FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Family Equality Council Praises Democratic Party for Marriage Equality Endorsement
Encourages Democrats and Republicans to Discuss Other LGBT Family IssuesWashington, DC – (Sep. 4, 2012) – Family Equality Council, the national organization that connects, supports, and represents the one million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and their two million children, today commended the Democratic Party for endorsing marriage equality for LGBT couples in their 2012 platform.However, Family Equality Council Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler said the freedom to marry is only one of the issues that must be discussed during the campaign to ensure that LGBT families are fully represented under the law.“We are thrilled that Democratic Party leaders understand that parents who are LGBT want to protect their children through formal recognition of their relationships,” said Chrisler. “But marriage equality is just the beginning. Our families want to know why our children are being cheated out of the American dream by laws and policies that create higher economic burdens, decreased access to affordable health care, and other legal and social barriers.”Family Equality Council highlighted the areas of American life where LGBT parents and their children are underrepresented or face disparities in Modern Families: Ensuring the American Dream for All Families – an LGBT family platform released last week during the Republican Convention.The organization created the platform to help encourage members of both parties to begin a national conversation on how best to build and sustain all American families. This week, formal copies of the platform are being sent to campaign representatives of both Presidential candidates.The platform highlights specific areas where politicians and policymakers can demonstrate inclusive family values including employment and benefits, poverty and economic security, family creation, immigration, family definition, youth and education, health care and housing.Chrisler added, “As a country, we must honor and support the American dream for all families. That is certainly a core American value that every candidate, every campaign and every voter can and should support.”The full platform and action items can be downloaded at www.familyequality.org/platform
CONTACT: Steve Majors│Dir. Communications202.664.0079│smajors@familyequality.org