Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
December 14, 2022 - Yesterday, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that the federal government respects and protects all marriages equally.
Today, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that she has made a major gift to Equality Federation Institute as part of her pledge to give away a majority of her wealth through the Giving Pledge. Equality Federation received a $2 million gift to support the organization’s work as an advocacy accelerator for the state-based LGBTQ+ movement.
This year, in addition to our usual planning, coaching and other legislative support work, Equality Federation launched the Trans Defense Campaign to demonstrate the unified power of the state-based movement to defeat anti-transgender bills and win public support for transgender people.
Federation members Equality Texas have launched a campaign backed by many big name creative artists who are calling upon Texas leaders not to enshrine discrimination targeting LGBTQ people into state law.
Within hours of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ confirmation, the Department of Justice put a wrench in the Department’s ongoing defense of President Obama’s guidance on fairness for transgender students, sending a troubling hint that the new Administration may be taking a different course.
Equality Federation stood in solidarity with the broad, diverse opposition to Senator Sessions for Attorney General due to his history of opposing fairness, freedom, and justice for all. He has a record of opposing LGBTQ equality, making racist statements, and acting as a barrier to progress for people of color, women, immigrants and other communities.
We’ve already sent you several emails and flooded your social media with news and action alerts about the Administration’s anti-LGBTQ appointees and attacks on immigrants and refugees. So, I’m proud to showcase this Trump-free newsletter, highlighting victories from across the country.
In October, Equality Utah made history by filing a lawsuit against Utah’s state education office. The lawsuit challenges a curriculum law that prohibits discussing homosexuality in a positive way.
Lester Jackson (D-Savannah) introduced a historic, comprehensive civil rights bill in co-sponsorship with five of his colleagues. The bill represents the first time a civil rights bill that includes nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people was introduced in the state.
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.