Equality Ohio, Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Form Coalition

Equality Ohio, Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Form Coalition

Coalition will bring unprecedented effort for equality

Today, Equality Ohio joined with the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to announce the start of a new statewide coalition. Ohioans share some pretty basic values. We believe everyone should be free to live without fear of discrimination at home, at work and in their community. We believe all students should be free to go to school without the threat of harassment or violence. And we believe all loving couples, including same-sex couples, should have the freedom to marry the person they love, including loving, living and marrying right here in the Buckeye State.

That’s why our organizations have come together to form an historic statewide effort to stand up for these values here in the Buckeye State. By bringing together our resources and expertise, we will join with our state and national allies to launch an unprecedented effort to achieve equality in Ohio. Building on what we learned from last year’s campaigns in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington, we will activate our combined memberships of over 75,000 Ohioans to fight for passage of the Equal Housing and Employment Act, statewide anti-bullying legislation and ultimately, marriage equality.

Most of all, we are committed to strategic work that has victory as its ultimate goal. Our work in other successful coalitions around the country has taught us important lessons. In order for this effort to succeed, we must work in transparent partnership, we must have integrity in our leadership and we must have the resources necessary to win. We must be thoughtful, assemble a large coalition, and undertake the research and polling necessary to craft a winning message.

We understand that there will be and are other efforts to do similar work in Ohio, including repealing Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. While we believe that many hands make light work, we also know that acting prematurely or without the expertise of other like-minded groups can create dramatic set-backs. Our coalition’s broad focus and our understanding of the current Ohio and national landscapes have led us collectively to the conclusion that our path is the right one at this moment in time. We encourage others who may be interested in achieving similar results in a collaborative manner to lend their resources and expertise to this effort as the coalition grows over the coming months. To join us as an individual, visit our equality petition and sign-on!

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