Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
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.
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.
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.
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
Early next month, new protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community will become law in Maryland without Governor Larry Hogan's signature. Federation member Equality Maryland's work in the state was imperative to the passing of two pro-LGBT bills in the House and Senate this legislative session.
This summer, Hawaii will become the next state to advance equality for the transgender community.During Hawaii's 2015 legislative session, Federation member Equality Hawaii strongly advocated for HB 631, the transgender birth certificate bill.
Earlier this month, I flew to Albuquerque for a remarkable convening of activists from movements for reproductive rights, reproductive justice, and LGBT issues in the Southwest. Organized by ConwayStrategic (with funding from the Ford Foundation) the gathering included advocates from Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, including Equality Federation members Equality New Mexico and Equality Arizona, along with some national organizations.
Over the past few months we have seen an increase in the number of anti-conversion therapy bills introduced in legislatures across the country. These bills call for the end of this dangerous practice that causes real harm to the LGBT community, and especially to LGBT youth who are subjected to it against their will.
Louisiana set a dangerous precedent this week. Two different nondiscrimination bills -- both positive pieces of legislation that would have extended protections to LGBT Louisianans -- were tabled.
Like its neighboring state of Oklahoma, Texas has seen a dizzying number of anti-LGBT bills this session, 22 to be exact. Federation member Equality Texas helped to soundly defeat four preemption bills that would have invalidated local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances.
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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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