Brian Silva, Executive Director of Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) which is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization working towards full civil marriage equality at the state and federal levels talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. Since the US Supreme Court ruled DOMA and Proposition 8 unconstitutional in June, legally married gay and lesbian couples will qualify for federal rights and protections this year. Eighteen states have now passed mar...
Brian Silva, Executive Director of Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) which is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization working towards full civil marriage equality at the state and federal levels talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. Since the US Supreme Court ruled DOMA and Proposition 8 unconstitutional in June, legally married gay and lesbian couples will qualify for federal rights and protections this year. Eighteen states have now passed marriage equality including Utah though that state has taken an illegal position on the wrong side of history refusing to legally recognize gay and lesbian marriages. We talked to Brian about this, what advancements he would like to see happen for our LGBT community in 2014 and more.
When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Silva stated, “As a gay man I think it’s very personal. It’s fighting for my own equality and my own ability to live in a world where I’m treated no differently than anyone else. Just with the same equality, the same protections and the same opportunities afforded to my straight friends and colleagues. For me it’s extraordinarily personal and I think for many people that are involved in LGBT equality work it’s extraordinarily personal and that’s why we do it. That’s why we volunteer, that’s why we get involved, that’s why we do all these things to make a better world for ourselves and also make a better world for future generations of LGBT kids who are growing up.”
Brian Silva’s leadership has expanded MEUSA’s grassroots education and advocacy work into communities across the United States. MEUSA has helped lead 12 field campaigns that brought marriage equality to nine additional states via the nationally recognized National Equality Action Team (NEAT) coalition. In addition, MEUSA co-led the United for Marriage Coalition events in Washington D.C. and around the country for the Supreme Court hearings and Decision Day for the 2013 Windsor v. United States and Perry v. Hollingsworth cases. Silva has spoken and been published in numerous venues and received multiple awards for his work both in and outside of LGBT equality.
For More Info: marriageequality.org
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