Mayor of Asheville, NC signs on to Mayors for the Freedom to Marry

This week, Mayor Esther Manheimer, the newly elected mayor of Asheville, North Carolina, signed onto Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, a coalition of nearly 400 mayors from across the country who support marriage for same-sex couples. 

She said today:

I feel fortunate to be mayor of a city where many loving, committed same-sex couples reside. Asheville is a better place because of the LGBT individuals and families who live here, contribute greatly to our community and call it home. As Asheville’s mayor, I understand the importance of standing up for the rights and equality of our LGBT citizens. I know someday soon they will be full and equal citizens under the law.

Along with a growing number of Southern mayors, I’m proud to officially join Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.

Mayors and the cities they represent have long played critical roles in advancing civil rights and treatment for all Americans - and this is no less true of the freedom to marry. In each of the states where we have won marriage, support from local elected officials has helped to tip the scales in our favor. When mayors and other elected officials speak up at the local level, they fuel a conversation and demonstrate that all members of their local communities - including same-sex couples and their families - matter and deserve basic fairness and dignity. You can encourage your mayor to support the freedom to marry with our Light Up the Map tool HERE. 

Mayor Manheimer's decision to join Mayors for the Freedom to Marry comes the same week as the launch of Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, our new campaign in partnership with 13 state and regional organizations dedicated to winning equality for LGBT people.

One of our partners for Southerners for the Freedom to Marry is the Campaign for Southern Equality, which makes its home in Asheville, NC. This weekend in Asheville, the Campaign for Southern Equality will host the first LGBT* in the South Conference, one of the first-ever opportunities for organizers to come together and discuss ways to move forward specifically in southern states. Freedom to Marry's Digital Director Michael Crawford and Public Education Programs Manager Jake Loesch will be in attendance to present on social media best practices and Southerners for the Freedom to Marry.

Freedom to Marry celebrates Mayor Manheimer's support, and encourages fair-minded mayors in cities across the South to pledge their commitment to equality as a Mayor for the Freedom to Marry.

Ask your mayor to sign on HERE, and learn more about Southerners for the Freedom to Marry