Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
One thing our movement has learned for sure is that our stories have the power to transform hearts and minds, and that we must never be silent. Last week, the keynote speakers at our 20th Annual Leadership Conference provided extraordinary examples of that.
We are so proud to have had the support of each of our sponsors at our 2017 Leadership Conference last week in Alexandria, Virginia. At Equality Federation, our partnerships go beyond simple monetary support – each and every sponsor works with us in the LGBTQ movement.
“With Equality Federation celebrating its 20th anniversary, this year marks two decades of state equality groups coming together to strategize, share, and learn from each other. We believe that we are stronger and better together, and our record proves it.
Equality Federation’s member organizations have volunteers, staff, and board members who are transgender veterans. Here are a few of their reactions to Trump’s plans to ban transgender people from serving in the military.
WASHINGTON — Today, over 200 leaders from the LGBTQ civil rights movement are gathered in Alexandria just across the river from Washington, D.C. for the annual Equality Federation Leadership Conference as President Trump announced his intention, in a series of tweets, to ban transgender people from serving in the military.
As Texas prepares to enter a special legislative session to consider a growing number of discriminatory bills targeting transgender people and their families, the United States House of Representatives is today considering a amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would strip transgender service members and their dependents of access to health care. The harmful amendment was introduced by Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO).
Equality Federation congratulates our partners and advocates on the ground who have worked tirelessly for these victories in Connecticut and Nevada. This week, we add two more to the list of states that have banned conversion “therapy” for minors.
Equality Federation has condemned Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam for signing HB 1111/SB 1085, requiring that all words in Tennesee state code be defined as their so-called “natural” or “biological” meanings.
Today President Trump signed a troubling and unnecessary executive order (full text below) that directs the Justice Department to draft religious exemptions guidelines that could promote anti-LGBT discrimination, promotes limiting access to contraception, and promotes partisan political spending by churches.
President Trump is rumored to be planning on signing a religious exemptions executive order on Thursday that would give license to discriminate against LGBTQ Americans and their families.
Governor Kay Ivey has signed the discriminatory bill, deceptively named the Alabama Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act, into law.
Equality Federation hails the introduction of the Equality Act which would provide comprehensive federal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ Americans and their families. Led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), 40 senators introduced the Act in the Senate and, simultaneously, led by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), 158 representatives filed legislation in the House.
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.