National NOW Times >> Summer/Fall 2005 >> Article

Personalizing the Equal Marriage Message

By Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz, Lesbian Rights Field Organizer

Over the past several months an Equal Marriage Ad Hoc Committee of grassroots leaders has been working on implementing NOW's equal marriage educational campaign.

A resolution passed at the 2004 National Conference called for NOW to conduct a campaign that would implement leadership speaker training sessions on the issue of marriage equality, develop a list of speakers to encourage debate and education on this issue within NOW and outside of NOW, conduct a proactive media campaign on this issue and develop products and action kits for the NOW leadership and grassroots activists.

With this mandate in hand, the Equal Marriage Ad Hoc Committee developed a "personalizing the message" campaign.  The committee decided that one of the best ways to move the country on the issue of equal marriage would be to collect stories from LGBT people and allies throughout the country on their personal experiences as committed couples, as well as the stories of friends and families who are affected by the inability to enjoy the recognition and the benefits of civil marriage. These stories will be included in future NOW publications and on the web site. Equal Marriage feminist products have also been developed and incorporated in the NOW products catalog, to expand the campaign's visibility.

"Polling data shows that personal stories have had a significant impact on changing the public's heart and mind on the issue of same-sex marriage. LGBT people are not statistics, nor are our lives and families a political football for the right wing. We are real people who have compelling life stories of loss, love and commitment.  Telling our stories is one of the best ways for the country to see our dignity, our commitment and our ability to love without boundaries," said NOW Executive Vice President Olga Vives.

NOW's National Action Center has set up a story-collecting page on our web site at: now.org/issues/marriage/send-stories.html. We ask all NOW activists to encourage LGBT people and allies in their local communities to share their stories.  All stories will be reviewed and some will be chosen for placement on the web site, in press releases, in the News and Action Summary and in the National NOW Times.  We may solicit photos to accompany some of the submissions.  In addition, stories submitted to the National Action Center from various states will be shared with chapters in those states so that they can be used in local NOW newsletters, web sites and in other communication pieces.

"Personalizing the message is an important way to bring visibility, and also an understanding of how LGBT people and our families face discrimination in marriage.  Through this strategy we will be creating a cadre of powerful spokespeople and a patchwork of diverse stories that can move this issue towards a just resolution in the United States," said Vives. "We hope that NOW activists will join in our effort to speak to the country about how LGBT people are equally deserving of the many benefits of civil marriage, access to resources that help to protect the health and well being of our partners and children, and the recognition of us as families."