On May 8, 2012 Amendment One passed in North Carolina, enshrining discrimination into the North Carolina Constitution. But the story didn’t end there.
The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) has never wavered in calling for full equality for all LGBT people. When Amendment One passed, we promised to continue our push for equality across North Carolina and the South.
Starting the next morning, on May 9th CSE raced across 10 town and cities in North Carolina and stood with LGBT couples and their supporters, saying “WE DO.”
In 2012 and 2013, more than 40 LGBT couples applied for marriage licenses as part of the WE DO Campaign in their hometowns across North Carolina. In Wilson, Durham, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Charlotte, Asheboro, Bakersville and Marshall, brave LGBT couples and their allies have stood up and said we are fully equal and called for full equality under the law.
WATCH:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVpT7ZP7bIE[/youtube]
In June, CSE staffers Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Lindsey Simerly were invited to the White House and met President Obama. (See Jasmine below.) They spoke with White House staffers about the urgent need that LGBT individuals and families have for legal protections in North Carolina and across the South.
In response to community requests, CSE’s legal team held a series of free “What Amendment One Means for You and Your Family” legal workshops across North Carolina. We went to Asheville, Charlotte, Asheboro, Winston-Salem and Durham. A huge thank you to attorneys Meghann Burke, Diane Walton, Bradley J. Weidemann, Connie Vetter and Sharon Thompson who generously donated their time in leading these workshops and answering questions about how Amendment One does – and doesn’t – impact people in N.C.
Then, thanks to more than 30 volunteer members of our legal team, CSE helped more than 70 individuals complete Health Care Power Attorney Forms during Blue Ridge Pride.
In recognition of CSE’s work across N.C., Rev. Beach-Ferrara received a 2012 Bob Page Equality Champion Award from Equality NC.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou6f9xHq_nw[/youtube]
We also continue to work with our good friends at Gender Benders on many different projects, including a March 2013 Community Law Workshop focused on the transgender rights in the workplace. Gender Benders is a group for transgender, gender variant, LGBTQQI, and allied individuals in the Upstate, S.C. area.
Through their “Change for Change” fundraising drive they donated nearly $2,000 to CSE, funding which went directly to the January 2013 stage of the WE DO Campaign, when we led actions across 7 Southern states!
In other words, the story didn’t end with Amendment One. One year later, we’re more fired up than ever. With your support, we’ll keep pushing hard to tell this new Southern story and advocate for federal equality.
Can you give a tax-deductible donation to support CSE’s work? http://southernequality.org/donate/
We’re committed to running a lean, nimble organization and your donation will go directly to our continued fight for full equality.
