Let me start by saying that I think Love Makes a Family is an amazing organization, and feel that for the most part they have made good strategic decisions. One exception I take would be with their initial opposition to the civil unions bill in 2005, and another would be choosing April Fool’s Day as the day to announce that they will disband at year’s end.
As a Connecticut resident who has followed the fight for marriage equality in the state very closely, I am still in disbelief about their announcement–though I am very glad that Love Makes a Family no longer has a reason to exist. After all, we now have full marriage equality in Connecticut. Any two adults in the state who want to get hitched can do it. Mission accomplished.
Daniela Altimari reported on the announcement in the Hartford Courant:
“With GLAD’s victory in the Kerrigan Supreme Court decision and with the knowledge that same-sex couples’ right to marry is secure, we can officially close our doors at the end of the year,” the group’s executive director, Anne Stanback said in a statement. “We want to conclude our work on a high note: celebrating our successes, completing our advocacy work over the next nine months, and sharing our organizational resources with others to further empower the Connecticut community for the future.”
Love Makes a Family has posted a letter to their supporters, and a Q & A about their plans for the next nine months on the organization’s website.
[Thanks to a persistent anonymous commenter for the tip]
Recently on Wesleying: CT Marriage Equality News
The problem with they gay rights movement is that it is too focused on marriage. There are other rights that lgbt… people still don’t have that are also worth fighting for.
I’m not saying that it is LMAF’s responsibility to fight for these rights, just that their closing is symbolic of what I think is a poorly thought out strategy that is shared by many gay rights organizations.
The problem with they gay rights movement is that it is too focused on marriage. There are other rights that lgbt… people still don’t have that are also worth fighting for.
I’m not saying that it is LMAF’s responsibility to fight for these rights, just that their closing is symbolic of what I think is a poorly thought out strategy that is shared by many gay rights organizations.
They address the “why don’t you go national” question here, and I think their reasoning is sound. Most states do already have organizations fighting for marriage equality, and there are many capable national organizations already doing the same.
What distinguishes LMF from most other state and national organizations (so far) is that they were successful. I don’t think they could simply cut-and-paste their strategies to other venues and win equality everywhere (especially because it was ultimately a Connecticut Supreme Court decision that secured marriage equality). They are sharing them though.
I would disagree with your characterization of this as “packing it in” because that’s what losers do when they realize that they can’t win. Love Makes a Family won, and those who have worked so hard for the organization and for the right to marry deserve a chance to go live happily ever after. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them remain involved in one way or another, however.
They address the “why don’t you go national” question here, and I think their reasoning is sound. Most states do already have organizations fighting for marriage equality, and there are many capable national organizations already doing the same.
What distinguishes LMF from most other state and national organizations (so far) is that they were successful. I don’t think they could simply cut-and-paste their strategies to other venues and win equality everywhere (especially because it was ultimately a Connecticut Supreme Court decision that secured marriage equality). They are sharing them though.
I would disagree with your characterization of this as “packing it in” because that’s what losers do when they realize that they can’t win. Love Makes a Family won, and those who have worked so hard for the organization and for the right to marry deserve a chance to go live happily ever after. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them remain involved in one way or another, however.
This is really disappointing … LMAF has done phenomenal work in the past. Yes, we’ve won some key battles here in CT, but that’s a reason for them to expand their operations to other states, or the federal level, not a reason to pack it in.
This is really disappointing … LMAF has done phenomenal work in the past. Yes, we’ve won some key battles here in CT, but that’s a reason for them to expand their operations to other states, or the federal level, not a reason to pack it in.