Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has signed into law one of the most extreme, sweeping anti-LGBT bills in the country, HB 1523. The law allows discrimination by individuals, religiously-affiliated organizations (including hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, and more), and businesses based on religious beliefs or moral convictions regarding marriage for same-sex couples; sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage; and transgender people.
On Friday, April 1st the Kentucky Senate unanimously approved a single marriage license form, a move in stark contrast to a divisive vote on the same issue several weeks ago. The Senate had previously approved Senate Bill 5, a measure introduced by Senator Stephen West (R-Paris) that would have created separate marriage license forms for gay and straight couples in Kentucky.
One of the most extreme, sweeping anti-LGBT bills in the country, HB 1523, is making its way through the Mississippi legislature and will reach Governor Phil Bryant’s desk within days. It would allow discrimination by individuals, religiously-affiliated organizations (including hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, and more), and businesses based on religious beliefs or moral convictions regarding marriage for same-sex couples; sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage; and transgender people.
BREAKING (STAY TUNED FOR MORE): Equality Federation extends our deepest thanks to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal for vetoing the discriminatory, anti-LGBT religious exemption bill (HB 757) that had passed through the legislature.
Equality Federation denounces North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory for signing into law the most extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country. House Bill 2 repeals Charlotte’s nondiscrimination ordinance, prevents other towns from passing their own nondiscrimination ordinances, prevents transgender people from being able to use the restroom that matches the gender they live every day, and even prevents cities from adopting living wage ordinances.
BREAKING (Stay tuned for updates): Equality Federation calls upon North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to veto the extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation that was passed in the General Assembly on Wednesday. HB2 is one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation to emerge in the country this year.
Equality Federation has been proud to partner with Lyft since last year, and a new announcement from the company reinforces why we value them as a business leader in inclusivity.
Equality Federation congratulates the hard work of Federation member Equality New Mexico, all of the national partner organizations, and the courageous advocates on the ground who shared their personal stories to achieve today’s victory: banning the dangerous and unscientific practice of sexual orientation and gender identity conversion efforts! New Mexico joins five states and the District of Columbia in banning the practice, and Equality Federation is currently supporting bills that would ban it in 19 more states.
Today the Senate confirmed Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States. He will be sworn into office on Monday. Equality Federation had previously expressed concern about Gorsuch’s record and personal philosophy, and those concerns were only amplified during the Judge’s confirmation hearings.
On Tuesday, April 6th, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, issued a landmark ruling in a discrimination case brought by Lambda Legal. The court found in their 8-3 ruling on Hively v. Ivy Tech that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Equality Federation condemned North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for signing HB 142, a law that legislators attempted to frame as a repeal of the famously discriminatory HB 2.
Twenty five years ago, I first started working in the LGBTQ movement. Back then I was hopeful for so many things that have since been realized, but one thing has yet to come true: an end to HIV.
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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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