Spinoffs of ERA

National Center for Lesbian Rights

NCLR is the only national legal organization primarily dedicated to equality for lesbians and their families. The organization represents lesbian clients in their quest for justice in such areas as constitutional rights, employment, housing, public accommodations, partner benefits, child custody, adoption, and foster parenting. NCLR’s program of litigation, public policy advocacy, free legal advice and counseling, and public education grew out of ERA’s Lesbian Rights Project in 1989. In addition, NCLR provides representation and resources to gay men, and bisexual and transgendered individuals on key issues that also significantly advance lesbian rights. Contact them at www.nclrights.org.

Organizacion en California de Líderes Campesinas

Líderes Campesinas coordinates an innovative domestic violence prevention, AIDS education and leadership program that educates and trains women farmworkers to conduct peer-on-peer education. Participants learn about the causes of domestic violence, the symptoms and possible legal remedies. The women then return to their communities and educate fellow farmworkers to identify domestic violence and find solutions to end the cycle of violence. Líderes Campesinas also trains women farmworkers on pesticides and worker exposure, as well as worker rights and employer responsibilities. Líderes’ peer-on-peer education has reached thousands of immigrant women in rural California, and is expanding its training to other states.

From 1994 until mid-1997, ERA sponsored Elia Gallardo, an echoing green Foundation Fellow who initiated Lideres and helped turn it into an independent organization. Contact Lideres at (909) 865-7776.