The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force (VFMTF) represents a coalition of individuals and associations in Vermont who support the freedom for same-gender couples to enter into civil marriages. Our aim is to educate Vermonters regarding the issues surrounding the freedom to marry.

I. WHO WE ARE

The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force (VFMTF) originally began as an offshoot of the Vermont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in the fall of 1995. The group soon developed an energy and independence of its own, and formed a separate organization around the beginning of 1996. The organization is formally structured as a non-profit corporation with a volunteer board, although most of the organization's work is conducted through a statewide network of volunteers.

II. PHILOSOPHY

The VFMTF is committed to full and equal legal rights for gay and lesbian Vermonters including, in particular, the legal right to marry. (It's worth noting that not all VFMTF supporters embrace the institution of marriage; some do,and some don't. The core values that unite VFMTF are the beliefs that gay and lesbian Vermonters should have the same legal choices as our heterosexual counterparts, and that laws which treat us and our relationships as second class denigrate all of us, regardless of our desire to marry.)

III. WHAT WE'VE DONE

Here are some of the major things VFMTF has accomplished since our inception in 1996

• Developed "speaking points" regarding the marriage issue, to dialogue with the community in a thoughtful, informational, and non-confrontational way.
• Trained dozens of speakers
• Made presentations to hundreds of groups around the state, ranging from church groups to gay and lesbian groups to state commissions, and reaching literally thousands of Vermonters from Manchester to Derby Line
• Provided educational materials through our traveling display at county and regional fairs throughout the state, every summer since 1999
• Produced two videos regarding the marriage issue: The Freedom to Marry: A Green Mountain View (an excellent 17 minute informational presentation); and Baker vs. State, as heard by the Vermont Supreme Court on November 18, 1998 (107 minutes).
• Provided presenters to radio call in shows and public access television shows, including VPR's Switchboard
• Provided timely and accurate information and access to, and developed contacts with, media throughout Vermont
• Encouraged thoughtful community debate through hundreds of letters to the editor in newspapers throughout the state
• Networked closely with Vermont's PFLAG chapters, as well as VOWS (an organization of Vermont clergy and communities of faith who support civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian Vermonters) and other organizations
• Networked with and received signed support for equal civil rights to marry from a wide variety of Vermont organizations ranging from the Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Governor's Commission on Women, to the Vermont Psychological Association and Vermont Psychiatric Association, to the Vermont Chapter of the ACLU and Vermont NOW, to the Unitarian Universalist Ministers' association, to numerous churches and communities of faith throughout the state
• In cooperation with the litigation team, solicited and received recorded support for the freedom of same gender couples to marry from over 95 clergy members throughout the state of Vermont.
• Developed this web site: www.vtfreetomarry.org
• Commissioned an independent poll of Vermonters regarding the marriage issue to help identify our strengths and weaknesses (the poll showed that more Vermonters support the freedom of same gender couples to marry than oppose it)
• Developed and distributed brochures at events throughout the State
• Maintained close contacts with the marriage litigation team which itself has received support, in the form of amicus briefs, from dozens of local and national organizations ranging from the ACLU (Vermont and national) to NOW (Vermont and national) to numerous communities of faith around the state to the Vermont Psychiatric Association and Vermont NASW to Lambda Legal Defense Fund to the Vermont Human Rights Commission to NCLR
• Maintained contacts with freedom to marry organizations from other places
• Raised sufficient funds to support our efforts to date
• Initiated "Vermont Voices for Equality". A project demonstrating the broad support in Vermont for the right to marry.
• Responded to hundreds of requests for information from within Vermont and beyond

IV. AWARDS WE HAVE RECEIVED

• YEAR 2000 SOCIAL AGENCY OF THE YEAR - Awarded by Vermont Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers
• FREEDOM TO MARRY AWARD - Awarded by the Massachussetts Freedom to Marry Coalition

V. HOW YOU CAN HELP

There is no limit to the ways in which interested and energetic folks can join our efforts. Contact the Task Force via email (info@vtfreetomarry.org) or phone: 802.388.2633

If you live out of state:

1. If you have friends or family in Vermont, please encourage them to get involved

2. We welcome your contributions.

3. We encourage everyone across this country to work hard and steadily to promote gay and lesbian equality, and equality for all families, within their own communities. Ultimately, every community in this country will engage on this issue. And it will be wonderful to come to a collective realization that supporting all families is best for everyone. Visit our links page to find an organization near you

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