Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Monday, January 4, began my first official week as the new executive director of Equality Federation. I was ready to hit the ground running by playing a very small part in the massive and successful Georgia Senate get-out-the-vote effort.
New year, new executive director. We’ve known her for many years as Equality Federation’s deputy director, but this week Fran Hutchins started her new role as executive director. Get to know a little about Fran!
Today, Equality Federation announced that Fran Hutchins, the organization’s current Deputy Director, will lead the organization as Executive Director starting January 1, 2021.
The Municipal Equality Index (MEI) examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city leadership’s public position on equality.
One of the great hopes of the 2020 Election resided in the states: would legislatures flip away from majorities of anti-LGBTQ lawmakers and become pro-equality states? Millions of dollars and years of work went into efforts to change the makeup of State Houses and Senates. Unfortunately, many states came up short, and legislatures remain largely unchanged across the country following November 3.
Equality Federation responds to the historic results of the November 3, 2020 election in which media outlets announced a win for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.The following statement can be attributed to Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation.
Today the Court recognized the harm of discrimination and reaffirmed that states can act to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. The Court’s 7-2 decision in favor of the baker in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is limited specifically to the unique circumstances of this case and calls into question actions from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission—but it leaves intact Colorado’s LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections, as well as similar protections in 19 states and 200+ cities and towns.
Equality Federation stands with our member organization Freedom Oklahoma in our disgust at the passage of SB 1140.
In 2016 we published a blog post on the growing threat – the use of preemption legislation. Today, we’re proud to participate in the release of a new report led by Movement Advancement Project in partnership with A Better Balance, Family Values @ Work, and the Local Solutions Support Center.
I’m so proud of my dad today, and well, every day really. He’s an honorable man who works hard and owns a business in our hometown, Oklahoma City. Like any family, it was a journey with ups and downs when I came out, but he has always supported me.
As an adopted LGBTQ Oklahoman I find SB 1140, Oklahoma’s anti-LGBTQ adoption bill, to be a direct attack on myself and the hundreds of prospective adoptive families across our state.
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.