5 years of substance, meaning

http://www.baltimoresun.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/ideas/bal-id.profile02nov02,0,504829.story
Rona Marech
11/2/2008

When Dan Furmansky, 34, steps down from his position as executive director at Equality Maryland next month, gay couples still won't be able to get married in Maryland, much to his disappointment. But there were also victories during his five-year tenure at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, he said, and as he moves on, he remains hopeful about the gay rights movement.

What brought you to this advocacy work?

In my first job after college, I ran community programs for an animal shelter. ... Having that job really taught me that whatever I did in my work, life had to have substance and meaning. So throughout the years, I've worked on environmental issues, animal welfare issues, hunger and poverty issues. I came to LGBT issues in 2001 when I got a job as a senior field organizer for the Human Rights Campaign in the Western United States.