‘History is Made!’ A message from EqualityNC on the NC House passage of LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying bill

Ian Palmquist, Executive Director of EqualityNC, North Carolina’s premier LGBT advocacy organization, sent the following message out to friends and supporters after this afternoon’s historic LGBT-inclusive, progressive victory in the passage of H1366, The School Violence Prevention Act, in the North Carolina House of Representatives (see partial transcripts/audio of the debates on the bill from Wednesday 5/23 and Thursday 5/24):

Dear Friend,

We did it! Our lobbying team has been burning the midnight oil, and there have been some truly scary moments, but it has all been more than worth it. We are so proud to share in this historic moment for North Carolina’s LGBT community!

Our anti-bullying bill, the School Violence Prevention Act passed its third and final reading in the House 72-47, marking the very first time in our state’s history that a pro-equality bill has passed either chamber in the General Assembly!

To achieve this victory the same week we narrowly held back the anti-LGBT, anti-marriage amendment for the fourth year in a row was especially moving. Your emails and phone calls really made a difference.

To finally be able to envision our schools as safer places for LGBT youth, to have such powerful affirmation of our equal rights, is to be grateful for how far we’ve come. We are overwhelmed with gratitude to our remarkably dedicated online activists, donors, legislative allies, and coalition partners.

We owe a special thank you to Representative Rick Glazier for being a tireless and eloquent spokesman for all the youth across our state who have been bullied and hurt while others have stood by.

If you haven’t already, please make a donation right now to celebrate our collective historic achievement, help us get this bill through the Senate in the coming weeks, and support Equality North Carolina’s continuing strong presence during the remainder of this legislative session. Please click here to make your gift of $250, $100, or $50. Your gift of any size will truly make a difference!

I am so proud of our work to secure this victory, but know we still have much work ahead of it.

Think for just a moment about how far the anti-LGBT, anti-marriage amendment could have gone without Equality North Carolina. Please click here right now to make your most generous gift!

Check out the “fact sheets” at the websites of such right-wing organizations as Called2Action and The North Carolina Family Policy Council to see how their “facts” are based on their venomous hatred of North Carolina’s LGBT community rather than actual facts.

See what we’re up against and click here to make your gift in support of our strong lobbying presence. We can’t do it without you!

It was truly frightening this week to think we might have to fight an anti-LGBT, anti-marriage constitutional amendment as our beleaguered colleagues in other states have been forced to do. We don’t have the resources to put everything we have into fighting a referendum to deny us our most basic human rights, but we will certainly go all out if we have to. We’d rather concentrate our efforts on more positive efforts such as getting our anti-bullying bill passed by the Senate, seeking protection against employment discrimination, continuing the battle for comprehensive sexuality education, gaining hospital visitation rights, and launching our new statewide policy conference.

Equality NC has been working in our legislature since 1991. I’ve been here for the last seven years. I have to tell you, our achievements so far this legislative session have been truly unprecedented and are such a clear demonstration of the value of all the work we’ve been doing to get to this point.. Thank you for your continuing activism and financial support as we work together to keep making history!

In partnership for equality,
Ian

PS: Don’t forget, please click here to make your most generous gift, and keep an eye on your email in the coming weeks to learn how you can help us make this bill law!

Don’t forget to check out the partial transcripts and audio from the Wednesday debate and Thursday debate. The Wednesday night debate was the longest and, at times, the most frustrating.

Posted in Civil Rights, High School, LGBT, LGBT Youth, North Carolina, Politics, United States |