Hostage Calm to Host Same-Sex Marriage Rally in New Jersey

Hostage Calm will be hosting a rally in support of same-sex marriage at the Stevens Institute Of Technology in Hoboken, NJ on Feb. 25th, with performances by themselves and H2O. The rally will be open to the public. Click the Read More… link to read the statement.

Across this country, I’ve seen crowded rooms of anxious people ready to participate, ready to express themselves, ready to engage. It seems like all of us are always ready to be heard, but this world is so rarely prepared to hear us. Yet every once in a while, a clear opportunity arises. Marriage Equality is a defining social issue of our time, and it is being decided—for good—right now. We’ve met thousands of kids from across the world, and I have to say: across this entire spectrum of independent music, there lies a gigantic, but dormant support for marriage equality that we have to see come alive. It must. Maryland and New Jersey are two of the states that plan to vote on marriage equality bills in the coming weeks. Both states face obstacles, but both of them are the closest they’ve ever been to establishing full legal rights for same-sex couples under the law. We will do everything we can to build support within the music community, to make that support loud and clear; and to get our message through to our lawmakers. Our plan is to take the commitment to justice and the energy that lives within music, and bring it together through holding rallies, benefit shows, and through online communication. To use the politics of freedom and the sound of freedom as two coequal parts of one fluid, organic movement. But words have to be followed up action. Our first step of action is a rally in Hoboken, New Jersey with H2O and us at Stevens Institute of Technology. This show is FREE and is open to all members of the public. We will have all kinds of literature, raffles, and opportunities to get involved. Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/222667597824543/ I think back to when marriage equality finally came to the floor in New York. As the final vote on the marriage bill neared, our overnight signature drive generated almost 4,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. That moment was it. It was punk music doing everything we always dreamed it could do. The leaders who joined side of marriage equality cited the “thousands” of emails they received. Not the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of thousands, but the thousands. 4,000 of those were from you. With this community success in mind, we’ve been working closely with Equality Maryland to roll out a couple of initiatives in the coming weeks. They are the recipients of the $1 donation for each “I Support Same Sex Marriage” shirt we sell and have been a great partner so far. We look forward to the next few weeks and the opportunity we all have to make a difference in this most important issue. I know we’re all passionate about music. We’re all deeply involved in our scene, in our friendships, and in our communities. It’s this sort of energy and excitement that gives me hope. We can translate this into something bigger. Together we can educate thousands of people on this issue and make a crucial difference at the exact moment when change is within our reach. WE NEED YOUR HELP. Making flyers, involving your school’s LGBT rights group, putting up posters, doing a webzine interview—any creative power you can contribute is what will give this whole thing life. TO GET INVOLVED, please email us ballotsstones@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you in Hoboken and beyond. 　 May love prevail, CMar & Hostage Calm

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