Description
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Headed by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry brings new resources and a renewed context of urgency and opportunity to this social justice movement. Freedom to Marry brings the work of its partner organizations and their many approaches -- litigation, legislation, direct action, and public education -- into a larger whole, a shared civil rights campaign that fosters heightened outreach to non-gay allies.
Freedom to Marry encourages dialogue with Americans thinking through the need to end discrimination in marriage, provides support to targeted state and local efforts, and promotes fairness for all families, including same-sex couples and the children raised by gay parents. By working to secure equal access to marriage, we help reinforce our country's historic commitment to freedom, the pursuit of happiness, and equal justice for all.
As we advance toward full marriage equality, we promote gains along the way for all families, including same-sex couples and the children raised by gay parents. By working to end the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage, we help reinforce our country's historic commitment to freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. By ending sex discrimination in marriage, much as we ended race discrimination in marriage a generation ago, we are building a better America, protecting and supporting families, children, and the freedom of choice for all.
Freedom to Marry enhances progress toward marriage equality by filling four principal roles:
- Strategy and Support Center for our local and state partners;
- Catalyst that drives and influences the national debate on the freedom to marry;
- Partnership and Alliance-Builder enlisting local, regional, and national non-gay allies and non-gay public support; and
- Regrantor and Engine of Funding to augment local, state and national freedom to marry efforts, while advising funders and assisting local organizations' stimulation of their own funding.
Freedom to Marry works closely with every organization -- gay and non-gay, national and local -- taking part in this effort to end discrimination in marriage. Freedom to Marry has a talented and diverse staff and a Steering Committee that includes non-gay allies, civil rights activists, and experts.
Freedom to Marry has already begun implementing a focused, ambitious work-plan with our non-gay and gay partners, assisting in mounting multi-year strategic campaigns in several states as well as nationally. Once our goal of justice is achieved, this organization will cease operations.
