PFLAG National Celebrates Historic Victories for Equality
Last Tuesday night's election brought multiple watershed moments in the advancement of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
PFLAG National—the nation’s original family and ally organisation, and the largest grassroots-based non-profit for families, friends, and allies of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people—issued the following statement today from Executive Director Jody M. Huckaby:
“It is a new day in America. The myth that being an ally to the LGBT community or being an openly gay elected official will hurt you politically has been proven to be just that: a myth. The narrative that every time marriage equality has been—wrongly—put to a popular vote it loses was proven to be fiction in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and, with cautious optimism, Washington.
“We are elated and we celebrate the power of grassroots organising and the countless people who worked so hard to achieve these victories. The family and ally voice is what made the difference and it will be what continues to make the difference moving forward.
“But as we celebrate, our membership of parents, families, friends and allies of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people—and LGBT people themselves—in all fifty states, in all types of communities and from every faith background , are acutely aware of how much more work lies ahead.
“We know this because, despite last Tuesday night’s watershed victory for LGBT equality, there are still people in many communities who will celebrate quietly because they still are not free to be themselves. In too many places in America, an LGBT person will still experience discrimination in their place of employment, a child will still awake with dread at the thought of being bullied in their school, and a loving same-sex couple hoping to become parents through adoption will never be given that opportunity. And although same-sex couples across the country woke up elated, ready to plan their weddings, that joy was tinged by the fact that their marriage still would not have the same federal legal protections or benefits as that of a straight couple.
“We call on the President and his Administration to continue the important work of creating a fair and equal country for Americans, including LGBT Americans. And we call on the incoming Congress specifically to advance the Respect for Marriage Act which would repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, to advance federal protections against discrimination in the workplace, to create safer school environments for all children to receive a quality education, and to ensure that every child has the opportunity to be raised in a loving home, including the homes of LGBT people.
“Let’s keep moving equality forward…and continuing to make history.”