 | | | | Send Joce and Carla a note of support this Mother's Day | | | | | | | Dear Jen,
We are two weeks into Project One America—our bold new civil rights campaign to dramatically expand lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality to Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
With a permanent presence in these states, we will make progress on three fronts: changing hearts and minds, pushing for institutional change and advancing legal protections for LGBT people.
Today, on Mother's Day, we shine a spotlight on two incredible women who have already taken action on this first important front—by courageously sharing their story, first in the New York Times, and now, through Project One America.
As gay Mississippians, Joce and Carla live in constant fear…fear that their kids will be taken from them by the state if they fight too openly…that Joce's business will suffer if she's too vocal about who she is…even that people who don't approve of their "lifestyle" could physically harm them or their kids.
As a family, they fight an uphill battle every day. When Joce and Carla decided to have children, none of the fertility specialists in town would treat "unmarried women" with in vitro-fertilization, so they had to travel back and forth to New Orleans.
And today, their two children can only have Carla's last name as their middle name. Though Carla is their biological mother—the couple decided that Joce would carry Carla's eggs—she is not considered a parent in the eyes of the law in Mississippi.
This is precisely why Project One America begins in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
These three states share the distinction of having no local or state laws that protect individuals from discrimination in the workplace, housing or public accommodations—and each state's constitution expressly prohibits marriage equality.
Joce and Carla are no different from their neighbors in Mississippi—who are holding down jobs, raising families and contributing to their communities—and they deserve to have the same rights in the state that they love.
| | | | | Send two mothers a note of support for their bravery and inspiration | | | | On this Mother's Day, let Joce and Carla know you stand with them—and for all loving, committed LGBT couples and their families—in the fight for true equality. | | | | | | | | | | | | | Like all parents, a mother means everything to her children. She nurtures them, reads to them at bedtime, and teaches them to love and respect others. No law—no matter how discriminatory—can be stronger than the bond between a parent and their children.
Yet brave mothers like Carla and Joce still live in an America where members of our community are struggling for equal citizenship.
Join us this Mother's Day in thanking them for having the courage—as mothers and citizens—to share their story. As part of Project One America, they are bringing visibility to LGBT Southerners despite facing great adversity and stigma.
Send a message to all LGBT mothers that they are not alone—and that we stand with them in the fight for equality.
Thank you, Chad Griffin
President
Human Rights Campaign
P.S. Joce and Carla's story stands as one example of the pressing need for Project One America, and I hope you are as inspired as I am by their bravery. Send them a note of encouragement today. Your action will become a collective statement from all of us—that we will not rest until every LGBT person is afforded the same rights as their fellow Americans. | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment