A letter from OPEN’s President
Dear friend,
William Winters, President, OPEN Board of Directors
I’ll never forget arriving to the first Day of Visibility for Non-monogamy picnic and rally in Oakland, California. In the runup to the event, I had no idea how many people would actually be willing to show up.
But when I got there on that sunny day, I saw a crowd of hundreds of people gathered to proudly celebrate how we love and live. Kids were playing, people were talking and sharing, and when our guest speakers took the mic, they included a local politician who affirmed that protecting non-monogamous folks from discrimination is very much on the legislative agenda.
That day I saw that the work we're doing at OPEN really matters. We're part of a growing movement that’s shining a new light on non-monogamy and ensuring that our values and identities are part of the story of how we create families, relationships, and community in the 21st century.
Despite OPEN's growing success, this movement faces real risks. And speaking as a longtime community leader and movement organizer, I can tell you that the biggest risk is the least sexy: ensuring that we can continue to fund our work. Luckily, that’s the risk that you can do the most to help address right now.
It takes real investment to win the kind of fights we’re taking on at OPEN. We stood up to Facebook over their treatment of non-monogamy. We ignited a media conversation about a popular TV show’s one-dimensional portrayal of polyamorous relationships. Our Open Workplaces Iniative has helped form non-monogamy employee groups in major corporations. And of course, we successfully organized the first global Day of Visibility for non-monogamy. It's a testament to what a small organization like ours can do!
But movements can't grow when most of their funding comes from a relatively small number of generous supporters. If we’re going to maintain this record of success as we take on even bigger fights, we need to make sure that our funding reflects the scope of the communities we serve.
Celebrating the Day of Visibility in Oakland. From top to bottom: Brett Chamberlin, Executive Director; William Winters, President; Lily Lamboy, Director, Open Workplaces Initiative
So as you read this around the holiday giving season, please consider contributing to the vital work we're doing at OPEN to make the world safer for non-monogamous people and families.
Thank you so much for your generous support. See you in 2024!
William Winters
President, OPEN Board of Directors
P.S. Want to learn more about what OPEN accomplished in 2023 and see what's in store for 2024? Check out our 2023 Impact Report.
