For Immediate Release: October 13, 2011 Media Contact: Daniel Cates, (512) 674-5126, daniel@getequaltx.

org Mass Same-Sex Marriage and Commitment Ceremonies to Take Place in Dallas Same-Sex Wedding and Commitment Ceremony Set for Downtown Dallas DALLAS, TX -- Tuesday, October 11, was National Coming Out Day -- a day that highlights the progress made by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Americans and the inequality that remains. On Saturday, Oct. 15, to highlight one of the many ways in which LGBT Texans are still lacking in equal civil rights, cities throughout the state of Texas are performing mass wedding ceremonies for those same-sex couples who would legally marry if they could. Activists in Dallas will gather at Founder's Plaza beginning at 4:30pm, with a sidewalk march beginning at 5:00pm. Marchers will return to Founder's Plaza afterward, where there will be a rally and mass same-sex commitment ceremony in front of the Dallas Records Building, where heterosexual couples legally obtain marriage licenses. Participants will call for a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriage as anything but between one man and one woman and allows states like Texas to refuse recognition of same-gender marriages from other states. Activists will also advocate for a repeal of the Texas state constitutional ban on same-gender marriages. "The time has come for Texas to extend protection to all families," said Daniel Cates, North Texas Coordinator for GetEQUAL. "More than 17,000 children are being raised by same-gender parents in our state. The time has come to lay fear and discrimination to rest. Texas is better than that." The Dallas event is organized by GetEQUAL TX, a grassroots, LGBT civil rights organization. The ceremony will be officiated by Richard D. Curtin, star of "the 10%" on Rational Broadcasting. WHAT: "Coming Out for Marriage Equality" WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 2011

TIME: 4:30pm CST WHERE: Founder's Plaza, Dallas, Texas "What we really want is a true separation of church and state," said Curtin. "Marriage should not be exclusively a religious or heterosexual privilege. This is about love. Having lost a partner, I understand the importance of having that love recognized by the state." Similar marriage equality events are taking place at the same time in San Antonio, Houston, Brownsville, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Huntsville, Austin and Harlingen. All who support equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and families are encouraged to attend. GetEQUAL is a national, direct action lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. Emphasizing direct action and people power, the mission of GetEQUAL is to empower the LGBT community and its allies to take action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information on GetEQUAL, please visit: http://www.getequal.org. You can follow GetEQUAL on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/getequal, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GetEQUAL, or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/getequal. GetEQUAL Texas is a chapter of GetEQUAL, and can be found on the web at http://www.getequaltx.org, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GetEQUAL.TX, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/getequal_tx. ###