5/16: Night of Marriage Equality Parties Across US

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Launches Night of Marriage Equality Parties Across the
Country

-Supporters Host House Parties To Fund the Work of the Task Force

On May 16, 2004, the night before the historic Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling
granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples is scheduled to go into effect, more than one
hundred households across the country will host parties in support of the marriage equality work
of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

"It is vital to support the extraordinary work of the Task Force in any way I can," says one of
the party hosts, Charles V. Chesson, 42, of Chevy Chase, Maryland. "My reason for doing this is
because the Task Force believes in grassroots, community-based solutions - the battle we are
facing for marriage equality is in the townships, cities and states across the country - the
same places where the Task Force concentrates so much of its work. Those people standing in line
for marriage licenses are average citizens simply looking to be part of the "we the people that
we all learn about when we are younger. The Task Force helps us say, 'we ARE the people.'"

Chesson continued, "I believe this battle for marriage equality is not just about me and the
people my age, it is about the young people coming after us who may not understand the long
struggle our community faced to come this far in our larger struggle for full and complete
equality. There is unjustice and inequality in this world and we must do what we can to support
the organizations working on the frontlines in this battle."

"The generosity of our supporters across the country never fails to amaze me," says Charles
Robbins, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force director of development. " This will prove to be a
truly empowering event not only for the hosts, but for the people who attend the parties."

The parties will be linked to each other via a national conference call to listen to a State of
the Unions address from Task Force executive director Matt Foreman, and other special guests.

For information on participating in the night of marriage equality parties across the country,
contact Charles Robbins at crobbins [at] TheTaskForce.org or 323.857.8746.

For information on the struggle for marriage equality, log in to the Task Force Marriage
Information Resource Center at http://www.TheTaskForce.org/marriagecenter.