Night of Marriage Equality Parties - May 16


-National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Launches Night of Marriage Equality Parties Across the Country

-Supporters Host House Parties To Fund the Work of the Task Force

On May 16, 2004, the night before the historic Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples is scheduled to go into effect, more than one hundred households across the country will host parties in support of the marriage equality work of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

"It is vital to support the extraordinary work of the Task Force in any way I can," says one of the party hosts, Charles V. Chesson, 42, of Chevy Chase, Maryland. "My reason for doing this is because the Task Force believes in grassroots, community-based solutions - the battle we are facing for marriage equality is in the townships, cities and states across the country - the same places where the Task Force concentrates so much of its work. Those people standing in line for marriage licenses are average citizens simply looking to be part of the "we the people that we all learn about when we are younger. The Task Force helps us say, 'we ARE the people.'"

Chesson continued, "I believe this battle for marriage equality is not just about me and the people my age, it is about the young people coming after us who may not understand the long struggle our community faced to come this far in our larger struggle for full and complete equality. There is unjustice and inequality in this world and we must do what we can to support the organizations working on the frontlines in this battle."

"The generosity of our supporters across the country never fails to amaze me," says Charles Robbins, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force director of development. " This will prove to be a truly empowering event not only for the hosts, but for the people who attend the parties."

The parties will be linked to each other via a national conference call to listen to a State of the Unions address from Task Force executive director Matt Foreman, and other special guests.

For information on participating in the night of marriage equality parties across the country, contact Charles Robbins at crobbins@TheTaskForce.org or 323.857.8746.

For information on the struggle for marriage equality, log in to the Task Force Marriage Information Resource Center at http://www.TheTaskForce.org/marriagecenter.