HERO (Human & Equal Rights Organizers) knows the power of
personal stories and how they can transform lives. The Equality
Walk is HERO's largest project and was formed as a pilgrimage
to engage Arizonans one-on-one in conversations about equality.
Every July, the Equality Walkers trek one mile for every year
Arizona has been a state without full equality for all of its
citizens, utilizing these miles to speak to police, city managers,
faith communities, elected officials and individuals in diverse
districts. The 2014 Equality Walk will add 102 miles, giving them
a grand total of 693 miles walked since the walk was founded
in 2008.
While it's
definitely crazy to walk 102 miles in the Arizona desert
in July, it's
also crazy that Arizona is one of 29 states where it is
perfectly legal
to fire someone simply for being LGBTQ. Our
governor has sued in an
attempt to prevent the state from
offering benefits to same-sex partners
of state employees.
These examples of inequality - along with so many others - are
what motivates Equality Walkers to complete the 102 mile
journey this July. The Equality Walk will kick off on July 17th
and will cross the finish line July 26th,
ending with a rally at the
State Capitol in Phoenix. During their ten
days on the roads and
trails of Arizona, walkers will visit 15 diverse
cities, sharing
personal stories and the need for equality.
Equality
Walkers will be well-prepared for their pilgrimage. They
will attend
four mandatory training sessions, March-July, on a
variety of topics:
Fundraising, City Planning, Storytelling, Nuts
and Bolts of Organizing,
Walk Safety, Meeting Dynamics,
on-Violence, Bible and Homosexuality,
Marriage Equality
Facts and Figures, Message Development and Delivery,
and
Self Care.
Want to contribute to equality in a profound way? Looking for a
challenge?
Equality Walkers are welcome from all walks of life (pun
intended!) and from any community and background.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment