Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
INDIANAPOLIS – In an open letter to Gov. Mike Pence and leaders in the Indiana House and Senate, national LGBT and civil rights groups call on lawmakers to quickly enact legislation fixing SB 101, which could allow discrimination against gay and transgender people, and end the firestorm of protests that “Indiana is already on the verge of losing billions of dollars and thousands of jobs because of this dangerous law.
The list of companies threatening to reduce business or leave states that have passed or plan to pass so-called “religious freedom” bills is growing daily. Walmart, Apple, and the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce are among the business interests that have come out against a proposed religious exemption bill in Arkansas.
Georgia lawmakers are considering the passage of a so-called “religious freedom” bill that would overturn all existing state and local civil rights ordinances protecting gay and transgender people. However, SB 129 stands to harm Georgians of all backgrounds.
Many Voices has launched a three-part video campaign featuring straight Black Clergy from North Carolina. Each interview captures experiences from ally voices of faith that undermine the misconception that Black pastors are monolithically homophobic. The videos also illuminate how African Americans can be both religious and supportive of LGBT people, and that being LGBT-affirming is consistent with one’s faith.
Over the past few months, anti-transgender “bathroom bills” have been making their way through the legislative process in Florida, Kentucky, and Texas, and new ones have just shown up in Missouri. State-based organizations and individuals on the ground have been working hard to defeat these bills, which could have very real, harmful consequences for transgender and gender nonconforming people.
A broad and growing chorus of voices including human rights groups, over 30 law scholars, NBA star Jason Collins, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, SalesForce, and Gen Con - Indianapolis’s largest attended conference, is urging Indiana Governor Mike Pence to veto the discriminatory religious exemption bill, SB 101. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) also announced that its leaders are reconsidering having their convention in Indianapolis if SB101 becomes law.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
As we mark a year from the Pulse massacre that claimed the lives of 49 people, Equality Federation stands with Equality Florida in their campaign to #HonorThemWithAction.
In a case brought by Transgender Law Center, on behalf of high school senior Ash Whitaker, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that transgender students are protected from discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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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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