Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
While recently on a tour at a juvenile detention facility, one of my colleagues asked the staff how they make housing decisions for transgender youth. The staff responded, "We ask youth how they identify themselves, and if they would prefer to be placed in the girls unit or in the boys unit."
INDIANAPOLIS – In an open letter to Gov. Mike Pence and leaders in the Indiana House and Senate, national LGBT and civil rights groups call on lawmakers to quickly enact legislation fixing SB 101, which could allow discrimination against gay and transgender people, and end the firestorm of protests that “Indiana is already on the verge of losing billions of dollars and thousands of jobs because of this dangerous law.
The list of companies threatening to reduce business or leave states that have passed or plan to pass so-called “religious freedom” bills is growing daily. Walmart, Apple, and the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce are among the business interests that have come out against a proposed religious exemption bill in Arkansas.
Georgia lawmakers are considering the passage of a so-called “religious freedom” bill that would overturn all existing state and local civil rights ordinances protecting gay and transgender people. However, SB 129 stands to harm Georgians of all backgrounds.
Many Voices has launched a three-part video campaign featuring straight Black Clergy from North Carolina. Each interview captures experiences from ally voices of faith that undermine the misconception that Black pastors are monolithically homophobic. The videos also illuminate how African Americans can be both religious and supportive of LGBT people, and that being LGBT-affirming is consistent with one’s faith.
Over the past few months, anti-transgender “bathroom bills” have been making their way through the legislative process in Florida, Kentucky, and Texas, and new ones have just shown up in Missouri. State-based organizations and individuals on the ground have been working hard to defeat these bills, which could have very real, harmful consequences for transgender and gender nonconforming people.
A weekly update of legislation moving through the states.
Now is the time — and this is the Congress — to do everything we can to ensure LGBTQ people are protected no matter what zip code they call home. Our window of opportunity may be short, and it may not reopen for years to come.
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.
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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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