Exciting news!!

I'm very excited to announce that Wyoming Equality is partnering with Zach Wahls (watch his video here) and his new program "Out to Dinner."

I just got the email from Zach stating we are okay to start talking about the event; so here is the introduction and much much more to follow;

Out to Dinner Statement

            This week marks the soft launch of the Out to Dinner project, an initiative aiming to bridge the gap between LGBT Americans and those still on the fence when it comes to matters of LGBT rights by bringing them together to share a meal.

            “There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what it means to be a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person or to have an LGBT parent or parents,” said Zach Wahls, the twenty-year-old son of an Iowa lesbian couple and founder of the project. “By bringing people together to just break bread and get to know each other, I think we can dispel some misconceptions.”

            Out to Dinner asks straight ally couples all across the country to host a dinner on the evening of Friday, June 22 to which the ally/host couple will invite a same-sex couple and some folks who are still conflicted when it comes to LGBT rights. In a break with previous “house party” initiatives, though, Out to Dinner does not ask participants to have “the talk,” so to speak, instead encouraging guests to simply get to know each other and avoiding the topics of politics or religion altogether.

            Further, organizers hope by taking a focus on couples and families, LGBT people will be able to highlight the similarities that their families share with “straight” families.

            “The Family Equality Council is proud to support the Out to Dinner initiative because it speaks to our core mission of creating a world where all families feel valued for their commitment to each other,” said Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, a family-focused LGBT advocacy group.

“As an organization that supports and represents the 1 million LGBT families in this country, this initiative represents a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate that we want the same things for our children that all parents do - respect, protection and a bright future,” said Chrisler.  

            "We know that nothing is more important in helping non-gay people get to a place of understanding, and ultimately support, for the freedom to marry than building relationships and having honest conversations about our families and our lives. Through that experience, gay and non-gay people alike come to recognize that their similarities are much greater than their differences,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “Freedom to Marry is very pleased to be partnering in this effort.”

            A coalition of state and national groups has coalesced around the project, which counts Freedom to Marry, the Family Equality Council, the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal GLAAD, the Equality Federation, Marriage Equality USA and among its major partners, in addition to numerous groups at the state level.

            “We know that nothing is a more powerful influence on opinion of equality issues than familiarity with LGBT people,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “This night is an opportunity for us as a movement to all work together and foster more of these positive relationships.” The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization in the United States.

             A more formal announcement is expected in early May. Wahls says that plans are in the works to involve celebrity chefs, high-profile ally couples and even more national, state and local groups ahead of the project’s June date. 

This is very exciting!!

Jeran