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.
While anti-LGBT legislation makes its way through legislatures across the country, one state stands out as a beacon of hope. Already in 2015, the incredible team at Freedom Oklahoma fended off a whopping 17 discriminatory bills. We caught up with Executive Director Troy Stevenson to get an inside look at how they won.
This is a critical moment for our movement. While a positive marriage ruling from the Supreme Court is hopefully only weeks away, states across the country are facing a deluge of anti-LGBT bills, and over 200 million Americans currently live in states that only have a patchwork of nondiscrimination protections. Advocates in the South are at the front lines fighting for fairness and equality.
Equality Federation congratulates two of our staff members for recently being awarded for their work to win equality!
Equality Federation applauds New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who announced tonight at Federation member Empire State Pride Agenda’s gala that he will issue regulations to protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment, credit, education, and public accommodations. Governor Cuomo will direct the State Division of Human Rights to issue regulations that would extend existing protections against discrimination in New york’s Human Rights Law so that protections based on sex are defined to include gender identity, gender expression, and gender dysphoria
The Policy Director will manage Equality Pennsylvania’s policy initiatives within the departments of the state government and work to make sure every applicable program is inclusive of LGBT Pennsylvanians and their families, with emphasis on transgender Pennsylvanians. The Policy Director will focus on Pennsylvania government programs to ensure that all plans, benefits and coverage require, permit, or encourage the inclusion of coverage for ALL LGBT Pennsylvanians including their same-sex spouses and their children.
The Health Policy Manager will focus on health coverage to ensure that the plans, benefits and coverage of public and private insurers do not require, permit, or encourage the exclusion of coverage for same-sex partners or their children, nor the exclusion of medically necessary transition care.
Nicole Maines told ABC News in a fantastic new report, "I knew that I was trans when I was 3 years old," she said. "Well, I didn't know trans because I didn't know there was a word for it, but I just knew that in my head and my heart that I was supposed to be a girl."
Houston Equal Rights Ordinance ensures that a broad range of hardworking Houstonians – regardless of race, age, gender, orientation, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or military status – has the opportunity to earn a living, take care of their families, have housing, and be served by businesses and government, without fear of discrimination.
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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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