10 years of work :: 10 years of change ::
10 years closer to equality
Freedom
to Marry Week 2007, February 11-17, is fast approaching. This
year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of a week which has grown
from year to year, coast to coast, to highlight the need for
marriage equality in our country. In the last ten years, we’ve seen
great change and progress in our movement for equality, but we all
know that there remains a great deal of work to do.
Same sex couples with children suffer unique challenges in
connection with their exclusion from the rights and
responsibilities that come with marriage. All families should enjoy
the rights to keep our families safe, healthy, and secure for their
futures.
Freedom to Marry Week offers an opportunity to engage your
family, friends and neighbors in this important movement for
fairness and equality for all of our families. Every year, right
around Pres. Lincoln’s Birthday and Valentine’s Day, gay and
non-gay people around the country gather in living rooms,
rectories, parks and civic halls to celebrate our lives, our loves,
our families and the victories of our movement from the year
before.
Freedom to Marry Day, Sunday, February 11th, is a day to celebrate
and share our stories, reflect on the values of equality and love,
while also engaging our neighbors in the movement for equality and
fairness. So, how can you become more involved? Below are a few
ideas:
- Learn the importance of storytelling and
share your
story at our Story Center. Hearing the stories of real people
and how the denial of marriage makes a difference in their everyday
lives, and the lives of their kids and loved ones, is the most
effective way to help people understand how important ending
discrimination in marriage is to millions of people across the
country. - Write to family and friends telling them why
you care about the freedom to marry, and asking them to care, too.
Review our
Sample Letter which you can use as a template to reach out to
your circle of friends, acquaintances and fellow citizens in asking
for their understanding and support in the fight against
discrimination. - Contact your national and local elected
representatives, urging them to support marriage equality
and asking them to defend against any attempts to amend your state
constitution or the U.S. Constitution. - Sign the
Marriage Resolution, and share this resource as a tool
to spark conversation about marriage equality.
In addition, in honor of this year’s 10th Anniversary, there are
3 new ways to get involved: a Photo contest,
Video contest
& special Mini-Grants
for nonprofits.
Need more ideas? You can host a local event, have a house party,
start a conversation at your house of worship, ask your library,
bookseller or book group to read and discuss Why Marriage
Matters: America, Equality and Gay People’s Right to Marry,
have a picnic or party where diverse couples – gay and non-gay –
and their children can come together, talk about how they can get
involved and celebrate each other.
Freedom to Marry Week is filled with events, including those
specifically targeted to diverse families including Mombian.com’s
Freedom to Marry Blog Carnival, a play celebrating
marriage equality in Philadelphia, and a slate of
events bound to please all audiences in Houston, Texas. In
order to learn more about Freedom to Marry Week and get involved,
or plan your own event, visit Freedom to Marry’s website for
resources and schedules.