Dear Family Equality Council friends and supporters,
I joined Family Equality Council as CEO in July of this year, and I truly love this job. Is it challenging? Yes. Do we face a difficult political future? Without a doubt. But the team of staff and board members that I have been privileged to join are incredibly strong, and I am optimistic that we, together, will meet the challenges that lie ahead.
We have enjoyed unprecedented progress on LGBTQ issues in 2015 and 2016, and Family Equality Council’s leadership has played a significant role in that progress. As we enter 2017 the staff and board are ever aware that our successes are due to entirely due to you – our supporters – and we are so grateful.
It only takes a look back at the past month to demonstrate how valuable your support is. In the past 30 days we:
- Hosted a national conference call for concerned LGBTQ families to address the impact of the election
- Launched two brand new resource guides for LGBTQ-headed families in Texas and New Mexico
- Opened Early Bird Registration for our flagship national community gathering – Family Week – in Provincetown next summer
- Hosted donor events with policy updates in Florida and New York
- Strengthened our relationships with our peer organizations in the LGBTQ movement
- Entered a new partnership with the National Center for Adoption and Permanency in support of homeless youth needing families
- Sent the first invites and aligned talent for the 2017 LA Impact Awards
- Released in-depth research into the anti-LGBTQ records of incoming Trump Administration cabinet nominees
- Continued to mobilize against possible attacks on our freedoms
And that’s just the public face. Behind the scenes, we spent hundreds of hours in meetings and on calls with constituents and partners, planning exciting new projects, resources, and services for your families, our community, in 2017.
On behalf of the whole Family Equality Council team, I thank you for standing with us, and I wish you a Happy New Year.
The Reverend Stan J Sloan, CEO