Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Equality Federation denounced today the enactment of North Carolina Senate Bill 2, an anti-LGBT law that allows magistrates and other public officials to opt out of performing marriage services for couples if they have religious objections to certain marriages. The law had been vetoed by Governor Pat McCory, but today the House of Representatives voted 69-41 to override his decision, which means SB 2 will become law.
Despite these laws and guidance, Media Matters for America found that various conservative media outlets have promoted myths that policies protecting transgender students "create confusion, violate students' privacy rights, and can be exploited by students who will pretend to be transgender in order to sneak into the restrooms for the opposite sex."
Want to be even more connected to the LGBT movement at this critical time?Follow these simple steps.
On Monday, the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a best practices guide that will ensure transgender employees has access to the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity. The 4-page "Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers" provides guidance to employers on best practices regarding restroom access for transgender workers, with the goal of assuring that employers provide a safe and healthy working environment for all employees.
You won't want to miss this! Garden State Equality's executive director Andrea Majanik Bowen was interviewed in Slate's fun series Ask A Homo about how to talk with trans people with respect. Garden State Equality is a member of the Equality Federation.
A bill (SB 2) that would exempt certain public officials from issuing marriage licenses without fear of losing their jobs if doing so “would violate their core religious beliefs” has passed in North Carolina's legislature and now awaits action from Governor McCrory.We join Equality Federation member Equality North Carolina in calling upon the Governor to veto the bill.
Since 2006, the State of the States report by the Equality Federation has documented the strength and sustainability of state-based advocacy organizations that advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
The impact of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) continues to be felt across the country. As each federal department issues new rules and guidelines for implementing the decision, families in states across the country are asking more and more questions about what it all means for them. A number of member organizations have taken the initiative to inform folks in their states about what a post-DOMA country means for them.
As I look back on the past year, I’m still in awe. State organizations accomplished game-changing victories that were nothing short of historic. That’s why I’m proud to share with you Equality Federation’s 2012 Annual Report, which offers a small look into our role in last year’s incredible wins.
Members of the LGBT community are more likely than the general population to lack adequate, if any, health coverage. But as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), millions of LGBT people and their families will experience improvements in the quality of coverage they have—such as LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination protections—or will have access to health insurance coverage for the first time.
We are pleased to welcome our newest member organization, the Fairness Campaign in Kentucky! The Fairness Campaign has recently merged with Kentucky Fairness Alliance to create a more unified, stable, and successful LGBT equality movement in the Bluegrass State!
Since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), many federal departments have issued guidance and policy updates detailing the impact of DOMA’s demise for same-sex couples.
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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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