The Family Equality Council is an organization that works with all levels of government to advance full social and legal equality for the approximately one million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families raising two million children. Some of the concerns of the Family Equality Council are parenting protections, adoption, repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, health insurance reform, immigration reform, and safe schools. The Council works at both the state and federal level.
The organization was started in 1979 by a group of gay fathers who got together to form a network of support. A few years later, the group expanded to include lesbian moms. In 2007, the name was changed to Family Equality Council. They have a vision of a world that treats all loving families equally.
On April 21, 2009, Clay Aiken received the Equality Circle Award from the Family Equality Council’s Night at the Tavern event in New York City. Clay received the award for his commitment to loving families of all kinds, taking a stand, and sharing his journey to parenthood proudly. According to their website:
Family Equality Council is proud to honor Clay for all of his work on behalf of children and for all that he does to make the world a safer place for his own child and the children of LGBT parents everywhere.
Clay thanked the group and said that the award belonged to everyone in the room. He also suggested that it was important for straight people to speak up as much as people in the gay community. The special guest performer for the evening was Broadway star, Linda Eder.
Clay had many fans in attendance for the beautiful dinner. Held at the famous Tavern on the Green, the tickets were $250.00 per person and included a cocktail reception, a full-course seated dinner, live entertainment, and a silent auction.
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I somehow missed this at the time so this is new to me. Thanks for a great blog! 🙂
Thanks CANN for putting those clips up. It was nice to watch them again. Clay is always so humble and appreciative of his fans that love and support him in his causes. What an honour it was for Clay that night. I could not be more proud of him. Parker is a lucky boy to have such loving and wonderful parents.
I so remember that night. What an honor for Clay. It was also very nice to watch the video's again. I agree…Parker is a lucky little boy to have two loving parents as Clay and Jaymes.
Family Equality Council does such important work in promoting the rights of gay and lesbian families. Thank you CANN for today's blog. It is so important for those of us who are straight to be supportive and to get the word out that ALL families deserve to have equal protection under the law. I was glad Clay touched on the need of this support in his acceptance speech.
Thanks for the article and the videos. Clay Aiken hit the nail on the head when he said that it will take the straight community joining the GLBT community to fight for equality. It really doesn't come down to GLBT rights, what it really comes down to is human rights. I always thought that, at least in the United States, all citizens should be treated fairly, compassionately, and as equals. This isn't a matter of special rights but a matter of basic civil rights. That's my soapbox for today
Thanks for this and I do believe at least parts of the straight community are accepting the LGBT community more.
Thanks so much for posting these videos. They are wonderful and I do think straight individuals do need to speak up for equal rights for everyone. The Family Equality Council does some great work. Clay's speech is so Clay. By that I mean he had no written notes but spoke from his heart and really spoke to the important work which needs to be done to accomplish the goal for everyone in our society to be treated fairly.
Thanks so much for these videos. I love how Clay Aiken speaks from his heart.
So proud of him!!