[UPDATE: 3/23/2020] Our COVID-19 resource page is live. 

Dear Friends,

I wanted to share an update on how we at GLAD are responding to the situation regarding COVID-19.

Our highest priorities in this moment are the safety and wellbeing of our staff, interns, volunteers, and community members, as well as our collective responsibility to do all we can to lessen the risks to those who are most vulnerable to critical health impacts from this virus.

While our daily work for LGBTQ equality continues on, we, like so many, are temporarily adjusting the way we do our work according to the best public health recommendations and information available. Most GLAD staff are working from home whenever possible. This evolving situation may result in some disruptions or delayed communication, and I want to let you know about two particular areas that may impact our community during this time:

Our GLAD Answers legal information line remains available to support anyone experiencing discrimination or needing information about your legal rights. However, we may experience delays in responding to phone calls, to allow us to prioritize the most urgent needs. The fastest way to receive a response from GLAD Answers is to contact us at www.GLADAnswers.org.

We have cancelled all GLAD events scheduled over the next month, and will continue to assess the status of future events on a case by case basis as the situation evolves. We will reach out with information regarding specific events, as well as other ways to connect. You can also check GLAD.org for updates on the status of event.

Rest assured, though, our work won’t stop. GLAD will continue to be available, and I invite you to connect with us online or to contact GLAD Answers.

While best practice at the moment is to limit in-person social contact, taking those precautions does not mean turning away from one another.

One side effect of limiting public, workplace, and school gatherings may be isolation that can be particularly difficult for members of our LGBTQ community. And we know, too, there are those among us who are being particularly hard hit, including those most at risk for serious complications of COVID-19, communities who are being targeted with xenophobia and racism, and those without a sufficient safety net to withstand the economic impacts. We can all take this opportunity to reach out, to look for new ways to connect and support one another, and to remember that we are all in this together.

Our community is no stranger to a public health crisis, and we know from experience that the best way through is to work together, to stay focused on evidence-based information, and to treat one another with respect, care, and compassion.

That is how we will get through this moment, and that is how we will continue our fight for justice.

Janson Wu

 

Be well, and take care of yourself and each other,

Janson Wu

Executive Director

 

P.S. We’ll be publishing resources shortly that we’re finding helpful to cope with the isolation from social distancing, and for additional support for those of us most vulnerable to the effects of this virus.