Full announcement from the Campaign for Southern Equality
Asheville, N.C. (March 22, 2013) – A community vigil calling for full LGBT equality will take place on March 26th at 7 P.M. at First Congregational United Church of Christ (FCUCC), located at 20 Oak Street, Asheville, N.C. Hosted by the Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE), FCUCC and numerous local equality groups and churches, the Asheville event will feature readings and music by community members.
The vigil calls for equal protection under the law for LGBT individuals and families in the areas of employment, housing, family rights, and marriage. Similar vigils will take place in all fifty states – including in nine other North Carolina towns – as the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the “Prop 8” and “DOMA” cases on March 26 and 27. Through a national coalition of over 100 organizations, vigils are being organized in more than 150 American towns and thousands of equality supporters are planning to converge in Washington, D.C. for two days of actions and prayer services during oral arguments. CSE is also proud to be a co-sponsor of locally-organized vigils in Winston-Salem and Wilson, N.C.; Greenville and Columbia, S.C; and Gulfport, Miss. and to be working in partnership with groups such as Gender Benders and South Carolina Equality on these events.
“We have reached a critical moment in our nation’s history as the Supreme Court considers whether to extend basic legal protections in the areas of employment, housing and marriage to all citizens of our country. Here in the South, LGBT people experience the first-hand impact of discriminatory laws every day. While we are hopeful that the Court will act to overturn these laws, whatever the outcome, we will keep living our lives with dignity and will continue the push for full equality under the law in all 50 states.” Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality.
For more information about the Asheville action, please visit: www.southernequality.org. For more information about national actions, please visit: http://www.lighttojustice.org/
On March 28 at 6:30 P.M., the Campaign for Southern Equality will host a free Community Law Workshop to discuss what happened during oral arguments. Led by Meghann Burke, an Asheville attorney at Cogburn & Brazil, the interactive workshop will also feature a community conversation about the DOMA and Prop 8 cases, facilitated by Craig White. The workshop will take place at First Congregational Church and will also be live streamed. More information is available at: www.southernequality.org/lgbt-rights-toolkit/community-law-workshops/
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