Dries Buytaert

Did you know that in the United States, you can only get married in 5 states if you're gay? I think that's insane.

That's why I'm proud to say that Friendfactor is a Drupal site. Friendfactor is an organization that makes it easier for friends to help their LGBT friends achieve full legal freedoms and equality.

Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can create a profile that explains why the cause is important to them, and ask their friends to support them in their individual fights for equality. Friendfactor also gives details about the legal inequalities in each home state, and provides tools that friends can use to make change.

For example, in New York, Friendfactor realized that state senators will decide whether LGBT New Yorkers will have the freedom to marry. To connect constituents and friends who care about the issue with state senators, Friendfactor created Friend-setter pages.

Friend-setter pages are a new innovation in online advocacy. The pages act like marathon fundraising pages, except instead of asking friends for a donations you ask friends for a call to a New York state senator. In one click and in under 1 minute, your friends will be connected to their state senator's office.

There is only two weeks left to pass marriage in New York. Calling is one of the most powerful ways someone can exercise their voice as a constituent. Thousands of New Yorkers have already taken a stand in support of the freedom to marry and I have joined them by setting up my own Friend-setter page.

Friendfactor is what I believe the next generation of advocacy organizations will be: technology-focused in a smart and human way. It's rewarding to see how Drupal enables such a cause.