The golden state of california. Perry in this case is sitting right next to me. We were honored to be cope plaintiffs in the case for our friends paul and jeff. Proposition 8. [applause] two days after the decision in just minutes after the 9th circuit officially cleared the way for marriages to proceed sandy and i sped to San Francisco city hall and we were rushing to be wed. Kamala harris then attorney general of california was racing across the lawn to be our a fish and on the ground balcony and at the golden dome with our son elliott as her witness. Kamala harris pronounced as married declaring us spouses for life. Kamala harris has made dreams come true. She has been a fierce fighter advocating for women and children protecting the environment defending consumers rights and advancing social justice. Kamala also makes history. A lifelong Public Servant and civil rights leader u. S. Senator harris was the first africanamerican and first woman to serve as attorney general of california and was the second africanamerican woman ever elected to the United States senate and we need her now more than ever. [applause] over the last nine months she has helped lead the charge against hate and fear in washington with courage compassion and love. It is our honor to welcome a personal hero and a champion for their Lgbtq Community from the great state of california, u. S. Senators kamala harris. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] hrc. [cheers and applause] hi everybody, hi. Good evening, good evening, good evening and to my dear friends. What a fabulous night. And what a wonderful speech earlier from the other hrc. How about her. [applause] so to kristin sandy, two might great friend cass griffin and everyone here thank you so very much. You know ever since my dear friend mark leno brought me my very first hrc dinner in 1999. [applause] i have been proud to stand with this organization not only as a friend but as an advocate and an ally. [applause] over the years together we have experienced many ups and downs, victory and defeat, success and struggle. So tonight we are not only here to reflect on our progress but to recommit ourselves to the fight we face. Because we all know we are at an Inflection Point in the history of our country. I think this is a moment like the time my parents first met in the 1960s when they were active in the civil rights movement. I believe this is a moment when our country is witnessing an assault on our deepest values and ideals, where people dont trust our government, its institutions or leaders. So to restore that trust hrc i believe must speak truth, even when it makes people uncomfortable. Even when others are silent. And as the poet audrey lord reminds us, there are so many silences to be broken. Lets speak truth. From charlotte to charlottesville we have been reminded racism in this country is real. Sexism and antisemitism are real in this country. And transphobia are real in this country and we must seek that true so we can deal with it. Lets speak truth. Voting rights in this country are under attack. Since the Supreme Court the Voting Rights act 10 federal Court Systems have found intentional discrimination against voters of color. One even said black voters were targeted quote with almost surgical precision. Lets speak truth. Across this country americans worry that our government will take away their health care and at this very moment while we are here this evening and migrants fear a knock on the door that could tear them away from their families. Lets tell the truth. Sexual harassment and assault are real in this country from newsrooms to factory floors and we need to confront it. [applause] lets tell the truth. The United States congress to the United States census lgbt rights are under attack. [applause] under attack by a Justice Department that now stands on the side of discriminations that the quality. Under attack by a Senate Nominee who thinks homosexuality needs to be illegal and a judicial nominee who says transient old old transgender people are proof of and under attack by a commanderinchief who wants to ban transgender troops who are willing to sacrifice their lives to defend our country. And we need to speak another truth, that despite the forces of hate and division that are trying to tear us apart, americans have so much more in common than what separates us. [applause] that is the truth. And you know i remember for example many years ago i was sent to speak to a group of young men. I was there and apparently you were too. [applause] i was there campaigning against a ballot measure that would have required young women to notify their parents before getting an abortion. So i was going to speak and in the cast was a group of 20 and 30yearolds and i remember scratching my head thinking okay now what am i going to say to this group that for the most part hasnt dealt with an unintended pregnancy. So i said to them i guess you guys are wondering what you could possibly have in common with the 16yearold pregnant girl and as you can imagine everyone laughed and then i asked them well, when you were 16 did you want to speak with your parents about your sexuality . And the room went silent because they knew we had so much more in common than what separates us. [applause] and i think its what byron rustin meant when he said you have to join every movement for the freedom of people. [applause] in other words hrc at think it means fighting for everyones civil rights. Its in our common interest and it is in our selfinterest. No one should be left to fight alone. [applause] and throughout my career i have worked with many communities who did feel alone including in the late 1990s working with transgender people of color many of whom were selfmedicating and even some self mutilating and despite some progress last year was still the deadliest year on record for transgender people in america. When compared to white men among latino man is more than three times higher than for black men nearly eight times higher. We know that lack and latino men should not be left to fight alone. [applause] and we are at an incredible moment because none of us in this room are fighting a lone. Across all communities we are standing together women, labor, africanamericans, immigrants, native americans Lgbt Community in and so many more from Standing Rock to charlottesville charlottesville. We are all fighting together. [applause] so let us rededicate ourselves hrc. We will leave no one to fight alone. [applause] and together we together will fight for the equality of the Lgbt Community in all of its diversity. Together we will fight to promote Police Reform and progress of prosecutors to prevent shootings like those that took place on Trayvon Martin and we will fight when planned parenthood is threatened to be shut down. We will fight for the trey caller members of congress because no one should have to hide not in the closet or in the shadows. [applause] and lets fight together knowing knowing, knowing our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power. [applause] and one final point lets be clear that this fight is about love of country. [applause] this life is patriotic. And as i said at an hrc dinner 12 years ago i believe there are two definitions of what it means to be a patriot. One describes those who condone the conduct of their country whatever it does. The other is the kind i believe the salty beak, the kind that fights each and every day for the ideals of our country. [applause] the ideals behind the declaration of independence and the United States constitution and the bill of rights. [applause] its patriots like my brilliant friend and adviser tamara faldo who passed away 10 years ago this month but in life helped elect harvey milk one of the very first openly gay american. And now we have openly gay leaders everywhere to the United States senate. It was patriotic. He was patriotic when we fought to end the gay panic defense which was used to justify violence against gay and transgender people. It was an act of patriotism when we worked to pass a law allowing the prosecution of federal hate crimes in the name of Matthew Shepherd and james bird. [applause] and i have to tell you i am most certainly felt patriotic when on ballantynes weekend in 2004 i performed marriages of gay couples in San Francisco city hall. [applause] now later that year of course the california Supreme Court rendered those marriages void and proposition 8 was passed but the important thing to remember about our history is we flawed. We fought. We took our case all the way to the highest court in the land and as you have heard on june 28 june 28, 2013 i was honored to again stand at San Francisco city hall with ms. Kristin perry and myths sandy sears and announce them partners for life. [applause] the marriage bells rang across our country. So hrc lets prepare ourselves for the fight ahead but lets remember in our fight we have never been one to throw up our hands when its time to roll up our sleeves. Let us rededicate ourselves to each other and to our country and lets continue getting to work and fighting. Thank you. [applause] [applause] good evening. I first joined amazon in 1996 as the 25th employee. Thats when they were just an on line bookstore. I left amazon in 2001 to join the Public Sector and in 2012 worked with hrc board member ben waldman. The successful Marriage Equality campaign in washington state