FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 4, 2008
Contact: Ginny Apuzzo at (845) 430-4794

LGBTQ CENTER TO HOLD DECEMBER 10
"TEACH IN/SPEAK OUT" ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY

KINGSTON, NEW YORK (Dec. 4) – A public forum on the issue of marriage equality in America, and the LGBTQ community's response to the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California, will take place on Wednesday, December 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center.

"The Election Day passage of Proposition 8 in the nation's largest state, on the very same day the nation as a whole saw an historic advance in the name of equality, was a painful irony for LGBTQ Americans, their families and friends," said Ginny Apuzzo, president of the Center. "When hatred is written into a constitution, revoking human rights already granted, then nobody is safe. This open forum will offer Hudson Valley residents an opportunity to express their reactions to this setback, as well as a chance to learn what Proposition 8 means to New Yorkers, and how we can keep a similar assault on equality from happening here."

California's Proposition 8, which passed with 52% of the vote, revoked marriage rights for lesbian and gay citizens, which had been approved by the state's highest court this past May. Since June 17, more than 18,000 same-sex couples had been married in California. In the wake of the amendment's approval, the ACLU has filed suit and the state's supreme court is reviewing the constitutionality of the vote. The future status of the existing marriages remains unknown. Three other states also passed measures on Election Day aimed at curbing the legal rights of gay and lesbian citizens: Arizona, Arkansas and Florida.

The Center's open forum will feature two local couples who have worked for marriage equality. Peri and Tamela Rainbow-Sloan have been involved in a legal struggle for several years seeking local and state recognition of their marriage in Canada. Brook Garrett and Jay Blotcher, married in California this past July, have been outspoken advocates for marriage equality since the historic New Paltz weddings in 2004.

The event is free of charge and open to all members of the community. The Center is located at 300 Wall Street in historic Uptown Kingston.

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* LGBTQ refers to the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of the people the Center serves: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning individuals.