The past few weeks will be remembered in history as a critical turning point in our movement. Judge Walker issued a powerful and eloquent decision affirming our rights. In doing so, he reinvigorated our faith in the Constitution and the fair-mindedness of our fellow citizens.

We must be grateful for the brilliant legal team leading our fight in Courts. The victory they won has generated new energy, new enthusiasm, and new momentum as we move forward, and we must seize this opportunity for all its worth by matching their phenomenal work in the Courts with equally phenomenal work on the ground.

Marriage is one of the most visible reminders that LGBT Californians are not treated as fully equal citizens. But marriage is not the be-all and end-all of our movement. As we wait for the Ninth Circuit to lift the stay and allow us to exercise our rights, there are many areas where we can advocate on behalf of our community, and those efforts will have a parallel effect on the overall success of our movement.

The state budget fight provides a perfect opportunity for us to stand up for LGBT Californians. The budget fight is absolutely an LGBT issue. Republican lawmakers are insisting on a cuts-only approach, and this will have a devastating impact on LGBT Californians.

Lesbians are twice as likely to live in poverty as straight women. Gay African Americans are more likely to live in poverty than straight African Americans. More than 50 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT. And poor LGBT Californians afflicted with HIV/AIDS are only able to afford their medication through state programs.

Every cut to social safety programs harms LGBT Californians. Cuts to job training programs make it harder for us to move out of poverty. Cuts to HIV/AIDS prevention—as the Governor did last year—take away the medication keeping LGBT Californians alive.

We must all be a part of movement; not just the lawyers representing us in one case. We must match their brilliant work with equally heroic work on our behalf, and use these opportunities to build a genuine and lasting coalition.

The future of our movement is in our hands. We must move forward aggressively on every front. Working on these other issues gives us the opportunity to expand our coalition, and to recruit new allies and new partners in fighting for our rights. If we do that, and do it well, then we will create a critical mass for equality which no court could ignore.

We cannot be complacent in a single victory in a courtroom. If that’s is our mindset, then the case that we see as our Brown v. Board of Education may very well turn out to be our own Dredd Scott. We cannot let that happen, so we must seize this opportunity for all its worth.