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 and Equality South Dakota condemn South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard for signing into law a discriminatory religious exemption bill that would prevent children in need of homes a fair opportunity to find a loving family.
The Utah Legislature passed a historic bill on Wednesday this week repealing a state law prohibiting supportive discussions of “homosexuality” in public and charter school curricula and classrooms. This victory has been months in the making.
In case you missed it, 2016 was a year for the record books. Well over 200 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation kept Equality Federation and our state partners busy in state capitals across the country. That’s the bad news.
Equality Federation regrets to report that several organizations, including two Federation member groups, have been targeted by acts of vandalism. Someone smashed a window of Equality Florida’s Orlando office in late February.
A judge in Pinedale, Wyoming faced discipline from the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics for a newspaper interview she gave stating that she would not officiate same-sex marriages. She said, “When law and religion conflict, choices have to be made.”
Nancy Haque, leader of Basic Rights Oregon, made us laugh, cry, and feel charged up and ready to resist the Trump Administration’s attacks on all our communities. In this FEDTalk, she describes her reaction to the election as a single mom and having an immigrant family.
President Trump’s announcement that he will end DACA, a program that protects undocumented young people who grew up in America from deportation, is a cruel and heartless attack on 800,000 families.
Equality Federation recently held our annual Leadership Conference, featuring our fabulous FEDTalks – 5 minute talks given by the leaders of the state-based LGBTQ movement. We’re proud to debut Sara Burlingame’s (Wyoming Equality) hilarious talk 5 Ways to Stay Active in the LGBTQ Movement (Without Succumbing to Abject Martyrdom)!
Today President Trump signed an unnecessary and divisive directive that bans the military from recruiting transgender service members, and bans the Department of Defense from providing necessary medical care for current transgender service members. At press time, it is unclear if currently serving members will be able to continue since The White House has left questions unanswered.
The state-based movement for LGBTQ equality and justice is broad and diverse. That’s why we strive to ensure that our membership reflects the whole country.
Today we join transgender Texans and their families in celebration because, after many months of courageous storytelling and coalition building, the efforts to pass anti-transgender bathroom ban legislation have FAILED.
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.