(Want to do more? Please visit the ACLU Action Center and tell Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”!)
Last weekend marked the 9th Annual Austin Pride Festival and Parade. Calling the event a success would be nothing short of an understatement. The weekend festivities included a variety of musical and comedy acts at the Long Center, a Block Party celebration on 4th street, and the Austin Pride 5K Run. The flagship event of the weekend was of course, the impressive Pride Parade on Saturday in the downtown area. Thousands lined the downtown streets to demonstrate their pride of and support for the LGBT community, and of course to see some creative floats, live music, and a whole lot of cheering.
While this celebration may have the feel of a light-hearted, Austin-ized Mardi Gras extravaganza, the significance and message behind the Austin Pride Festival is of utmost importance to our society and to the ACLU of Texas. This year has marked major steps toward the realization of equal rights for members of the LGBT community across the nation. President Obama’s Presidential Memorandum demanding the expansion of hospital visitation rights to non-family members and his administration’s efforts to revoke “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” denote impressive strides decades in the making. However, there is still much to be done, including securing same-sex partnership benefits from employers, ensuring protection against discrimination, and government recognition of same-sex relationships.
The demand that members of the LGBT community receive equal treatment under the law strikes at the core of the ACLU’s mission of protecting individual liberties. As such, the ACLU of Texas stands with the LGBT community in demanding equal rights and working towards a better future. Hopefully, the day in which LGBT rights are fully recognized both publicly and privately is not far away, but in the mean time, the ACLU of Texas remains committed to the cause.
Weren’t in Austin for last weekend’s festivities? Don’t fret. San Antonio Pride is this weekend, June 12-13. And, for those in the Houston area, the Houston Pride Parade takes place on June 26 at 8:30 pm. ACLU supporters interested in participating in the Houston Pride Parade should contact the Houston chapter at [email protected] by Wednesday, June 23rd.
