For Immediate Release

Equality Federation Institute Releases Report on the Movement After Marriage
What’s Next: Building Strong LGBTQ Organizations Beyond the Marriage Milestone

Today, Equality Federation Institute released What’s Next: Building Strong LGBTQ Organizations Beyond the Marriage Milestone. This report carefully considers what effective advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) equality looks like after winning marriage for same-sex couples.

“At Equality Federation, we believe the movement for equality is not done once the freedom to marry has been extended to same-sex couples nationwide. We know we have more work to do, even after we achieve that monumental and historic victory,” said Rebecca Isaacs, executive director.

“What’s Next is about making sure we’re harnessing the momentum and power we’ve generated through our efforts to win marriage in order to continue improving the lives of LGBTQ people. Marriage equality will not keep LGBT young people in their homes and loved by their families. It will not keep them in school and out of the criminal justice system. It will not ensure transgender people access to accurate identity documents or critical healthcare services. It will not make our streets and our communities safe and free from violence. It will not make our military, our prisons, our immigration system, or our healthcare inclusive and just. It will not erase the vulnerability our community feels as we age in a world without an adequate safety net,” said Issacs.

Over the past year, Equality Federation Institute staff has been working with organizations in states that are beyond the marriage milestone, collaborating with organizations like EqualityMaine, Garden State Equality, OutFront Minnesota, Equality Maryland, Equality Hawaii, and Equality New Mexico as they engaged in a process to determine their organizations’ futures and the futures of the movement in their states.

Through these partnerships and conversations, the Equality Federation Institute team came to deeply understand the challenges facing states that have achieved the marriage milestone. What’s Next digs into these challenges and offers recommendations for movement leaders and funders who want to ensure that we’re building a strong movement that continues to win, long after marriage has been achieved.

“In my work on the ground with state-based groups, I saw leaders wrestling with the same questions. What’s our role now that we’ve won marriage? What does post-marriage work look like? How do we need to change and adapt to this new political environment? How can we remain viable?” said Fran Hutchins, author of What’s Next.

“If we want our state-based organizations to thrive after marriage — and to keep advancing equality in all the communities we call home — we have to answer these questions thoughtfully and strategically. We have to begin planning for what’s next after marriage, even before we win,” said Hutchins.

What’s Next: Building Strong LGBTQ Organizations Beyond the Marriage Milestone is available online at http://eqfed.org/whatsnext

About Equality Federation
Equality Federation is the strategic partner and movement builder to state-based organizations that are advancing equality in the communities we call home. Learn more at equalityfederation.org.

Contact:
Jace Woodrum, Director of Communications
720.412.3772 | jace@equalityfederation.org