Courage. Creativity. Community. Here’s What Drives HRC Alabama Volunteers

by Guest contributor

Two Volunteer Leadership Committee chapters in Huntsville and Birmingham bring together LGBTQ people and allies work with HRC’s Project One America team.

Courage. Creativity. Community. These are the values that motivate HRC Alabama volunteers. Alabama is home to two Volunteer Leadership Committee chapters (VLC) in Huntsville and Birmingham that bring together LGBTQ people and allies work with HRC’s Project One America team. Together, this community works to advance equality through community service, membership events and political activities. The recent election of former civil rights prosecutor Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate is the most prominent example of this drive for change. HRC Alabama and its VLCs served as hubs for volunteer-led campaigning, helping to propel Jones to victory.

Courage
It takes courage to push for LGBTQ equality in spaces where we aren’t sure if we will be heard or understood. This courage helps members of HRC Alabama VLCs serve as ambassadors for equality through community service, by hosting social events and maintaining a visible presence at events across the state.

Creativity
Handling several projects at once requires a great deal of creativity in determining how to maximize impact and minimize cost. Because our teams are volunteer-led, our members must find creative ways to improve their communities while balancing life’s many challenges and responsibilities. Additionally, our teams actively collaborate with communities across racial, socioeconomic and regional divides.

Community
In 2017, many committee members named “community” as one of the qualities they appreciated most about their work with HRC. HRC Alabama’s VLCs seek to build stronger relationships with their communities that go beyond connecting with existing LGBTQ-serving organizations. They strive to build intersectional coalitions with organizations serving immigrant communities, communities of faith, anti-racism groups and others at the intersections of LGBTQ experiences.

The Volunteer Leadership Committees of Alabama serve in this spirit of courage, creativity and community to drive equality forward in the South. The Birmingham VLC meets every other Thursday from 6-7:30pm. Huntsville VLC meets every other Monday from 6-7:30pm. To join an existing VLC or to begin building one in your community, contact Richard Caban-Cubero, HRC Alabama Field Organizer, at richard.caban-cubero@hrc.org.