What Do LGBT Rights Have To Do With Sandwiches?

It’s going to be a historic summer for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. The uncertainty of the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on four consolidated same-sex marriage cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, set to come out in late June, has us collectively biting our nails. But, Get//Out founders Taryn Miller-Stevens and Peter Stolarski decided that instead of holding a rally or knocking on doors, they would have a sandwich party. In fact, they decided to have 50 of them.

Miller-Stevens and Stolarski’s organization is all about creating fun and engaging experiences that also support causes they believe in. According to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, 61% of Americans are in favor of gay rights. With that much support, the team saw an opportunity to bring people together and fundraise for LGBT rights, which led them to launch a food truck that makes a unique version of the BLT — the BLgT (get it?). Miller-Stevens and Stolarski will be driving across the country all summer, holding a BLgT party in every U.S. state, including Alaska and Hawaii (though they won’t be driving to those). At each stop, they will partner with a different chef or restaurant to make sure the proceeds of the events go to local LGBT support groups. The party (and the sandwiches) will be open to everyone. 

“When we thought about how we wanted to […] touch people across the entire country, we went back to food," said Miller-Stevens. "The ability of food to connect people is unlike anything else." Thus, the BLgT tour was born. 

The events (beginning May 23 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and ending September 22 in Honolulu, Hawaii) are all still coming together, and each one is totally different. Most events will be free (including the sandwiches!) for the first 150 who register. The BLgT truck will be in New York on May 29 at the Stonewall Inn, the historic bar where the LGBT rights movement began in 1969. Another highlight includes the BLgT tour’s July 4 stop in Washington, D.C., on the roof of the Embassy Row Hotel.

Aside from drawing attention to this summer’s upcoming Supreme Court ruling, Miller-Stevens and Stolarski also want to combat the idea that the fight for LGBT rights is over. “It’s not over,” said the pair in a video for their Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than $150,000 from 660 backers. “In 29 states, you can be fired just for being LGBT.”

Want to be a part of one (or more) of the sandwich parties? Register for all 50 events here.