Dear Friend,
Happy Holidays! Equality NC closed our doors for the holiday break on December 8, 2023, to give our staff a well-deserved break to rest, recharge, and rejoice with loved ones. One of the things we do at Equality NC is one-word check-ins when we open and close our meetings. As we close out 2023 and usher in 2024 the word that comes to mind for me is Hopeful.
Equality NC will turn 45 next year, making us the oldest statewide organization fighting for the lived equality of LGBTQ+ people in the nation. That means four decades of organizing and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices and getting LGBTQ+ candidates and allies elected. It means 45 years of pushing to be heard, seen, and respected for all the contributions that we as a community have made and continue to make every day.
Next year is also an election year. A huge one in fact. We literally will be fighting for our lives on the state, local, and federal levels. And we will need our entire community of progressive individuals and radical leaders within and outside North Carolina to come together as we advocate for pro-equality candidates from the appellate courts to the Governor's Mansion to the White House.
As I look at where the movement is nationally, with the highest number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills ever and an open attack on our youth, I know that we need strong organizations, like Equality NC, to keep fighting. White supremacists and Christian nationalists have moved from the shadows of our society to the center stage of our government, taking aim at our rights and our very existence. Now more than ever, we need to be telling our stories differently, flanking and supporting organizations that serve as a container for organizing, and working across identities to build a movement for us all.
We are at a pivotal point in the organization's future where we can change the course of history.
We need your help to reinvigorate and expand our base, work with our elected officials, mentor our most vulnerable youth, and build power and create an organization where BIPOC, trans and GNC folks, undocumented immigrants, and women and poor people can see themselves represented every single day.
My ask of you is to get in where you fit in most comfortably. I promise there is a need for your talents, there is room for your treasures, and there are opportunities you can support.
If you've already made a gift, thank you! Ask a friend to do the same. If you think your gift couldn't possibly make a difference, imagine if everyone reading this email gave $5.
If you felt inspired by the recent Durham Mayoral election, turn your passion into action and join our volunteer ranks!
If you're tired of bullies winning by targeting women, children, and trans folks, fight back alongside us!
There is much more work to be done, but Equality NC has shown repeatedly what we can do when we work in tandem with organizations and other dedicated and passionate movement leaders who share our goals and values. There is nothing we cannot accomplish together.
It has been my ultimate honor to serve as your Executive Director.
Thank you for being on this journey with us.
Happy Holidays,
Kendra
