It is one of the greatest joys of my life to serve on the Human Rights Campaign’s national Board of Directors. Often at the Columbus Dinner boardmembers may introduce a section of the program…I was on stage several times at the June 2024 diner. The words below were some of the most important words I’ve been honored to share at a Human Rights Campaign event.
Good evening, I am Densil Porteous and I use he/they pronouns.
As we gather in this room full of hope and determination, we must recognize the immense challenges that persist both near and far.
The struggles faced by countless individuals around the world demand our attention, our compassion, and our unwavering commitment to human rights.
From Palestine and Israel, Far too many lives have been tragically taken…unnecessarily…all of whom should still be with us today.
Over the past week, images of the devastation created by the Israeli bombing of a refugee camp inside a designated safe zone have been gut-wrenching.
The assault on Rafah must stop—violence, war, forced oppression should never be the answer.
What’s so clear in this moment is that hate and extremism are a global challenge — and we all have a responsibility to play our role in ensuring humanity prevails.
Of course, this distant grief is compounded with our own challenges here at home.
Rising extremism against Jewish, Arab and Muslim people, Women, Black and A-A-N-H-P-I communities, and the LGBTQ+ community is taking a devastating toll.
As the HRC Community, we must be united in the fight against bigotry, discrimination and hate.
Now, more than ever, we must come together to use our power to build a world where every person
is treated with dignity and where differences are celebrated, not shunned.While violence and injustice persist here at home and abroad, we must remember that our greatest strength is found in community, and that divisiveness is the
root of disempowerment.We are honored to be in this fight alongside every one of you.
