Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Proposed anti-transgender bathroom ban laws were shot down today in Indiana and Virginia, and the House Speaker in Texas said a similar proposal was not a high priority and warned that it could be bad for business.
Donald Trump has chosen Governor Rick Perry of Texas to be Secretary of Energy, and many are calling this his most dangerous choice yet.
Santa Fe, NM – January 19, 2017 – Joined by supporters at the State Capitol today, Equality New Mexico, Legislators, clergy members, mental health professionals and survivors of conversion therapy spoke about the important work that still needs to be done to ensure equality, safety and mental health for the LGBTQ community and for all New Mexicans.
Equality Federation is standing strong against any nominee put forth by the Trump Administration who wants to roll-back nondiscrimination protections and enshrine discrimination into law. People of all faiths, races, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and abilities are a part of the fabric that fills our country with the potential to be extraordinary. This is a country that believes in fairness and that all of us should have the opportunity to thrive and provide for ourselves and our families.
Equality Federation applauds President Obama’s decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning. She has served more time in prison than any whistleblower in United States history, and, like many other transgender prisoners, was treated unfairly on multiple occasions based on her gender identity and expression.
As lawmakers who oppose fairness for LGBTQ Americans launch their wave of discriminatory bills – from Texas to Washington – in the 2017 session, they often argue that they promoting their legislation in the name of safety for women and children who could be a risk of assault.
Salt Lake City voters elected Jackie Biskupski as Utah’s first openly gay mayor and only the second female top executive in the capital city, according to the unofficial election-night count. Those vote tallies had Biskupski with 52.19 percent to two-term Mayor Ralph Becker’s 47.81 percent — less than a 5 percentage-point spread.
Strong and sustained leadership is an important part of building strong and effective state groups with the capacity to fend off the opposition and secure important wins for the LGBT community. We know that in the past year, states were able to withstand and defeat more than 100 anti-LGBT legislative attacks thanks to incredible state-based movement leaders.
This October, I was honored to participate in an event that is a great model for transgender advocacy and community building: the Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit (TIES) organized by Federation member Equality Virginia. I’ve asked James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, some questions about this inspiring event to share the wealth of knowledge.
Here at the Equality Federation Institute, we know that local and incremental work matters. That’s why we began an investigation into the impact these campaigns have on our movement.
Today, our partners at the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a new report revealing that a shocking 70% of the geographic area of the United States lacks any city, county, or state employment protections for LGBT people, with comprehensive employment protections concentrated in just 30% of the country geographically.
We have a unique role that is fundamentally the Finance and Administration Director, which plays a critical role in partnering with other members of the organization in strategic decision making and operations as OutFront Minnesota continues to live out its mission and vision.
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.