Thalia Zepatos

Thalia Zepatos was Freedom to Marry's Director of Research and Messaging. She is widely recognized as the “message guru” who led the marriage movement’s messaging shift, resulting   in exponential growth in support for marriage in the US that paved the way for a Supreme Court victory.

Thalia Zepatos

Her collaborative approach to message research led to the development of Why Marriage Matters – a public education partnership of 30 state and national organizations – and Familia es Familia, a national partnership of two-dozen Latino civil rights organizations.

Zepatos has a long track record in fighting anti-gay and anti-choice ballot measures and played a key role in devising tactics for the crucial 2012 ballot victories on marriage in November, 2012 – the first-ever victories at the ballot. She was an advisor to the YES! Equality national referendum campaign in Ireland, and has been consulting internationally with other campaigns and social movements.

Zepatos is the co-author of Women for a Change: A Grassroots Guide to Activism and Politics and is the author of two travel books for women. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Mike.