Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Last month, we welcomed an incredible group of state leaders to our Midwest Leadership Summit in Chicago.
Since 2006, the State of the States report by the Equality Federation has documented the strength and sustainability of state-based advocacy organizations that advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
The gross irony that Native Americans are being abused by overzealous police during Thanksgiving has not been lost on Equality Federation. For this #SolidarityWednesday we encourage you to consider donating to one of the organizations supporting the protestors at Standing Rock in the Dakotas who are fighting to preserve the land and water for future generations.
In recent months, Assembly Bill 1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, was passed by both chambers of the California legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. This bill restates existing anti-discrimination law requiring that transgender students, like all students, be provided with a safe and supportive school environment where they can succeed.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
In June, the Federation launched a weekly "Members Only" newsletter for member staff and boards as well as a biweekly "Friends of the Fed" newsletter for our supporters, donors and friends. Over the past few months, we've gotten a wealth of positive feedback about our new communications, and we've also heard some great suggestions.
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.
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.
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.
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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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