A Binghamton University freshman won a contest that will give him the opportunity to speak in front of tens of thousands of equal rights supporters at the National Equality March on Washington on Oct. 11.
Sam Sussman, a philosophy, politics and law major, entered “Equality Idol,” hosted by Equality Across America, by submitting a YouTube video stating the importance of equal rights for everyone. The video is a preview of what he planned to say if he were selected to speak in Washington, D.C.
Sussman was one of five finalists in the contest, and found out late Thursday night that he was the winner.
“Obviously I’m very excited; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this message to Washington,” Sussman said. “I haven’t been contacted by National Equality yet, but it’s official on their Web page.”
In his YouTube speech, Sussman quoted Dante’s “Inferno,” which states that “the deepest reserves of hell are for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” He compared this idea to the issues America is currently facing.
“It is moral crisis when every day another patriotic, brave American serviceman or woman is disbarred from our military because he or she is gay,” he stated in the speech. “It is moral crisis when two committed and loving adults are barred at the doors of marriage by a government that has no right to define love.”
According to Sussman, the new speech is not yet written, although he has an idea of what he will say and has written a few sentences down. He added that the speech that he will make in D.C. will be different from his YouTube oration, which focused on why he would be a good choice.
“It will be similar in content, but it will be more persuasive as opposed to the informative style on YouTube,” Sussman said.
The aim of the National Equality March is to gain support beyond the District of Columbia — in all 435 Congressional districts — for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization’s demand for equal protection under the law.
According to Sussman, gay rights is the issue of our generation, and the youth of a nation is entrusted with closing the gaps of inequality. Although he notes that there is a “Christian element” in U.S. politics, he cites that there is a strict separation of church and state in our country, and that our civil laws must be governed solely by our Constitution.
Sussman is the co-founder of the group Alliance for the Realization of Legal Equality, located in Orange County, N.Y., and is a vigorous advocate for equal rights, such as the legalization of gay marriage and opposition to the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military. He and his high school friends formed the group after the California legislature passed Proposition 8 in 2008, which overruled same-sex marriage cases and defined a legal marriage as a union only between man and woman.
According to Sussman, he was astonished as a U.S. citizen by what he considers to be the government taking away people’s rights.
“Our country was created with the profound promise of civil rights. The 14th Amendment must be enforced by aware citizens, a good majority of who are straight,” Sussman said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 150,000 same-sex couples in America consider themselves married. Sussman is opposed to these individuals losing out on tax breaks, adoption (in some states) and hospital visitation rights for loved ones that only legally married couples can attain.
Sussman also wants the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to fade away. Since its enactment in 1993, 13,000 soldiers have been discharged under the act. Sussman sees the deprivation of ability for gays to serve openly in the armed forces as unjust.
After the march on Washington, Sussman and his group plan to push for equal rights for citizens regardless of their sexual orientation by organizing more rallies and lobbying the New York State Senate on key gay rights issues.
Sussman is not worried about speaking in front of a crowd of tens of thousands.
“I’ve spoken in front of a couple hundred people before, but the message stays the same.”
— Aaron Axelson contributed to this report.