Late Tuesday evening, we watched history unfold as Donald Trump was declared the 45th President of the United States. On the cusp of a new administration, it is unknown how our new leaders will interact with our community or support our rights. But what we do know is that Family Equality Council is an organization poised to educate and work with this upcoming administration, continuing to champion LGBTQ families with the same unwavering resolve we have had for over thirty years.
Facing an uncertain future, we will continue to work for lived and legal equality for all LGBTQ-headed families, but our presence is needed now more than ever.
Family Equality Council’s plan includes:
- Continue our nationwide community building by providing the structures of connection, support and safe spaces, both in person and online, and bringing families and allies together.
- Creating tools and resources that empower our community and enable families to be made aware of the issues affecting them, so they are able to best protect their own families.
- Defending and advocating for our families on both the national and state levels by both fighting back laws and policies that chip away at equality and advancing our pro-family agenda.
Here is why Family Equality Council is necessary:
- From our largest event of Family Week in Provincetown where we bring together more than 2,200 people to our collaboration with StoryCorps where we captured the stories of families across the South to be archived in the Library of Congress, we are working to strengthen and grow our community, engaging more than 33,000 families each year.
- Laws concerning LGBTQ individuals and families are uneven across states, and we have developed a series of state law guides that provide families with specific guidance in family law areas affecting LGBTQ-headed families.
- We are working to end discrimination in the foster care system and relevant agencies against LGBTQ youth or adults, opening up millions of homes for youth in care and ensuring that everything possible is done in the best interest of children who are in the system, especially for those identifying as LGBTQ.
I know you are asking yourself, and probably have been since Tuesday evening, what can YOU do?
We cannot make the impact your families will need in the days ahead without your help now. To intentionally and strategically face what’s in front of us, we need to be able to reach as many members of our community as possible. You can help us by sharing our work and message to your networks on Facebook and Twitter, spreading our core value that love is what makes a family.
As an organization, we are dedicated to ensuring that our families are protected and have the resources and tools needed to make this happen. But we cannot do this without your support. If you believe in the critical work we do, sign this pledge that says you believe in family equality. And if you are able, please make a gift today. Any amount will help us continue our work on behalf of the millions of parents, children, extended families, and allies in our community.
We’re in this WITH YOU. We will move forward together and with love.
Stan Sloan, CEO of Family Equality Council
Nancy Lyons, Board Chair of Family Equality Council