Press Release

February 1, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano
512.472.2001 / Cell 512.791.8752

ALLGO BECOMES FIRST AND ONLY STATEWIDE QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY

Austin, TX- ALLGO, the longest-standing Queer People of Color Organization in the country, announces today that it will become the country’s first and only statewide organization of its kind.

With a community tired of knocking on their own families’ door to no avail, ALLGO is ready to create a support network of queer people of color and allies. The support network will work against diverse issues that affect queer people of color including economic and environmental justice, violence, reproductive rights, marriage discrimination, HIV/AIDS policies among many others.

“With over 20 years in existence, we are now thrilled to expand our work in a way that furthers our vision by working collectively and proactively to ensure that our voices are reflected in the vision, ideology, messaging and strategies of the LGBT Movement in Texas and across the country.” says Priscilla Hale, LMSW, ALLGO’s Executive Director.

ALLGO will carry out its work through four major programming strands:

- Queer People of Color and Allied Network. ALLGO will work to create, support and sustain alliances among diverse activists, groups and organizations across Texas.

- Action Teams. The teams will be a collective force ready to respond efficiently to issues affecting our communities locally, regionally and on the statewide level.

- A Cultural Arts Program. Building on its existing award-winning cultural arts programming, ALLGO will work towards fostering spaces where artists and diverse communities engage in mutual growth, sharing and understanding through the arts.

- Annual Summit. ALLGO will work with organizers across the state to coordinate annual summits aimed at bringing queer people of color activists and allies together to build relationships, strategize and support each other’s efforts.

“A statewide queer people of color organization will allow those of us working on the local level to… be a part of a statewide dialogue around issues important to our communities,” says Fernando Sánchez, Board President of Valiente DFW LGBT Latino Alliance.

ALLGO’s efforts will formalize the response to the needs of individuals who face different forms of injustice simultaneously and will work diligently and strategically throughout 2006 to ensure that this major transition is successful and inclusive. For further information and/or to sign up for ongoing updates, visit www.allgo.org, or call (512.472.2001) or e-mail (lorenzo@allgo.org) Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano, ALLGO’s Director of Arts and Community Building.

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