Endorsement Letter for Peter Shumlin for Governor Vermont

Beth Robinson, the Chair of the Vermont Freedom Action Committee, writes about her support for Peter Shumlin for Governor of Vermont.

For the past 15 years I've had the privilege of working alongside hundreds-indeed, thousands of Vermonters in the struggle for the freedom to marry. Last year was a proud year for Vermont. We re-established ourselves as national civil rights leaders. We ensured that our State's motto, "Freedom and Unity," is more than just words emblazoned on our state crest; it's a creed we live by. September 1, 2009, the effective date of our new law, has come and gone. Same-sex couples are legally marrying. Their families are more secure and more included. Communities are a bit stronger. And nobody is worse for the wear.

It's easy to sit here today and forget what the world looked like a year ago. I can tell you as a freedom to marry advocate that we faced considerable skepticism. Even some of our own allies questioned whether Vermont was ready to fully embrace its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, and some of our own friends doubted the capacity of our elected leaders to handle this issue alongside the other important challenges on its plate. The national picture was discouraging in the wake of a devastating setback in California.

It was in this context that Senator Peter Shumlin was willing to question the conventional wisdom-- to look around and ask whether the fears some were describing were in synch with the sentiments of most Vermonters, and to question that notion that the Legislature couldn't tackle multiple challenges at once.

It was in this context that Senator Shumlin began working in earnest to find a way to thoughtfully and efficiently deal with the question, and to get a bill passed.

Without Peter Shumlin's vision to recognize what should be done and what could be done, his courage to stand up in act in the face of considerable pressures to put it off to another day, and his proven ability to effectively get the job done, Vermont today would not be a leader in the central civil rights movement of this generation. It is for that reason that I'm proud to support my friend Peter Shumlin in his bid for Governor.

Beth Robinson, Chair, Vermont Freedom Action Committee

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