council, in a release. "Alicia Skillman is a seasoned advocate whose passion and experience have touched the lives of many people in many communities. As an African-American lesbian, she refused to accept the notion that black cannot be gay and gay cannot be black."

Says Skillman in a release: "There is an inspirational strength within families of color. Often that strength is challenged when a member of a family comes out as LGBT. It is my hope that I can facilitate dialogues across identity and racial lines to show LGBT families are strong, inspiring, and capable of bettering our world." (Neal Broverman, Advocate.com)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Shirley
    Date posted: 2009-01-11 4:57 PM
    Hometown: Paducah, Ky.

    Comment:

    Woman of strength are something to be proud of. And woman of color are especially strong. They have to be in this bigoted world. I have met many black gay women and it was my pleasure to know them. They are my Gay Sisters and I am better for having known them. Of course you can be Gay and black, just as you can be Gay and Asian or Gay and white or Gay and Indian. God loves all his Gay children and I am one of them!


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