COALITION FOR EQUALITY
Equal Rights and Equal Protection for All People
MISSION
We recognize the full humanity of all individuals and believe that all people are entitled to equal rights and equal protection under the law. The mission of the Coalition for Equality is to secure equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in North Carolina and across the nation.
VISION
We envision a time when LGBT individuals will experience equality, dignity and respect in all spheres of life, including the personal, public and spiritual.
STRATEGIES
The Coalition for Equality will achieve our goals through ongoing activities including educational campaigns, lobbying, voter registration drives, community-building, and media relations. We also provide support to individuals, families and communities as they engage with the profound, and often transformative, questions inherent in this work.
MEMBERS OF THE COALITION
First Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville; PFLAG Asheville; PFLAG Hendersonville/ Flat Rock; PFLAG NC; Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley; Gay and Lesbian Diocese of Western North Carolina; Citizens for an End to Institutional Bigotry; Employment Equality for Gays and Lesbians; People of Faith for Just Relationships; Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville; Equality NC Foundation; National Organization for Women – Asheville Chapter; Common Light Meeting Place; Henderson County Love Welcomes All; The Progressive Project; New Creation Church of Fletcher
NATIONAL & HISTORICAL CONTEXT
This movement is part of a long tradition of civil rights work focused on securing equal rights for all people and cultivating what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. referred to as a “Beloved Community.”
The moment at which equal rights and protection are extended to LGBT individuals will be a significant milestone not just in the lives of these individuals, but in the life of our nation. History has taught us that each time those who have been marginalized are recognized as full human beings and full citizens, our nation is strengthened. We engage in this work not just to honor and protect the humanity of LGBT individuals, but to honor and protect the integrity of our democracy, our faith traditions and our local communities.