Meet in the Middle for Equality Today!

Thousands of supporters of same-sex marriage are meeting in Fresno, CA today for a 1 p.m. rally that will mark the beginning of a statewide and national effort toward full federal equality.

Meet in the Middle 4 Equality was organized to take place in Fresno because, as explained on the website: “we will not have a better stage, a better moment in time, as the nation waits and watches, as we converge, from each section of this state, to demonstrate OUR community’s statewide mobilization for FULL equality, in the epicenter of middle America values, for US and for all our LGBT family across this great Nation.”

The event will begin at 12:00 noon with a rally warm-up and at 1:00 p.m. the rally will begin.

Speakers scheduled to appear:

* Jeff Robinson – Central Valley’s history and efforts for LGBT equality
* Robin Tyler – Reaction to the court decisions
* Angelica Salas – Bi-national discrimination around marriage equality and the need to address immigrant rights
* Molly McKay & Terry Stewart – Marriage equality is the cornerstone of this movement – we need you all to get involved – joined by MEUSA chapter leaders
* Andrea Shorter – Use the arms of legislative lobbying, community building to bring about change
* GSA Network Youth Leaders– Safe School Legislation and the social obligation to enforce this protection EVERYWHERE – bullying leads to self-hate, self-violence and hate crimes
* Emery Hannon & Morgan Early – My family deserves equality
* Chrysanthe Tan – The value of listening to our youth
* Ellis Vance – Educator, father, grandfather and husband of 42+ years
* Kip Williams – Engaging those who struggle to understand us
* Layne Soares – Veteran of the US Army addressing “Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell”
* Lt. Daniel Choi – Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell – Don’t Fire Me
* Assembly Member John Perez – The politics of equality
* Diana Oliva – Rural legal assistance and the need to commit, as a community, to not allow our trans community to be excluded from legislation that is meant to protect us
* Rabbi Denise Eger – Human sexuality, interfaith dialogue and human rights
* Jerry Thurston & Diane Blair – Social obligation to come out for equality
* Christine Chavez – We must continue to march, united for equality
* Father Geoff Farrow – Religious persecution leads to self-hate, self-violence and hate crimes and that is on the hands of those who do not speak out
* Sal Rosselli
* Rev. Eric Lee – “Proposition 8: The California Divide”
* Dustin Lance Black – We need to fight religious persecution and social discrimination anywhere if we want to help our LGBT brothers and sisters everywhere – the need for full Federal equality
* Rick Jacobs – The work that must be done EVERYWHERE
* Cleve Jones – LONG HARD STRUGGLE for equality
* Robin McGehee, Our Family Coalition & COLAGE – The families who learn the language of discrimination
* Camp Courage Fresno Team with Courage Campaign’s Fresno County Equality Team – Canvas team

For more information visit Meet in the Middle 4 Equality.