Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Because I work in LGBT rights, people are asking me what they can do in response to Orlando. My response: find a vigil if you need healing or want to show support. If you want to do a bit more, here’s what I’ll tell you:
We the undersigned organizations working on the front lines of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movement share in the profound grief for those who were killed and many more who were wounded during Latin Night at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Their lives were lost or forever altered in this devastating act of violence targeting LGBTQ people.
Our hearts are heavy at this time and we extend our love and condolences to the friends and family of those affected by the horrific tragedy in Orlando.
President Obama and his Administration have shown great leadership in the midst of national, often nasty and negative, attention and attacks on transgender people and their families. Recent public statements made by the president and the Department of Education send an especially inspiring message to our youth; that the most powerful leaders in our nation have their back.
“My answer is that we should deal with this issue the same way we’d want it dealt with if it was our child,” Obama said. “And that is to try to create an environment of some dignity and kindness for these kids. And that’s sort of the bottom line.” – President Obama
Equality Federation congratulates Massachusetts on the passage of a proactive, transgender-specific public accommodations bill. This bill updates Massachusetts state law to ensure explicit protections for transgender people from discrimination in public places, including restaurants, hospitals, parks, and public restrooms. We celebrate this powerful victory, which comes after over a decade of public education and dialogue in the state.
Today is #GivingTuesday, a national day of charitable giving, and we need you to support the state-based LGBTQ resistance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of people who were killed in acts of anti-transgender violence. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999.
In 2017, there have been multiple attacks, drive-by shootings, and episodes of vandalism targeting LGBTQ advocacy organizations and community centers in New Jersey, Florida, and Tulsa. Freedom Oklahoma appears to be the latest victim. When the cleaning crew arrived on Sunday morning they discovered bullet holes riddled across the glass wall which serves at the entrance to Freedom Oklahoma’s office.
Update: Raven Matherne won a seat on the Stamford Connecticut Board of Representatives and is believed to be the city's first openly transgender lawmaker.On Tuesday, November 7th EIGHT transgender candidates made history!
Equality Federation is proud to participate in the annual Municipal Equality Index with HRC, which illustrates both the tremendous progress we have achieved as well as the challenges that still lie ahead in our fight for equality in the communities we call home. This important tool provides a roadmap to a future in which every LGBTQ person experiences fairness and equality no matter where they live. Click here to see your city's score!
Equality Federation joined an amicus brief (see below) filed by Lambda Legal in what is shaping up to be one of the most significant LGBTQ equality cases of our time, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Don’t be fooled by the name or the right-wing’s arguments; This case is not just about cakes or one small business, it is about whether laws against discrimination can continue to be enforced without sweeping exemptions.
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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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