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 member Forum For Equality issued the following statement praising Governor John Bel Edwards for signing an executive order forbidding state government and government contractors from discriminating based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, while also repealing Gov. Bobby Jindal’s maligning Marriage and Conscience executive order.
Equality Federation continues to call upon North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and the legislature to repeal House Bill 2 (HB 2), one of the most extreme anti-LGBT laws in the country. The Governor’s executive order purports to create protections in public employment for gay and transgender North Carolinians but does not repeal the law or provide comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people in housing, public spaces, and so on.
South Carolina Senator Lee Bright has introduced a sweeping anti-LGBTQ bill that has some similarities to the law recently passed in North Carolina, which is drawing the outrage of hundreds of corporations and small businesses alongside community and faith leaders.
The cornerstone of our Southern Leaders program is our Southern Leadership Summit, an annual gathering that brings together advocates from the region for two days of intensive workshops and discussion. Challenging legislative sessions in all the Southern states gave us a lot to talk about, and leaders shared what they’d learned so far, with many fights still going on.
On March 23, the North Carolina General Assembly held a special session to rush through—in less than 12 hours—legislation attacking the LGBTQ community. House Bill 2 abolished all local nondiscrimination laws that go beyond state law, leaving LGBTQ people unprotected across the state, and would force transgender people to use bathrooms that match the sex listed on their birth certificates in government facilities, putting them at risk of harassment and violence.
Fresh on the heels of new anti-LGBTQ smears by outside groups trying to mislead people about pending nondiscrimination legislation, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf has signed executive orders providing non-discrimination protections for members of the LGBT community employed by or contracting with the Commonwealth.
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has written a new practice guide for the Annie E. Casey Foundation entitled “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in the Juvenile Justice System,” which provides juvenile justice agencies the tools they need to ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT youth in their care.
Legislators in North Carolina attempted an 11th-hour sneak attack on LGBT North Carolinians by attempting to attach language to Senate Bill 279, which would have prohibited cities and counties from passing nondiscrimination ordinances in cases of public accommodations and housing and from passing higher minimum wages or regulations involving employment practices.
Equality Illinois is seeking a Development Associate to assist the Director of Development in growing a comprehensive development program that emphasizes cultivation and stewardship of individual, foundational, and corporate donors. The Development Associate will be primarily responsible for smaller events, online fundraising, and prospect research, but will also support the Director in the execution of larger events to achieve the fundraising goals of the organization.
Equality Maryland seeks a visionary leader to serve as the organization’s next Director. This is an exciting opportunity to build on previous successes to advocate for legal equality, work with the Board to develop and articulate an inspiring vision for achieving true equality and reducing prejudice and discrimination, and secure the sustainable funding to continue the organization.
Advocates from across the United States traveled to Phoenix, Arizona last week to participate in the inaugural LGBT-University hosted by Freedom for All Americans.
Equality Illinois (EQIL), the state’s oldest and largest organization advocating for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, seeks a full-time Field Fellow for a one year paid fellowship. The Field Fellow is dedicated to advancing equal treatment for the LGBT community through education and advocacy in Illinois.
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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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