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The Empire State Pride Agenda is Going Head-to-Head with NOM

Posted by: Natasia Rose on July 26, 2010.

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07/26/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

New York’s LGBT rights advocacy group, The Empire State Pride Agenda, is going national. The group has released a statement to it’s members announcing that they are forming nation-wide partnerships in an effort to combat the anti-equality group, NOM. Read the statement below and get revved up to fight back!

As you know, the Pride Agenda is hard at work in New York State, building coalitions of supporters and changing hearts and minds so that we can win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. But we know that our work toward marriage equality and transgender civil rights on a state level is just one important part of what’s being done nationwide to win rights for our community. Freedom to Marry has been an important ally in our local marriage work, and as we continue to fight for the freedom to marry in New York, we urge you to join Freedom to Marry in support of the national fight for marriage and the effort to overturn DOMA. Below is a message from Freedom to Marry’s Executive Director, Evan Wolfson, about his organization’s work and how you can get involved.

A special message from Evan Wolfson

We can win the freedom to marry in New York and nationwide.

You’ve already taken an important step in getting us there by working with the Empire State Pride Agenda — and we can’t thank you enough.

But to win nationwide we need your help.

Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We have a Roadmap to Victory — a step-by-step plan to end marriage discrimination. To achieve our goal, we must:
Build a majority for marriage. We will promote a national discussion around LGBT people and marriage like the one already begun by the Empire State Pride Agenda. The conversations we spark will influence public opinion and create the climate that emboldens judges and politicians to do the right thing.
Win marriage in more states. We will work with the Empire State Pride Agenda, and other state and national partners, to win marriage in more key states and continue building momentum for the freedom to marry.
End federal marriage discrimination. As we build a national majority for marriage and continue to win marriage in more states, we’ll set the stage for action by Congress or the Supreme Court that will end discrimination against same-sex couples.
As the Roadmap outlines, we need to win marriage in more states, and winning marriage in New York is a critical step in this national campaign. By continuing to work with the Empire State Pride Agenda and providing financial resources for field efforts, we are dedicated to winning marriage in New York and continuing the momentum across the country.
Join us as we partner with the Empire State Pride Agenda in New York and work across the country to win marriage nationwide.
We are up against well-funded groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). NOM is engaged in an aggressive campaign of fear-mongering and anti-gay scare tactics, and are particularly targeting New York.

Together with you and the Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to Marry will fight their distortions with the truth and take effective action to win New York and other states, build a majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination.

Join us, along with the Empire State Pride Agenda, in going head-to-head with NOM to win marriage in New York and nationwide.
We’re on the road to victory, and together we will bring it home.

Thanks for your support,

Evan Wolfson
Executive Director, Freedom to Marry