News & Resources

Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.

The Latest

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The Stories of LGBTQ Rural America...

Growing up in Alabama, I loved visiting the farm where my dad was raised. We’d ride four wheelers, hunt, fish, and all pitch in during hay season. Well, mostly my cousins and I got in the way. In some ways, I felt at home in the country, as my family called it.

April 25, 2019
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Equality Federation's Annual Report

Dear Supporters,In 2018, our 43 state-based member organizations made a lot of headway despite the tough political struggles at the national level. Equality Federation is a strategic partner to our member organizations, making sure that the whole movement for LGBTQ equality and justice is linked, from one end of the country to the other.

April 25, 2019
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Freedom Oklahoma Welcomes New Executive Director

Big congrats to Freedom Oklahoma!The organization has recently welcomed their new executive director Allie Shinn.

March 14, 2019
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Equality Act Reintroduced With Historic Support!

Today Equality Federation lauded the reintroduction of the Equality Act by Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in the House and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has made passage a top priority for the new Congress.

March 13, 2019
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VICTORY: All Anti-Transgender Bills Defeated in South Dakota!

Four anti-transgender bills were defeated in South Dakota’s legislature this month! HB1225 and SB 49 would have made it difficult for transgender youth to participate in school sports and programs; HB1108 would have banned discussion about gender identity and expression; and HB1205 would have allowed parents to deny healthcare for transgender children.

March 4, 2019
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Executive Directors of LGBTQ Movement Go To "Boot Camp"

Recently, I got to spend the weekend at one of my favorite Equality Federation programs: our New Executive Director Boot Camp. Fran Hutchins, our deputy director, and Diana Gonzalez, our director of leadership programs, joined me for an intensive two days of training with three talented new state leaders: Jamie Foster of Equality Alabama, Kendra Johnson of Equality North Carolina, and Abbi Swatsworth of Out Nebraska.

February 15, 2019

Press Releases

The Latest on Summer Meeting: Schedules, Lodging Details, and More

Equality Federation Institute’s annual Summer Meeting is the premier gathering of state-based and national LGBT movement leaders. More than 150 advocates from across the country gather to connect and forge relationships, collaborate for future success and build momentum toward even greater wins in the communities we call home.

July 2, 2014
Summer Meeting 2014: Full Schedule Released

Equality Federation Institute’s annual Summer Meeting is the premier gathering of LGBT movement leaders. The 2014 Summer Meeting (July 30 – August 2) will feature informative workshops, inspiring speakers, and incredible social events — in the amazing city of Minneapolis, with OutFront Minnesota as our host.

July 2, 2014
Stories from the States: Overcoming Harsh Opposition in Hawai’i

Hawai’i is often thought of as the state that put in motion our modern march toward marriage equality. Even so, the Aloha State didn’t extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples until last year. But it did so through a dramatic campaign that ended with a special legislative session and the passage of SB-1 — the Hawai’i Marriage Equality Act.

July 2, 2014
Supreme Court Gets It Wrong in Hobby Lobby Case

In an unprecedented decision this week, the Supreme Court ruled that employers can use their religious beliefs to deny their employees access to benefits that they are guaranteed by law to receive.

July 1, 2014
Equality Federation Responds to Supreme Court Decision On Contraception Access

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its highly anticipated decisions in two cases that were brought by for-profit companies arguing that requiring them to include contraception in their employees’ health plan violates their religious liberty rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

June 30, 2014
By Just 147 Votes, LGBT Advocates Win Big in Pocatello

Seven cities in Idaho protect LGBT individuals from discrimination. But that number almost dropped to six — until advocates ran a robust campaign to keep the challenged law in place. In 2013, Pocatello, Idaho adopted a local nondiscrimination ordinance barring employers, landlords and most businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

June 30, 2014
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