A Note from Evan Wolfson
This year, September is particularly bittersweet as we mark anniversaries of two of the most devastating events in our country's history — the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Hurricane Katrina natural and man-made disasters in 2005. Both underscored our national and personal vulnerability, and showed the importance of protections for families, including those of us who are gay and those who love us.
September also marks the fifth anniversary of the "blueprint" article I wrote laying out a vision of a sustained and affirmative campaign to win the freedom to marry. [Click here to read the 9/11/01 article, All Together Now (A Blueprint for the Movement)]
In the face of much that has gone wrong for America over the past five years, we have made undeniable progress in explaining why marriage matters to gay Americans. With the blueprint still before us, let's renew and redouble our work for social justice and reap the harvest we've sown.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF EVAN’S NOTE.
Follow developments in the movement for marriage equality on our website, and in future issues of Freedom to Marry's bi-monthly E-Update.
Reports from the Front
A Labor Day Look at Marriage Equality
There’s no question that there is a growing embrace of marriage equality in the workplace! Two conferences held this month make that crystal clear: the Pride at Work national conference and the annual Out and Equal conference.
Pride at Work is the voice in the labor movement for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers, and Out and Equal brings together employees of major corporations who are pushing for fairness in the workplace.
The Pride at Work conference was held this past weekend, and I had the opportunity to be part of a day-long institute on marriage equality as part of the conference. It was a lively and informative day, organized by Pride at Work founder Desma Holcomb and Pride at Work marriage organizer Sandra Telep.
The highlight of the day was a panel of three non-gay allies, each talking about the personal journey that had made them a public advocate for marriage equality...
Read the rest of Roey Thorpe's report from the front HERE.
Sharing Our Stories
Terri Miller, Ed.D., a high school administrator, and Cindy Simms, a ceramic artist, make up one of many longtime gay and lesbian couples who offer a shining example of love and commitment as we fight for marriage equality. The couple has designated a durable power of attorney for health care and a living trust to afford each other some protection to their joint assets and properties as they approach their golden years. Without the protection that marriage affords, couples can be left to face the possibility that, in the unfortunate case of a tragedy, their loved one will be seen as complete strangers in the eyes of the law.
Read the rest, and more like this, in our STORY CENTER or submit your own story HERE.
Freedom to Marry Voice of Equality Rocky Anderson called 'America's Mayor'
On the anniversary of 9/11, a Salt Lake Tribune columnist suggests the "America's Mayor" torch should now go Rocky Anderson, "a forward-thinker with his priorities straight who represents the best of this country, yet like no other, can articulate how we have been led to embrace the worst."
Read the whole article HERE.
Click HERE to meet the rest of Freedom to Marry's Voices of Equality.
The Latest News
For the latest news, opinions, and polls, including these articles, check out our website.
OPINION: No convincing op-ed
piece against the freedom to marry
Roanoke Times
September 9, 2006
Perhaps foes of marriage equality are afraid that gay and
lesbian people are becoming too "normal." What scares
them is that marriage is a new category that falls outside of
previous ones about gays; it in effect desexualizes
gays, and as Fuhrman's essay revealed, conservatives want gay people
to go back in the closet and just have sex.
Brad
and Angelina won't marry until all couples can
MSNBC
September 8, 2006
Brad Pitt says he and Angelina Jolie won’t be marrying until the
restrictions against gay and lesbian couples
are dropped.
Immigration rights and marriage
equality
365Gay.com
September 5, 2006
Congress has been grappling with dueling immigration bills amid
calls for granting legal status to illegal
immigrants to throwing them out of the country altogether. For gay
and lesbian Americans, immigrants, and
bi-national couples the issue is compounded by their continued
exclusion from the rights, protections and benefits
afforded by the right to marry.
