FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-March 26, 2004

EQUALITY FORUM ANNOUNCES PROJECT 1138 on SUNDAY, MAY 2 at 2 P.M. in PHILADELPHIA

Same sex couples together for one or more years invited to support marriage equality

PHILADELPHIA, PA-Equality Forum - the global Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization - announces PROJECT 1138 . There are 1,138 federal protections and benefits granted to married couples. Same sex couples are denied these 1,138 protections and benefits regardless of the length of their relationships.

Same sex couples that have been together one or more years are invited to join Equality Forum in Philadelphia at SundayOUT on May 2 at 2 p.m. to celebrate and honor same sex families and their commitments. SundayOUT is the Philadelphia region's largest annual GLBT street festival. The first 1,138 couples to register will be given a rainbow balloon and asked to wear a heart on their shirts with the number of years they have been together. After a 20 minute ceremony, the couples will release their balloons as stars for marriage equality.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children. There will be a family area at SundayOUT.

There is no registration fee for PROJECT 1138 nor admission charge for SundayOUT. To register for PROJECT 1138 please visit www.PROJECT1138.com.

Equality Forum 2004, with Canada as the Featured Nation, is Monday, April 26 to Sunday, May 2. Eighty regional, national and international organizations participate in 57 events, with over 40 programs that are free and open to the public. Eight national organizations, including the Freedom to Marry Project and Lamda Legal Defense and Education Fund, will be in Philadelphia to discuss marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Participants include Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of the Freedom to Marry Project; Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Fund; Douglas Elliott, President of the International Lesbian and Gay Law Association; Stacey Sobel, Executive Director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights; and Sandra Health and Alisha Toby, plaintiffs in the New Jersey marriage equality law suit, among others.

For additional information on Equality Forum visit www.equalityforum.com or call 215-732-3378.

Equality Forum is the largest regional, national and international Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) civil rights forum, working to create understanding about homophobia and its multifaceted impact on individuals, families and society. Each year, in addition to promoting and discussing GLBT organizations and issues, Equality Forum highlights a Featured Nation and explores that country's GLBT culture, social issues and advancements in civil rights. Equality Forum embraces a number of projects throughout the year, including the production of the documentary films Gay Pioneers and JIM IN BOLD.
Equality Forum is a nonprofit and 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Philadelphia, the site of some of the earliest gay civil rights protests.