Recognition for courageous LGBT allies

takes root in memory of Nancy Minson

Cincinnati leader forged coalitions, fought anti-LGBT measure and

helped win its repeal by voters

Please contribute so that the memorial for

Nancy’s effective leadership becomes a reality. 


By Hans Johnson, Board Vice Co-Chair, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

http://thetaskforceblog.org/2010/09/10/recognition-for-courageous-lgbt-allies-
takes-root-in-memory-of-nancy-minson/

“Nancy was such a presence in our lives and organizations for so long that she’s
still with us. Recently someone said at a meeting, ‘I don’t think Nancy would have
let this happen.’ And wouldn’t you know, people got out their checkbooks or
agreed to take on another responsibility. It’s as if she’s listening in or just in the
next room. She hasn’t left us at all.” — Jenny O’Donnell, community activist in
Cincinnati, strong ally of LGBT rights and friend of Nancy Minson

“One of the wonderful things about Nancy was that she could have a knock-down,
drag-’em-out argument. But she would wrap up by saying, ‘Wanna go for a
drink?’” — Scott Knox, attorney, Ohio LGBT community leader and friend of
Nancy Minson

“Nancy was my own guardian angel, and I thought that was just me. But she
approached everyone that way. The same respect I thought that was unique to me
was something she shared with all those around her. She truly dedicated her life
to social justice in the world.” — Larry Minson, brother of Nancy Minson

The
National
Gay
and
Lesbian
Task
Force
Foundation
is
the
country’s
premier
social
justice

organization
fighting
to
improve
the
lives
of
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
and
transgender
people.
We

mobilize
people
and
resources
from
the
ground
up
for
social
change.






January
2011


Dear
Friend
of
Fairness
and
Equality—


Nancy
Minson
is
the
kind
of
person
whose
impact
you
feel
even
if
you
never
met
her.
She
fought
for
years
to

make
the
world
a
better
place,
starting
with
the
area
she
loved,
Greater
Cincinnati.
She
worked
hard
for
civil

rights
and
with
particular
passion
for
equality
and
respect
for
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
and
transgender
people.


Nancy,
whom
we
lost
in
2009,
would
have
turned
65
last
Thanksgiving.
In
her
memory,
I
wanted
to
extend

an
invitation
to
you
to
help
establish
the
Nancy
Minson
Memorial
Recognition
for
Righteous
and

Courageous
Action
at
the
National
Gay
and
Lesbian
Task
Force
Foundation.


As
vice
chair
of
the
Task
Force
board,
I
was
blessed
to
work
with
Nancy
early
in
my
career.
This
recognition

of
her
strategic
leadership
honors
her
and
fills
a
void.



First,
throughout
the
LGBT
movement,
no
such
singular
recognition
for
a
strategic
ally
of
our
fight
for

equality
exists.



Second,
brave
allies
like
Nancy
are
vital
to
winning
equal
rights.
Polling
data
and
survey
results
bear
out
this

fact.
So
does
experience.
With
few
exceptions,
we
who
believe
in
freedom
and
equality
for
LGBT
people
will

prevail
only
when
we
stand
together
with
a
host
of
allies.
Nancy
was
this
most
strategic
kind
of
ally.



Finally,
people
who
take
others’
equality
personally
and
persevere
are
an
inspiring
example.
In
the
dark
days

leading
up
to
and
following
the
vote
on
Issue
3
in
Cincinnati
in
1993,
she
brought
rigor
and
humor
and

proportion
to
a
landscape
scarred
with
pain
and
distrust.
She
stayed
true
to
her
vision
of
a
beloved

community
and
kept
shining
her
light
to
bring
others
around,
or
bring
them
over,
to
build
it
with
her.

Working
shoulder
to
shoulder
with
hundreds
of
others,
she
helped
do
the
impossible,
repealing
Issue
3

(Article
XII)
on
the
ballot
in
2004.


The
goal
is
creating
a
small
annual
prize
for
a
non‐gay
ally
of
equality
for
LGBT
people
who
has
made
a

significant
and
strategic
impact
towards
an
important
victory.
The
prize
would
be
awarded
at
the
National

Conference
for
LGBT
Equality:
Creating
Change,
which
the
Task
Force
hosts
each
February.
Initiating
this

prize
next
year
requires
an
endowment
of
at
least
$10,000
to
set
in
motion.
Now
having
passed
the

halfway
mark,
we
need
just
$4,000
more.



If
you
would
like
to
contribute,
please
make
your
gift
to
the
Task
Force
Foundation
and
write
“Nancy

Minson
Memorial
Recognition”
in
the
memo
section
of
your
check.
You
can
send
contributions
to
me
at

4111
Sunset
Blvd.,
Ste.
342,
Los
Angeles,
CA

90029.
I’ll
make
sure
your
tax‐deductible
gift
is
properly
and

speedily
acknowledged.


If
you
have
any
question,
about
plans
for
this
recognition
or
about
the

Task
Force,
please
call
or
write
any
time.
Please
join
in
supporting
this

memorial
recognition.


Honoring
her
memory
and
her
enduring
spirit—

Hans
Johnson

Board
Vice
Chair,
National
Gay
and
Lesbian
Task
Force
 
 

direct:
202‐329‐7202;
HansJ@ProgressiveVictory.com
 Hans
Johnson,
with
Nancy’s

brother,
Larry
Minson.


Honor
Roll
of
Supporters
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Marianna
Bettman
 
 Scott
Knox
 
 
 Arnie
Leff

 
 Cincinnati
Women’s

Barb
Rinto
 
 
 Al
Gerhardstein
 
 Pat
Passer
 
 






Political
Caucus

Barbara
Myers
 
 Larry
and
Sherry
Minson
 Louise
Spiegel

Doreen
Quinn

 
 Hans
Johnson

 
 Jenny
O’Donnell