Robyn Ochs
Speaker • Teacher • Writer • Activist
On the steps of the Massachusetts State House
Here’s what I said yesterday on the steps of the Massachusetts State House:
“My name is Robyn Ochs and I have served on the board of MassEquality for 10 years. Today the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the freedom to marry is a precious, fundamental right that belongs to all of us.
We won this victory because of YOU. Thousands of LGBT people, our loved ones, our elected officials, our clergy, our friends, neighbors and co-workers put their shoulders to the wheel and pushed and pushed and pushed, and kept pushing until we succeeded.
Raise your hand or make some noise if you were one of the people out there pushing this wheel. [HUNDREDS of people yelled and cheered and waved their arms about.] This feels like a family reunion.
In the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” We just changed the world. We did it! WE did it!
As we celebrate this momentous win, we need also to remember that our work is not yet done. We must harness the momentum of this success to do the ongoing work of securing additional advances towards full opportunity and access for LGBT Americans, and for all Americans. From addressing disparities faced by communities of color, to providing access to vital services for our youth and our elders and those living with HIV & AIDS, to protecting the rights of transgender people, to ensuring that every LGBT person is treated with dignity from cradle to grave and can live safely, authentically, and free from fear.
It is a top priority of MassEquality and the other coalition organizations with which we are partnering to pass the transgender anti-discrimination bill, which will provide transgender and gender-diverse people in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts equal access to public spaces: restaurants, doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and other public services. To get this done we will need your support.
So today, let’s celebrate and tomorrow let’s get back to work. We’re counting on you. Onward!”
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And now, if you’ve read this far, I ask you to think seriously about reaching into your pockets RIGHT NOW and sending some money to http://www.MassEquality.org.
I meant every word of my speech: to get the rest of our work done, we need YOUR support.
Robyn Ochs 