Phone Banking for Marriage Equality
Tonight I had a wonderful, exhilarating and inspiring experience, I was phone banking! Surprised? Well, let me explain.
It starts with the joining of the young and energetic forces of several important organizations, including Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to Marry, Human Rights Campaign. Log Cabin Republicans and Marriage Equality New York, as well as the support and generosity of 1199 SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East. They have been running these evenings, Monday -Thursday, 5-8:30, for many weeks now. I walked into the huge space, full of computer stations, almost all of them already occupied with people from every walk of life, every gender and age, members of the LGBT community, and their friends.
The gorgeous chorus of all of their voices, speaking to registered Democrats from key districts, facilitating those who agree in the rights of gay and lesbian New Yorkers to marry, to leave a message for their senator right then, expressing their support, (stating their name and address), all through the power of awesome technology, well, it was a beautiful thing! Not everyone called was a supporter for our cause, not everyone was home, the technology did not always perform perfectly, and I’m sitting here feeling incredibly happy! The evening’s total of successful messages patched through was 270. You get to hear the person as they’re leaving their message. I don’t think I can explain my profound admiration for these people, whose evening we interrupted, for the gift each one of them gave me. It’s not just because passing a marriage bill directly impacts my own family, but I am also grateful to have experienced the gift of their humanity for their fellow New Yorkers.
At the end of the night, as we gathered for a debriefing, someone told the story a particular person who answered a call, is a registered Republican, listened to what she had to share on the subject, agreed and was patched through to leave a message for his senator! Another person, who when asked, “do you support support the rights of gays and lesbians to marry?”, answered with a resounding, “hell yes!” NYC Council member Daniel Dromm, District 25, Queens, stopped by to tell us what he’s doing in Queens to encourage specific senators to vote for marriage equality, to hear our stories, and to say thank you. In the photo here, he’s saying “We’re that close!” He then continued to say that this is exactly why we must keep up the strong efforts the coalition is helping to make happen. Everyone there was encouraged to come back, and to bring a friend. I know that I will!
New Yorkers United for Marriage Phone Banks
Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
5:00-8:30 p.m.
SEIU 1199
330 W. 42nd St.
7th Fl
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.
