By Melanie Nathan, June 09, 2012.
On June 14, 2012, at 6:00pm Bay Area activists will be speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, “Getting Equal and the Marriage Equality Movement: What Does President Obama’s Endorsement Mean?” New national strategies to achieve full equality: with Stuart Gaffney, National Media Director, Marriage Equality USA, John Lewis, Legal Director, Marriage Equality USA and Robin McGehee, Director and Founder, GetEQUAL
The fervor historically reserved for following sports teams has been extended to following court rulings on equality measures in the LGBT community. As plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008, Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis are uniquely qualified to clarify the maze of recent marriage equality rulings and provide a comprehensive update. In the struggle from the beginning, they will discuss what it has been like to ride the recent tidal wave of support following President Obama’s endorsement of marriage equality.
Robin McGehee, the founder of the grass root organization GetEQUAL, was propelled into the limelight and national-level activism after -Prop. 8 and represents a generation of activists demanding total equality. She is among only a handful of people who have been both arrested at the White House and later invited there. She will be discussing new national strategies to achieve full equality.
Now our community has an opportunity to hear from these acclaimed activists and to participate in a discussion. The fact that the President said he supports marriage equality is a mere door opener to a complex political landscape and a set of realities calling for action. This is not time to rest on one’s laurels, nor to rely only on the National organizations – it is a call to serious action for everyone. There is so much to be done and most people in our community remain sidelined and disinterested, leaving the work to the same core few. I encourage you to come down to the Commonwealth club on June 16th to acknowledge Pride Month in more than party fashion. Although with you all attending it may well turn out to be a party. The wine usually flows at the Commonwealth Club!
Getting Equal and the Marriage Equality Movement: What Does President Obama’s Endorsement Mean?
MLF: LGBT
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Laurie Wagner
Location Gold Room, The Commonwealth Club
www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2012-06-14/getting-equal-and-marriage-equality-movement
