What We've Been Doing
Since our inception in 2006, Faith In America has:
- Brought religion-based bigotry and prejudice to the forefront of the national dialogue about LGBT equality by educating the public about the harm caused to the LGBT individuals, and particularly youth, by societal attitudes of rejection, condemnation and discrimination which are justified and promoted by misguided religious belief.
- Participated in more than 200 meetings with television producers, television talk show hosts, newspaper editors and writers and internet news and opinion writers about the harm caused to LGBT citizens by a societal climate of condemnation and discrimination that is justified and promoted by misguided religious belief.
- Worked to build alliances to address religion-based prejudice and discrimination against the LGBT community with Human Rights Campaign; Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; National Black Justice Coalition; Equality Federation; Asian American Justice Center; Freedom to Marry; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders; Hispanic National Bar Association; Lambda Legal; Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Sean's Last Wish; Metropolitan Community Church; International Christian Community Church; Equality Arizona, EqualitySC, and EqualityNC.
- Dialogued with more than 100 clergy of all diverse faiths, from Rev. Rick Warren of California to rabbis in various communities.
- Engaged with more than 300 U.S. Senators, U.S. House members, state lawmaker, political candidates and presidential candidates.
- Branded the term "faith in America" as a pro-LGBT term with interviews and articles with more than 250 media outlets which have a cumulative audience of more than 25 million people. Faith In America organization currenty is #1 and #2 in Google search out of 26 million references.
Since January 2009, Faith in America has:
- Developed plans to place CRISIS and supportive educational material in the hands of 7,000 public school administrators, guidance counselors and school social workers.
- Worked in conjunction with National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to develop plans to distribute CRISIS book to members of Congress.
- Met with key North Carolina lawmakers to discuss gay youth issues and need for anti-bullying legislation in conjunction with EqualityNC.
- Distributed copies of CRISIS to all 150 lawmakers in N.C. General Assembly.
- Held CRISIS book discussion community forums held in Boston, Mass., Charleston, S.C., and the N.C. communities of Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Elon and Hickory.
- Engaged representatives of the N.C.-based anti-gay political organization, NC4Marriage, at an organizational meeting in Hickory, N.C.
- Developed video project to challenge anti-gay positions of Rev. Rick Warrren. Provided Warren with copy of CRISIS.
In 2008, Faith in America:
- Developed and published "CRISIS: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America."
- Held CRISIS book launch events and community forums in New York City, New York; Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Calif., Nashville, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga., Columbus, Ohio, Ewing, New Jersey; and Chicago, Illinois.
- Participated in interviews about CRISIS book with 100 media outlets.
- Released Code Language materials to media outlets nationwide to educate media representatives about the anti-gay message that lurks beneath the language used by the Religious Right and other anti-gay religious and political organization and their spokespersons.
- Engaged all Democratic and Republican presidential primary campaigns about the harm caused to the LGBT community by religion-based bigotry and prejudice.
In 2007, Faith in America:
- Funded 8-week billboard campaign in Indianapolis, Indiana in conjunction with Metropolitan Community Church.
- Initiated and funded eight-week multi-media educational campaign in Greenville, S.C. which featured weekly full-page newspaper ads in Greenville News. Resulted in community-wide dialogue about prejudice and discrimination toward the LGBT community.
- Developed and implemented four separate groups in Greenville, S.C. in conjunction with Gill Foundation to test Faith In America messaging among caucasian and African-American accepting and nonaccepting persons of faith.
- Initiated and funded six-week multi-media educational campaign in Ames, Iowa. Resulted in community-wide dialogue about prejudice and discrimination toward the LGBT community.
- Worked to obtain a rare marriage equality statement from one of the Civil Rights Movement's icons, Mildred Loving - a statement that the New York Times recognized in a December 2008 article on Mrs, Loving's death,
- Initiated and funded two-week June 2007 Washington, D.C.-based marriage equality campaign and developed in conjunction with Asian American Justice Center, Freedom to Marry, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Hispanic National Bar Association, Lambda Legal, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Black Justice Coalition and National Center for Lesbian Rights. campaign to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark case that advanced racial equality and the freedom to marry in America. The “Freedom to Marry” campaign celebrates the Loving case's significance in American history and ongoing relevance to continuing struggles against exclusion from marriage. Spoke at press conference held June Resulted in historical significance of Loving case being included in argument before California Supreme Court prior to its May 2008 ruling striking the ban on gay marriages in California.
- Developed CNN/YouTube 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary debate question to Barack Obama and other 2008 Democratic presidential primary candidates which asked: "Why is it still OK to use religion to justify discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans?" Question rated the best question of the debate and heard by millions CNN and internet users around the world.
In 2006, Faith in America:
- Launched Faith In America ads in January 2006 edition of Roll Call in Washington, D.C.
- Initiated and funded four-week 62,000-piece letter mailing campaign in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Funded and developed 6-week newspaper ad and billboard educational campaign in Indianapolis, Indiana in conjunction with Metropolitan Community Church. Spoke at town hall meeting which culminated the campaign.
- Conducted 4-week educational media campaign in Baltimore, Maryland, in collaboration with the National Black Justice Coalition.
- Conducted 6-week educational media campaign Indianapolis, Indiana collaboration with the Metropolitan Community Churches and Jesus Metropolitan Church.
- Conducted educational media campaign in Greensboro, North Carolina, in collaboration with the Triad Equality Alliance.
- Conducted 4-week educational media campaigns in Hickory, N.C.
- Conducted 4-week educational media campaign in Taylorsville, N.C.