Equality NC celebrates 2004 achievements

Legislation

• Equality NC's professional and grassroots lobbying efforts stopped an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment, which not only would have denied equal marriage rights to same-sex couples, but also would have banned any other form of relationship recognition. Thanks to our work, we were the only state in the Southeast that faced such a bill to prevent passage in both the House and the Senate.
• Equality NC generated thousands of emails, phone calls, and letters to legislators during the legislative session.
• Although legislative rules did not allow the introduction of proactive legislation in the 2004 "Short" Session, our strong lobbying presence built relationships with legislative allies that will help us in the year ahead.

Executive Policy

• Fulfilling a campaign promise to Equality NC PAC, Attorney General Roy Cooper issued a non-discrimination policy for the Department of Justice that includes sexual orientation. He is the first statewide elected official to adopt such a policy in North Carolina.
• The State Board of Education adopted a policy on harassment, bullying, and discrimination for all students; the Department of Public Instruction expressed a commitment to protecting LGBT students. Equality NC Project advocated for an explicitly inclusive policy, and is continuing to hold education leaders accountable for the safety of LGBT students.
• Equality NC secured pledges from several Council of State officials to adopt inclusive anti-discrimination policies in the coming year.

Community Organizing

• Equality NC held town hall meetings on marriage equality in eight cities statewide, educating hundreds of LGBT and allied citizens about the issue, as well as presenting programs to community groups statewide.
• Equality NC collaborated with the newly formed NC Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality, a group of more than 250 faith leaders statewide, to provide a religious voice against the state constitutional amendment and for full equality.
• Equality NC joined NC Women United, a statewide coalition of organizations working on women's rights issues, broadly defined, and ensured that LGBT issues are included in the coalition's legislative agenda.

Electoral Organizing

• Equality NC PAC helped elect 30 of our 32 endorsed legislative candidates, including our first openly gay state legislator, Senator-Elect Julia Boseman.
• Equality NC PAC made record donations to LGBT-positive candidates, and was active in local judicial races for the first time, in addition to legislative races and statewide judicial and executive races.
• Equality NC Project led a coalition of 24 social justice groups, along with Democracy NC, Peace LEAP, and Conservation Council, to contact nearly 30,000 new or infrequent voters connected to social justice groups.

Local Policy

• The City of Raleigh added sexual orientation to the mission of its Human Relations Commission, thanks in part to grassroots lobbying from Equality NC and our members.
• The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro adopted the first gender-identity inclusive non-discrimination policies in the state. Equality NC worked with officials to develop and pass these policies.
• Chapel Hill and Carrboro also voted to include repeal of the "Defense" of Marriage Act in their 2004 legislative agendas. Equality NC rallied community support for including this in their agenda.
• Equality NC also supported the efforts led by local leaders in Guilford County to secure an inclusive bullying policy in the local schools.

Awards and Leadership

• Ian Palmquist was elected Co-Chair of Equality Federation, the national coalition of statewide LGBT advocacy organizations.
• Equality NC received the 2004 Wilmington Community Spirit Award for Outstanding Community Ally (Political).
• Ed Farthing and Ian Palmquist jointly received the 2004 Triangle Community Award for Outstanding Community Leader from the Triangle Business and Professional Guild for their work with Equality NC.