Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
At Summer Meeting 2013, our friends from the National Center for Transgender Equality joined us to facilitate an important topic of discussion: trans inclusion
Our member organizations are always striving to do the best work they can to serve the diverse LGBT communities in their states. To continue to do just that, Fair Wisconsin and Equality Wisconsin have decided to combine their efforts to create a more unified, stable, and successful LGBT equality movement in Wisconsin!
The Obama Administration is continuing to implement the Supreme Court's landmark decision striking down Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.Soon after the ruling was handed down, the President directed the Attorney General to work with other members of his Cabinet to review the Justices' decision and determine its impact on Federal benefit programs to ensure swift and smooth implementation.
Thank you for filling out the evaluation for our 2013 Summer Meeting. To enter a raffle for a free registration to the 2014 Summer Meeting, July 30 - August 2, in Minneapolis, MN, just reply to the thank you email you received or email the Federation Institute at summermeeting@equalityfederation.org.
You may have noticed a few changes lately at the Equality Federation – a new website, new member newsletter, new logo. We're working hard to elevate our brand so that we can better tell the story of the state-based movement for equality.
Here at the Federation, we focus on building the leadership capacity of our movement by enhancing the skills of individuals, particularly those who are just entering the sector as college interns. Created in 2008, the Federation Internship Program was formed to connect smart, engaged, passionate young people with active statewide LGBT advocacy organizations.
Our hearts are heavy at this time and we extend our love and condolences to the friends and family of those affected by the horrific tragedy in Orlando.
President Obama and his Administration have shown great leadership in the midst of national, often nasty and negative, attention and attacks on transgender people and their families. Recent public statements made by the president and the Department of Education send an especially inspiring message to our youth; that the most powerful leaders in our nation have their back.
“My answer is that we should deal with this issue the same way we’d want it dealt with if it was our child,” Obama said. “And that is to try to create an environment of some dignity and kindness for these kids. And that’s sort of the bottom line.” – President Obama
Equality Federation congratulates Massachusetts on the passage of a proactive, transgender-specific public accommodations bill. This bill updates Massachusetts state law to ensure explicit protections for transgender people from discrimination in public places, including restaurants, hospitals, parks, and public restrooms. We celebrate this powerful victory, which comes after over a decade of public education and dialogue in the state.
This week more than a dozen organizers working to secure non-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans nationwide came together in Atlanta, Georgia, launching a new project dedicated to developing conversations about the importance of comprehensive non-discrimination protections.
Officials in eleven states – Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin – have filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its directive to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
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.