WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, and Equality NC, the statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for LGBTQ North Carolinians, are releasing two new video ads in North Carolina: “Hillary” and “Voting.” The ads feature Lennie Gerber and Pearl Berlin, a North Carolina couple together for a half century, talking about what is at stake and on the ballot in this election. Today is the first day of early voting in the state.

In “Hillary”, Lennie talks about the historic nature of voting for Hillary Clinton: “It’s well past time for America to have a woman president and so every single vote counts. I am voting for Hillary Clinton. No question about it.”

Watch: “Lennie & Pearl: Hillary”

In “Voting,” Lennie emphasizes the importance of voting to ensure the repeal of anti-LGBTQ laws like HB2 in North Carolina: “HB2 is totally unconstitutional. It has cost us millions and millions of dollars. Every single vote counts and you can’t say ‘Well my vote doesn’t count.’ It does.”

Watch: “Lennie & Pearl: Voting”

“Lennie and Pearl’s story is an inspiration to anyone who believes in the American promise of liberty and justice for all," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Because of Lennie and Pearl, and thousands of other pro-equality voters, North Carolina has the historic opportunity to elect Hillary Clinton, the first woman president, and to send Roy Cooper to Raleigh to repeal HB2."

“Lennie and Pearl are personal heroes to me and countless LGBTQ North Carolinians,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro. “This election is the most important in memory for gay, lesbian, bisexual and, transgender Tar Heels, and folks like Lennie and Pearl are working to make sure our voices are heard. We are not this - we are not HB2. We are the state of fairness and equality, and we will turn out this year like never before.”

“Lennie & Pearl: Hillary” and “Lennie & Pearl: Voting” are part of HRC’s digital campaign that is targeting more than 400,000 potential pro-equality voters across North Carolina, in coordination with its larger get-out-the-vote effort aimed at mobilizing the 10 million LGBTQ voters nationwide. The power of the LGBTQ vote in North Carolina is clear: the state has more than 255,800 LGBTQ people of voting age; the margin of victory in the 2012 presidential race in North Carolina was 92,004.

Read more about Lennie and Pearl, their life together and their historic role in achieving marriage equality here. Read more about the LGBTQ vote in North Carolina, and HB2’s damage to the state here. 

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Equality NC is a statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians. For more information, please visit www.equalitync.org

Paid for by the Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee

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