Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
On Friday, August 12th, a federal court in Forth Worth Texas will hear arguments in State of Texas v. United States, a lawsuit that is a clear attack on transgender people with the sole purpose of enshrining discrimination into the law.
Two years ago, Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri, a city where less than two years before, we worked with the Ferguson City Council to pass the first inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in North County.
Equality Federation is proud to have raised $22,369 from donors like you on Give OUT Day – August, 2nd. We won a second place prize of $5k for garnering the second most individual donors of the day bringing our grand total raised to $27,369.
Nearly 200 leaders from Equality Federation’s state-based partner membership as well as leaders from national LGBTQ organizations attended our annual Leadership Conference this July in Portland, Oregon. Local hosts Basic Rights Oregon supported the efforts and an array of new sponsors ensured the event was a smashing success.
Tina Kotek, a Representative from Oregon, became the nation’s first openly lesbian House Speaker when she was sworn into office in 2013. She’s a longtime advocate of LGBTQ equality but is also well-known for her advocacy efforts around housing, health care, and other important issues that most impact marginalized communities.
Unjust: LGBTQ Youth Incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice System examines how LGBTQ youth who are incarcerated in juvenile detention and correctional facilities face bias in adjudication, and mistreatment and abuse in confinement facilities.
In 1997, a few state LGBTQ leaders came together at the Highlander Center in Tennessee. State by state, they were often working in isolation. Sitting in a circle of rocking chairs, they envisioned coming together as a state-based movement to form what would become Equality Federation.
This week marked one year since the tragedy at Pulse night club claimed the lives of 49, mostly Latinx, LGBTQ young people. As we continue to mourn and celebrate their lives, we commit to honoring them with action.
“For the LGBTQ community, today marks the beginning of Pride Month – a month dedicated to celebrating the vibrancy of our community, living our truth, remembering those we have lost and those who have paved the way, and preparing for the next year of hard work and accomplishments ahead of us.
As we kick-off Pride month, I’d like to look back on the legislative season and my time as Policy Fellow at Equality Federation, tracking and analyzing bills that impact the LGBTQ community. Here are two of the major highs and lows in trends this legislative season.
Equality Federation congratulates Basic Rights Oregon on the historic passage of HB 2673A. This legislation allows transgender individuals to amend both name and gender marker on their birth records without going to court.
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.