Let’s commemorate the LGBT rights activist who were among the first ones to speak up. #RightstoFreedom #USwithKosovo
Chad Griffin and Arber Nuhiu
“Today’s decision [Kitchen v. Herbert] affirms what we all know to be true; the U.S. Constitution guarantees the basic civil rights of all Americans, not just some.” – Griffin
Chad Griffin is an LGBTI activist who has often cited the high rate of suicide among gay teens as motivation. He was co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights when this organization brought the lawsuit against California’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2013. Since then, Griffin has waged social and legal campaigns to win new supporters. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriages. Until recently, Griffin was the president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTI people in the U.S.
Arber Nuhiu is one of Kosovo’s most prominent LGBTI advocates. In 2002, when the LGBTI community was still acting underground and hidden, he was the founder of the first LGBTI NGO in Kosovo, Center for Social Group Development – CSGD. As the organization’s executive director, he helped organize Kosovo’s first Pride parade and has worked closely with Kosovo’s government and the international community to ensure equal rights and protections for everyone in Kosovo.