Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Many Federation members are actively engaged in efforts to support LGBTQ young people. Some are working to develop Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs); some are fighting to end school pushout; some are advocating for bans against harmful conversion therapy. No matter what form it takes, ensuring that LGBTQ young people are safe and thriving is a key part of all of our members' youth programs. That's why we're excited to share a new resource from our friends at The Trevor Project.
The Regional Field Director (Western U.S.) is a regular, full-time position who reports to the Deputy Field Director and is based in Washington, DC. The states included in the Western Region are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
In 2013, the board and staff of the Equality Federation completed an exciting branding process to reinvigorate and reenergize our brand, message and story. During this process, we modified our logo, updating it with bright new colors that have been integrated into all of our communications.
It took hundreds of hours, thousands of miles, and countless conversations. But it was worth it.As a result of that work, the Equality Federation helped secure more than $650,000 to fuel the campaign to win nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pennsylvanians. That brings our “dollars marshaled” total to more than $1.5 million invested in state-based campaigns.
After the long-awaited repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) in 2011, the movement for equality celebrated. Finally, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) servicemembers could be open and honest about who they are.
All of us at Equality Federation Institute are proud to welcome Andy Garcia as Program Manager. Andy has joined our nondiscrimination team and will work with veteran movement leaders Roey Thorpe and Anne Stanback to implement our expanded program focused on advancing policies that protect LGBT people from discrimination.
Tina Kotek, a Representative from Oregon, became the nation’s first openly lesbian House Speaker when she was sworn into office in 2013. She’s a longtime advocate of LGBTQ equality but is also well-known for her advocacy efforts around housing, health care, and other important issues that most impact marginalized communities.
Summer of Action has kicked off in Phoenix, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Cleveland! Over the next three weeks we will have thousands of conversations about nondiscrimination with people on their front porches and on the phone!
Equality Federation is proud to partner in the launch of a groundbreaking ad depicting the challenges faced by transgender people in accessing public restrooms—and highlighting the lack of state and federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.
The I-1515 campaign – an effort to repeal Washington State’s 10 year old non-discrimination law protecting our transgender friends, co-workers and family members – failed to turn in enough (246,372) signatures to qualify for this year’s fall election ballot. The WA Secretary of State’s office announced late this afternoon that the I-1515 campaign cancelled its appointment to turn in signatures.
Today Equality Federation celebrates Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s signing of a historic bill that updates Massachusetts state law to ensure explicit protections for transgender people from discrimination in public places, including restaurants, hospitals, parks, and public restrooms.
Equality Federation stands in strong opposition to the “First Amendment Defense Act,” known as FADA and has signed a coalition letter demanding the cancellation of the July 12th hearing for the legislation.
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.