Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
The Biden administration has issued new proposed regulations under Title IX, the federal civil rights law, stating that schools cannot categorically ban transgender students from joining athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.The regulations are a response to a coordinated nationwide effort to erase trans people from public life, including 64 bills seeking to bar transgender students athletes from participating in school sports. Since 2021, 20 states have banned trans student athletes from participating in school sports.Equality Federation Executive Director Fran Hutchins had the following comment on the proposed regulations:
LGBTQ+ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault State legislators have passed 28, proposed 460 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills In 2023, state lawmakers have introduced 460 bills attacking LGBTQ+ people, with 356 bills specifically targeting transgender people. Recent reports indicate that the record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills result from a coordinated, nationwide effort by far-right politicians with ties to extremist groups.So far in 2023, states have enacted 28 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills, including legislation or executive action banning or further restricting gender-affirming health care for adults or children in twelve states:, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, Idaho, and Arkansas. In 2022, Arizona and Alabama passed similar laws banning health care. Advocates expect as many as twenty states will ban gender-affirming health care this year.
Trans people are the experts in their own lives and are not a monolith. We should listen to as many trans people as we are willing to share and trust that their lives will adequately supplement the data we have and are continuing to collect to create robust and effective policy.
December 14, 2022 - Yesterday, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that the federal government respects and protects all marriages equally.
Today, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that she has made a major gift to Equality Federation Institute as part of her pledge to give away a majority of her wealth through the Giving Pledge. Equality Federation received a $2 million gift to support the organization’s work as an advocacy accelerator for the state-based LGBTQ+ movement.
This year, in addition to our usual planning, coaching and other legislative support work, Equality Federation launched the Trans Defense Campaign to demonstrate the unified power of the state-based movement to defeat anti-transgender bills and win public support for transgender people.
BREAKING (Stay tuned for updates): Equality Federation calls upon North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to veto the extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation that was passed in the General Assembly on Wednesday. HB2 is one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation to emerge in the country this year.
In state after state this year, opponents have used ever-evolving strategies to legislate anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The two most common strategies are religious exemption bills (so-called “religious freedom” bills) and bills focussed on restroom access.
March 10th came and went without much fanfare, yet it was a milestone day for Equality Federation member Freedom Oklahoma. When the Oklahoma Legislature gaveled into session earlier this year, Oklahoma’s LGBTQ community faced a daunting challenge to overcome 27 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation — many carried over from the previous legislation.
Update: Equality Federation extends our deepest gratitude to the eight courageous Senators in Missouri who filibustered for a historic 39 hours to prevent a discriminatory religious exemption bill from moving forward in the legislature. SJ39 is a dangerous bill that would ask the voters of Missouri to amend their constitution to allow religious organizations and individuals to use their faith to legally justify refusing services and benefits to LGBTQ people.
Over 400 companies including major corporations like Delta, Coca Cola, Home Depot, SalesForce, and Hyatt, along with small businesses throughout Georgia and the Georgia Visitors and Convention Bureau, have come together to say no to discrimination and stand in opposition to the antii-LGBTQ religious exemption bills making their way through the legislature.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael delivered a tearful floor speech in support of a “civil rights amendment” to an anti-LGBTQ religious exemption bill, #HB4012, to prevent the bill from being used to discriminate. The amendment passed, and on Wednesday, March 2nd, the entire bill was killed in a 27-7 vote.
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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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