Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Equality Federation is committed to promoting racial justice and equity in all facets of our work. When we began our racial justice initiative in 2014, we decided that it was not enough to have a stand-alone program or project.
This year was the most successful ever in the fight against so-called “conversion therapy.” Equality Federation supported legislation in 20 states to protect youth from the harmful, unscientific, disproven practice of sexual orientation and gender identity conversion efforts.
Equality Federation’s Legislative Action Center tracks every piece of LGBTQ-focused legislation in all 50 states, allowing us to deploy critical resources to our state partners at every step of the legislative process. This year we tracked over 350 bills affecting the LGBTQ community. Fifteen states faced down anti-transgender bathroom ban legislation this year and we were victorious in fighting every one of these discriminatory efforts.
In 1997, a few LGBTQ movement leaders, including our current executive director, Rebecca Isaacs, came together at the Highlander Center in Tennessee. Sitting in a circle of rocking chairs in the room where Rosa Parks was trained in civil disobedience, they envisioned coming together as a state-based movement to form the “Federation of Statewide LGBT Political Organizations.” From that loose network, an organization grew.
Equality Federation members scored key municipal policy wins this year. While we often focus on statewide wins, these city and county victories are critical components of the fight for equality in the communities we call home.
In 20 states across the country, 74 cities earned over 85 points despite hailing from a state without non-discrimination statutes that explicitly protect sexual orientation and gender identity, which is up from five municipalities in 2012.
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We are excited to announce the addition of our newest state partner to the Equality Federation: Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum!
With a rise in hate violence across the country, a new report from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and 16 leading civil rights organizations provides a groundbreaking analysis of state and federal hate crime laws.
Today, Equality Federation responded to the Supreme Court’s decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case involving a religiously affiliated and taxpayer-funded foster care agency that refused to certify same-sex couples as foster parents in violation of Philadelphia’s nondiscrimination protections.
A Call to Action: LGBTQ+ Youth Need Inclusive Sex Education details the urgent need for LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education programs and supports. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth – particularly those who are at the intersection of multiple marginalized communities – need to be able to learn in settings that are inclusive of their experiences and that give them the necessary tools to stay safe and healthy.
It’s an exciting time at Equality Federation. I am honored to announce two new staff members have started this week to enhance and expand our advocacy work. Corinne Green has joined as our Policy & Legislative Strategist, and Mike Webb has joined as our Policy Engagement Strategist. Learn a little below about Corinne & Mike, as well as the way our growing advocacy department will operate.
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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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