HRC Blog

You & HRC: Protecting and Caring for LGBT Families in 2011

December 28, 2011 by Dan Rafter, Online Campaigns Manager

You helped bring marriage equality to New York this past year – delivering more than 53,000 postcards to state legislators and generating more than 44,000 emails and 11,000 phone calls to lawmakers. Fifty-one iconic New Yorkers participated in HRC’s successful New Yorkers for Marriage Equality video campaign.

As we head into 2012, 12 percent of the U.S. population now lives in either a state or the District of Columbia where marriage equality exists. HRC’s recently launched Americans for Marriage Equality campaign features prominent Americans who support allowing committed same-sex couples to get married. With your help, we continue to aggressively challenge the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – in November, we delivered over 135,000 petitions to the U.S. Senate calling on them to repeal DOMA.

In 2011, more than 2,000 school personnel participated in HRC’s Welcoming Schools training, an LGBT-inclusive approach to addressing family diversity, gender stereotyping, bullying and name-calling in K-5 learning environments. The program is a central part of HRC’s efforts to stem bullying and create safe, welcoming environments for youth.

Learn more about how you helped HRC advocate for marriage equality and protect LGBT families in 2012.