Those are the New Year’s resolutions for the Family Equality
Council and I hope, in 2012, they will be yours.
This year, we will mark the 30th anniversary of our organization.
Over the past 30 years we have worked tirelessly to strengthen our
families by building our community to support parents and children,
sharing our stories to open hearts and minds, and raising our
voices to create social justice for all families.
Today, because of our work, we have a strong community of parents
and children, grandparents and grandchildren who reach across this
country. They live their lives, raise their children, worship, and
pay their taxes in New York and Los Angeles; Jacksonville and
Little Rock; San Antonio and Detroit; and all points in
between.
For three decades, we have worked to create a world where those
families and ALL loving families could be recognized, respected,
and protected.
This year we will celebrate the positive changes that have made the
world a better place for those 1 million families with parents who
are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
The work has not always been easy, but it has been rewarding.
So this year, I ask you to resolve to join us by celebrating our
anniversary, committing yourself to help advance equality on behalf
of our families, and connecting on a deeper level with the growing
community of families supported by the Family Equality Council.
- Come celebrate our community at one of these major events that
mark our year-long celebration of Family Equality Council’s 30th
anniversary.
- At our Los
Angeles Awards Dinner on February 11th and at Night at the Pier
in New York on May 8th, we will gather together our families,
supporters, friends, and allies where we will celebrate our
accomplishments and talk about the important and urgent work that
still needs to be done to protect our families.
- Join us for our first Family Weekend in Washington DC from May
17-19, when families from across the country will learn more about
how laws and policies affecting our families are made, talk to
members of Congress about issues that are important to us, raise
our voices to make sure that our families’ stories are heard and
validated, and experience the thrill of sightseeing in our
nation’s capital.
- Celebrate with us in Provincetown at Family Week (July 28- Aug.
4) or at the Midwest Families Conference (Apr. 27-28) and Family
Camp (July 20-22) in Minnesota, where our children can meet, play,
and make friends with other children with LGBT moms and dads.
- Mark International Family Equality Day (May 6) or show your
Pride in your family (month of June) and use those opportunities to
gather in an environment where our families will be respected and
celebrated.
Even in the midst of our celebration, we recognize there is more
work to be done for our families. So we have resolved to use this
year to recommit our organization to changing the world for future
generations of families. Here is how you can resolve to commit
yourself to be a part of that change.
- Commit to spreading the word
about Family Equality Council to at least three new families this
year by sending them this link to sign on as a supporter.
- Commit to sharing
your story to introduce more Americans to LGBT families. Our
public education efforts help change attitudes and policies so that
all families will one day be valued for their commitment to one
another.
- Commit to learning about the issues that are important to our
families in this election year. Check back soon at our new website
to learn how you can influence lawmakers and policymakers with just
a simple mouse-click. Make sure that in this most heated of
political environments the lies and untruths told about our
families don’t go unanswered.
Finally, we hope you resolve this year to help connect with
families in your community and with some of the millions of other
families across our country.
- Become active in your community by connecting
with your local LGBT parenting group. If one doesn’t exist in
your neighborhood, allow us to help you make the connections that
will help a new group thrive and flourish.
- Connect with us online. In a few weeks, we’ll be launching a
rich, user-friendly new website that will allow you to connect with
other families and with us. We’ll also be launching a new child
development newsletter for new and expecting parents to share
useful information about important health and wellness milestones.
Stay tuned this month to learn more.
- Connect with us through “Scan & Send It” – an upcoming
program that will give you an even bigger voice in changing systems
to truly include all our family structures.
- Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
More than 3,500 friends joined us on Facebook last year and our
Twitter followers nearly doubled. Follow and friend us for a chance
to raise your voices for fairness.
This year, more than ever, we resolve to make a world of difference
for all families.
We hope you’ll join us in celebration, make a meaningful
commitment to fairness for all families, and connect with the
growing community of parents and children, grandparents and
grandchildren across this country.
On behalf of the board and staff of Family Equality Council, I wish
you a healthy and happy New Year.
-Jenn