What is the LEAD Taskforce?
As a proud supporter of Open to All, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, the chief financial officer of the largest city in the United States, is establishing Local Electeds Against Discrimination (LEAD), a national network of officials who are taking a stand for nondiscrimination protections in their regions.
In the coming years, Comptroller Stringer and LEAD will engage local government representatives from across the country to join the taskforce and:
- Develop a blueprint of model nondiscrimination policies and practices to be scalable for cities across the country;
- Assist members in engaging businesses in their communities, with the goal of securing supportive businesses in every state across the country and having them sign the Open to All pledge by the end of 2019; and
- Convene all taskforce members for a summit by the end of 2019 to identify opportunities for advancing policy change and business engagement to ensure that cities and businesses reject discrimination and are open to all.
I am an elected official, how can I get involved?
Members of the LEAD Taskforce will be invited to take the Open to All Electeds Pledge and add their name to the Open to All coalition. Then, by joining the LEAD taskforce, members will be invited to engage in two distinct ways:
- Engage businesses in your communities and invite them to sign the Open to All pledge. Open to All can provide you with resources, information and window clings for supportive businesses in your city. For more information, visit business.opentoall.com
- The taskforce will also be an opportunity for elected officials from around the country to come together and share ideas, best practices, and strategies for creating nondiscrimination policies and practices in their communities and/or contributing feedback and input into the development of model policies.
Elected Officials
What is Open to All?
Open to All is nationwide public engagement campaign to build awareness and understanding about the importance of protecting people from discrimination—and the bedrock principle that when businesses open their doors to the public, they should be Open to All.
As a nation, we decided long ago that when a business opens its doors to the public, it should be open to everyone, on the same terms. But shockingly, many Americans still can’t be sure they will be treated equally when they seek goods or services from businesses in their local communities.
No one should have to worry about whether they will be denied service or face hostility as they go about their daily lives. Yet far too often, we hear stories of discrimination, such as a gay couple being kicked out of an Uber, people of color facing abuse and violence in a diner, Muslim women ordered to leave a café, or people with disabilities being harassed in a restaurant.
That’s why leading businesses and others across the country are joining together to oppose discrimination and declare that they are Open to All regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion or disability.
Learn more at www.OpenToAll.com