Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Today Equality Federation lauded the reintroduction of the Equality Act by Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in the House and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has made passage a top priority for the new Congress.
Four anti-transgender bills were defeated in South Dakota’s legislature this month! HB1225 and SB 49 would have made it difficult for transgender youth to participate in school sports and programs; HB1108 would have banned discussion about gender identity and expression; and HB1205 would have allowed parents to deny healthcare for transgender children.
Recently, I got to spend the weekend at one of my favorite Equality Federation programs: our New Executive Director Boot Camp. Fran Hutchins, our deputy director, and Diana Gonzalez, our director of leadership programs, joined me for an intensive two days of training with three talented new state leaders: Jamie Foster of Equality Alabama, Kendra Johnson of Equality North Carolina, and Abbi Swatsworth of Out Nebraska.
Today Equality Federation is excited to introduce our new Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, David Topping. In this role, David will work with our member organizations to craft smart, effective legislative and electoral campaigns that build political power and allow supporters to take action in their communities.
Today Equality Federation celebrates the launch of OutNebraska, formed from OutLinc, Lincoln’s LGBTQ community center, which will serve as a statewide organization to secure fairness and equality for LGBTQ+ Nebraskans and their families.
Today, Equality Federation and Human Rights Campaign released the annual State Equality Index (SEI). This report illuminates the hard work of our member organizations from Equality Florida to Mass Equality to Equality Texas.
Equality Federation is deeply concerned about the anti-Muslim rhetoric and potential policies of Mr. Trump’s team, including the proposed registry of Muslim immigrants. Here are a few organizations you can learn about and support during this troubling time. We are dedicated to working hand-in-hand with our partners to combat racism and bigotry in all its forms.
Today, a Minnesota District Court ruled that transgender people on Medical Assistance in Minnesota deserve access to medically necessary services related to gender transition. Since 2005, surgical treatments for gender dysphoria have been excluded from coverage even though equivalent treatments were covered under the federal Medicare program and private insurance plans.
Like you, I am still grappling with the sadness, anger, and shock over the victory of a candidate who could not be more removed from our values, and the values of my daughter’s generation. This is a candidate who stirred-up bigotry, racism, and misogyny that has seriously divided our country.
On any given day in America thousands of LGBTQ youth, disproportionately youth of color, are separated from their families by means of our broken, corrupted juvenile justice system. In this webinar discussion with MAP, Youth First!, Impact Justice, and NCLR we explore the issue and what we can do together to make the changes necessary to ensure all our youth have a fair opportunity to thrive. Click here to take the pledge for youth and learn more.
In response to some inquiries from people who are afraid their marriages might be invalidated, we drafted this brief explanation.
The election results are devastating. The Equality Federation staff and I are deeply saddened today as we grapple with the reality that the country has elected Donald Trump, who campaigned on racism, homophobia, sexism, xenophobia—sentiments based in fear and hatred.
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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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