Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
State-based organizations across the country are advancing major progress in the communities we call home -- where the work is hard, but the impact is great. Nearly every week, we hear about another victory that provides LGBT people with the protection, respect, and dignity they need and deserve, but far too often, these wins are unrecognized by the broader community.
2014 highlights.
One of the greatest challenges for the state-based LGBT movement is securing funding and resources to do the hard but necessary work on the ground in the communities we call home. For groups in the South, this continues to be a struggle. LGBT advocates in this region work to win equality for their communities with limited funding and capacity, all while facing often intense political and religious opposition.
Running an organization can be hard work. From supporting a board to interacting with donors to representing your brand -- being a successful leader takes commitment. One of the greatest responsibilities of an Executive Director is being a strong manager. And one way you can improve your management skills is through interactions with staff.
One in five Americans is financially “insecure,” meaning they recently experienced a significant loss in income without an adequate financial cushion. Because of outdated and discriminatory laws, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face even greater economic insecurity than their non-LGBT counterparts simply because of who they are and whom they love.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Windsor v. United States last June, we have seen over 10 states win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. We have witnessed 40 wins, and two losses, for the freedom to marry, and with 81 cases pending in 32 states, the time is right for the Supreme Court to consider one or more of the federal marriage equality cases.
In November 2012, three states -- Maine, Maryland, and Washington -- extended the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. And in the past few months, three additional states -- Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota -- have followed suit, reaching 12 states in the nation that allow all loving couples to share in the joys and responsibilities of marriage.
In just a few weeks, leaders from across the country will gather together to learn from each other and to build the skills and relationships that are so critical to growing a strong state-based movement for equality.
Over the last 30 years, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has seen great strides in the movement for full equality. Much of this success is the result of a concerted movement, which was galvanized in response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
Equality Federation is pleased to announce the hiring of Jace Woodrum as our first-ever Director of Communications.Jace brings to the Federation more than eight years of experience in communications and three years working with LGBT organizations, including one of our member groups: One Colorado.
Equality Federation and Equality Federation Institute are winning equality in the communities we call home. You can fuel that momentum by making a contribution to support our work right now:
Equality Utah welcomes state and national leaders to the 16th Equality Federation Institute Summer Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Salt Lake City, located in the beautiful, complex state of Utah. Reserve your room online.
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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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