Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
In 2011, the IRS defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, essentially forcing legally married same-sex couples to lie on their income tax returns by filing as single. This legal injustice inspired Nadine Smith of Equality Florida to create the Refuse to Lie Campaign, encouraging legally married same-sex couples to take a stand by refusing to deny our spouses.
It’s time to start thinking about summer. Warm breezes, green trees, vacation days. And Summer Meeting.Each year, the Equality Federation Institute hosts the Summer Meeting to bring together the sharpest minds and the most strategic players in the movement for LGBT equality.
Just this past week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took another step toward making healthcare available and equitable for married same-sex couples.
Good news for Federation members! Salsa has rolled out a new feature that will make donating to your organization even easier for your supporters. This feature, called Quick Donate, allows supporters to opt-in to a special service that will allow them to donate instantly to you through Salsa -- with no form needed.
All young people deserve the opportunity to feel safe and protected at school in order to learn. That's why the Equality Federation and our members are committed to building welcoming and just schools where students are free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and harsh discipline policies that push our young people out of school.
Just over ten years ago, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. At this time, only 32% of Americans supported the freedom to marry. Since 2003, this percentage has increased 21 points, with 53% of Americans now showing support for same-sex marriage, transforming the American religious landscape.
Your supporter list in Salsa is one of your organization’s greatest assets. It’s the people who care about the work you do, who give you their time, who contribute their dollars -- all to support your efforts to win equality. Keeping this list up-to-date and accurate supports all of your work -- from communications to development to organizing.
Nothing is as inspiring as a gathering of grassroots activists to remind you of the power of communities organizing for change.
About a year ago, as I was starting my new job as Director of Communications at Equality Federation, I realized I had a unique opportunity to achieve a personal goal: to build up the communications expertise of the state-based movement.
Every student should be able to go to school each day in a safe and supportive environment where they are able to learn and excel without fear of being bullied. In 2010, Massachusetts passed a landmark anti-bullying law to ensure safety for students.
Recently, several of our member organizations welcomed new leadership to their teams. These incredible leaders will help to expand our movement in bigger and brighter ways across the country. Let’s congratulate our member organizations and welcome these new leaders!
It’s almost here. Equality Federation Institute Summer Meeting 2014: the premier gathering of LGBT movement leaders. This is your chance to connect with 150 of your friends and colleagues -- staff and board members of state-based groups, national advocates, funders, and some of the most strategic minds in the movement.
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With your support, we'll be able to continue our work to build the leaders of today and tomorrow, strengthen state-based LGBTQ+ organizations, and make critical progress on the issues that matter most—like protecting transgender people, ending HIV criminalization and ensuring access to care, and banning conversion therapy across the country.
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