HRC Launches “Americans for Marriage Equality Communications War Room"

Opens Next Phase in National Marriage Equality Fight

02/04/2013

Washington– The Human Rights Campaign today announced a Communications War Room for Americans for Marriage Equality – a coalition to advance marriage equality nationwide and provide up-to-the-minute information for lawmakers, legal experts, media, and grassroots supporters. Following the defeat of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8 last year, new marriage equality battles are underway in the courts, at the ballot and in public education campaigns. HRC is launching Americans for Marriage Equality to give national support and leadership to the next phase in the push to win marriage equality nationwide.

Americans for Marriage Equality will offer communications resources to local, state, and national efforts for marriage equality; serve as a national platform for sharing the latest information and tools; and provide access to a full-time, bipartisan war room staff. The war room effort will be run out of HRC and led by Democratic and Republican strategists Olivia Alair of SKDKnickerbocker and Brian Jones of Black Rock Group.  Allied organizations will be invited to join the coalition and send staff to work hand in hand to share information among all members.

In the coming weeks, Americans for Marriage Equality will launch a “Playbook-style” morning tipsheet with the latest national marriage equality news and developments in state-level legislation, ballot measures, and court cases. The coalition will showcase the diverse array of marriage equality supporters and a new website will soon serve as a one-stop hub for news, polling, and other resources. The coalition also plans to begin hosting events and opportunities for partners and media to learn more about the status of current legislative and judicial efforts underway in states around the nation.

“Our nation is at a turning point, and while a growing bipartisan majority of Americans believe that everyone should be able to marry the person they love, we still have crucial battles ahead to ensure marriage equality becomes the law of the land in all 50 states,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “That’s why we are launching a new communications operation to promote marriage equality: to lift up every voice and every ally in this fight and show that the country is ready for marriage. HRC will bring the best minds from across the nation together and provide every resource we can to end discrimination against loving gay couples once and for all. We will also launch resources to help keep lawmakers, legal experts, and news media informed about developments across the nation.”

The concept for Americans for Marriage Equality was borne out of a successful coalition effort in 2013, designed to support marriage equality against the backdrop of two historic U.S. Supreme Court cases challenging DOMA and Prop 8.  HRC co-chaired the coalition of more than 100 organizations that worked to keep lawmakers, media, and allied organizations and grassroots supporters abreast of marriage equality developments – both at the Supreme Court and in state legislative battles across the country. Over that time period from late 2012 to June of 2013, ABC News/Washington Post polling showed that national support for marriage equality rose from 51 percent to 57 percent.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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