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.
It's one of the most common questions we're asked: How do state groups grow the number of LGBT people financially supporting our work?And now, we have some real answers. Or, at least, the beginning of some real answers.
The State Equality Fund (SEF) has announced its new guidelines for 2014 and issued an invitation for letters of inquiry (LOI).For the past eight years, Federation members have used support from SEF to make huge policy advances that improve the lives of LGBT people in their state. And at the Federation, we're eager to help even more of our state groups take advantage of this critical funding stream.
Our eighth FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Troy Stevenson, Executive Director at Garden State Equality.
Our seventh FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Ali Vander Zanden, Political Director at EqualityMaine.
Our sixth FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Randy Moore, Intern at South Carolina Equality.
LGBT people have unique health needs – and face unique challenges when accessing the care they need. In New York, the team at Empire State Pride Agenda has been working for years to meet the needs and address the challenges faced by LGBT New Yorkers. Just this week, they released a new report that will improve the health and well-being of the state’s LGBT community for years to come.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
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.
.png)
