Empowering Spirits Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Empowering Spirits Foundation (ESF), Inc. is a national non-profit, non-partisan lesbian
, gay
, bisexual
, and transgender
(LGBT
) civil rights
organization in the United States
. The ESF mission statement is "Through service-oriented activities designed to foster non-confrontational dialogue with our non-LGBT neighbors, the Empowering Spirits Foundation strives to dispel the negative stereotypes of the LGBT community and realize a society that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all."
with chapters spread throughout the nation. ESF members engage in service-oriented activities in communities typically opposed to equal rights. In doing so the organization works side-by-side with non-LGBT individuals in an attempt to foster thought and change toward equality. By bringing together the two groups of people, ESF helps to create the interactions that dispel the stereotypes.
ESF programs include neighborhood revitalization, housing builds, canned food drives, and environmental cleanup; causes which allow for both sides to work together in what ESF calls a "positive environment." The programs take place in under-served areas or those conservative in nature as these are the people ESF is attempting to influence.
Additionally, ESF is a visible entity in U.S. politics
. The ESF develops community awareness, collaborates with other coalitions, and empowers individuals and organizations to engage in the political process for equality through educational endeavors.
in 2008 after the passage of Proposition 8
in California
out of frustration as to how he thought LGBT rights organizations were approaching the gay rights issue.
"The day after the [passage of Proposition 8] various gay rights organizations attacked Christians, the Mormon Church and minority groups. In my mind this intolerance only amplified the hate, it didn't create change," said Staples.
Staples, a long time activist, was laughed at when he suggested to one of those organizations that the LGBT community should foster dialogue with such groups instead of attacking them. Four days later ESF was established.
"Overby and Barth in 2002, and several other researchers since then, have found that increased exposure to LGBT individuals results in significantly warmer attitudes towards the population as a whole," adds Staples. "Interaction with even one LGBT individual increases the willingness to vote for equal rights, by a significant amount. When you increase the number of LGBT individuals a person is exposed to, their tolerance of the entire population increases dramatically."
"When people see that LGBT individuals are not very different from themselves, the old, unfounded and inaccurate stereotypes are shattered. By bringing together the two groups of people, ESF helps to create the interactions that dispel the stereotypes."
October 9, 2009. The nationwide event was created in response to the California Supreme Court
decision to uphold Proposition 8
, the state-wide ban on same-sex marriage
.
“Now that the Court announced their long-awaited ruling, we must move forward, and focus on ways to foster positive thought and change toward equality. We will engage in service-oriented activities nationwide in communities typically opposed to equal rights,” said A. Latham Staples, Empowering Spirits Foundation President & C.E.O. “It is our hope that in working side-by-side with our non-LGBT neighbors, they may come to see similarities rather than differences, hope rather than failure, strength rather than weakness.”
Roughly 5,000 volunteers attended the ESF service events held across 36 states, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, MyOutSpirit.com, the American Cancer Society, and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.
, an angel investor
in social entrepreneurial organizations, announced it would fund ESF for two years. ESF was the only grantee selected from the category of "Civil & Human Rights" when its founder and current President and CEO A. Latham Staples
was named a 2010 Echoing Green fellow for “enacting innovative solutions that address root causes to social problems.”
“We found both the mission and the approach of Mr. Staples and his organization to be refreshing and timely,” said Cheryl L. Dorsey, Echoing Green President. “It takes courage and grace to work alongside someone who fundamentally disagrees with you. Through ESF’s community service programs they are engaging in work everyone can agree on and be passionate about. Mr. Staples and his organization are creating a common ground, a new tool in creating social justice.”
to seek revocation of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Portland
’s tax exempt status. This complaint was filed after Mark Mutty, the Diocese’s Public Affairs Director, announced plans for the church to gather 55,087 signatures needed for a state referendum
on same-sex marriage, in an attempt to overturn Maine’s new same-sex marriage law. Mutty is quoted as calling the church’s action “one of the biggest grassroots movements in Maine history.”
Erik Stanley, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund
, responding on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, stated in a letter to ESF that the IRS allows tax-exempt organizations to "engage in lobbying activities, including advocating a position on a public referendum, without violating their tax-exempt status so long as the activity is not a substantial activity of the organization."
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
organization in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The ESF mission statement is "Through service-oriented activities designed to foster non-confrontational dialogue with our non-LGBT neighbors, the Empowering Spirits Foundation strives to dispel the negative stereotypes of the LGBT community and realize a society that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all."
About
The Empowering Spirits Foundation is based in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
with chapters spread throughout the nation. ESF members engage in service-oriented activities in communities typically opposed to equal rights. In doing so the organization works side-by-side with non-LGBT individuals in an attempt to foster thought and change toward equality. By bringing together the two groups of people, ESF helps to create the interactions that dispel the stereotypes.
ESF programs include neighborhood revitalization, housing builds, canned food drives, and environmental cleanup; causes which allow for both sides to work together in what ESF calls a "positive environment." The programs take place in under-served areas or those conservative in nature as these are the people ESF is attempting to influence.
Additionally, ESF is a visible entity in U.S. politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. The ESF develops community awareness, collaborates with other coalitions, and empowers individuals and organizations to engage in the political process for equality through educational endeavors.
History & Leadership
The Empowering Spirits Foundation was established by A. Latham StaplesA. Latham Staples
A. Latham Staples is an American civil rights activist and community leader in San Diego, California. He's the founder, and current President & CEO of the Empowering Spirits Foundation, Inc...
in 2008 after the passage of Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
out of frustration as to how he thought LGBT rights organizations were approaching the gay rights issue.
"The day after the [passage of Proposition 8] various gay rights organizations attacked Christians, the Mormon Church and minority groups. In my mind this intolerance only amplified the hate, it didn't create change," said Staples.
Staples, a long time activist, was laughed at when he suggested to one of those organizations that the LGBT community should foster dialogue with such groups instead of attacking them. Four days later ESF was established.
"Overby and Barth in 2002, and several other researchers since then, have found that increased exposure to LGBT individuals results in significantly warmer attitudes towards the population as a whole," adds Staples. "Interaction with even one LGBT individual increases the willingness to vote for equal rights, by a significant amount. When you increase the number of LGBT individuals a person is exposed to, their tolerance of the entire population increases dramatically."
"When people see that LGBT individuals are not very different from themselves, the old, unfounded and inaccurate stereotypes are shattered. By bringing together the two groups of people, ESF helps to create the interactions that dispel the stereotypes."
Events
Empowering Spirits Foundation members engage in service-oriented activities in communities throughout the nation. These events range from small events at nursing homes and food banks, neighborhood clean-up endeavors, and neighborhood restoration projects, to participation in large citywide rallies.Proud Hearts Reach Out
The Empowering Spirits Foundation held its first annual nationwide service-oriented event to promote LGBT equality called “Proud Hearts Reach Out” in conjunction with National Coming Out DayNational Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender—coming out regarding one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people...
October 9, 2009. The nationwide event was created in response to the California Supreme Court
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
decision to uphold Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, the state-wide ban on same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
.
“Now that the Court announced their long-awaited ruling, we must move forward, and focus on ways to foster positive thought and change toward equality. We will engage in service-oriented activities nationwide in communities typically opposed to equal rights,” said A. Latham Staples, Empowering Spirits Foundation President & C.E.O. “It is our hope that in working side-by-side with our non-LGBT neighbors, they may come to see similarities rather than differences, hope rather than failure, strength rather than weakness.”
Roughly 5,000 volunteers attended the ESF service events held across 36 states, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, MyOutSpirit.com, the American Cancer Society, and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.
National Equality Rally
The Empowering Spirits Foundation, along with other LGBT organizations, co-organized the National Equality Rally which took place from April 27 through May 3, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA. The rally featured a series of cultural programs, panels, parties and outdoor events, and a tribute to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome who is a proponent of gay rights.Echoing Green
Echoing GreenEchoing green
For the electronic band, see The Echoing Green , for the poem see The Echoing GreenEchoing Green is a twenty year-old global non-profit organization operating in the area of early-stage social sector investing...
, an angel investor
Angel investor
An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...
in social entrepreneurial organizations, announced it would fund ESF for two years. ESF was the only grantee selected from the category of "Civil & Human Rights" when its founder and current President and CEO A. Latham Staples
A. Latham Staples
A. Latham Staples is an American civil rights activist and community leader in San Diego, California. He's the founder, and current President & CEO of the Empowering Spirits Foundation, Inc...
was named a 2010 Echoing Green fellow for “enacting innovative solutions that address root causes to social problems.”
“We found both the mission and the approach of Mr. Staples and his organization to be refreshing and timely,” said Cheryl L. Dorsey, Echoing Green President. “It takes courage and grace to work alongside someone who fundamentally disagrees with you. Through ESF’s community service programs they are engaging in work everyone can agree on and be passionate about. Mr. Staples and his organization are creating a common ground, a new tool in creating social justice.”
Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine
In May, 2009 the Empowering Spirits Foundation filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
to seek revocation of the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Diocese of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
’s tax exempt status. This complaint was filed after Mark Mutty, the Diocese’s Public Affairs Director, announced plans for the church to gather 55,087 signatures needed for a state referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on same-sex marriage, in an attempt to overturn Maine’s new same-sex marriage law. Mutty is quoted as calling the church’s action “one of the biggest grassroots movements in Maine history.”
Erik Stanley, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund
Alliance Defense Fund
The Alliance Defense Fund is a conservative Christian nonprofit organization with the stated goal of "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation." ADF was founded in 1994 by the late Bill Bright , the late Larry Burkett , James Dobson The...
, responding on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, stated in a letter to ESF that the IRS allows tax-exempt organizations to "engage in lobbying activities, including advocating a position on a public referendum, without violating their tax-exempt status so long as the activity is not a substantial activity of the organization."
External links
- Empowering Spirits Foundation — official website