Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Media coverage often portrays rural America as singularly white, conservative and working-class. Yet at least 10 million people of color, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color, call rural America home.
15 states filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking them to rule against three individuals who were fired for being LGBTQ. The three cases include the first transgender civil rights case to be heard by the high court on October 8th.
The 22nd annual gathering of the Leadership Conference is here, who’s ready? Shortly, Equality Federation and Fairness Campaign will co-host over 200+ LGBTQ state and national movement leaders in Louisville, KY [press release].
July 17-20th, Equality Federation and Fairness Campaign will co-host the 22nd annual Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The conference is the premier gathering of LGBTQ movement leaders focusing on the crucial work of winning equality in state legislatures and local communities across the country.
This year’s Pride Month marks the 49th anniversary of Pride, and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The nearly week-long protest took place in June 1969 in response to ongoing police raids at gay bars and clubs, and is now what most people consider to be the catalyst for the gay rights movement.
On March 13, 2019 bipartisan members of Congress introduced the Equality Act, which would update federal law to include express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for Americans based on sexual orientation and gender identity across virtually every area of daily life. It also includes protections from discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, and religion that are additional to those already afforded under federal law.
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.
A broad and growing chorus of voices including human rights groups, over 30 law scholars, NBA star Jason Collins, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, SalesForce, and Gen Con - Indianapolis’s largest attended conference, is urging Indiana Governor Mike Pence to veto the discriminatory religious exemption bill, SB 101. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) also announced that its leaders are reconsidering having their convention in Indianapolis if SB101 becomes law.
Over the past few months, anti-transgender “bathroom bills” have been making their way through the legislative process in Florida, Kentucky, and Texas, and new ones have just shown up in Missouri. State-based organizations and individuals on the ground have been working hard to defeat these bills, which could have very real, harmful consequences for transgender and gender nonconforming people.
Many Voices has launched a three-part video campaign featuring straight Black Clergy from North Carolina. Each interview captures experiences from ally voices of faith that undermine the misconception that Black pastors are monolithically homophobic. The videos also illuminate how African Americans can be both religious and supportive of LGBT people, and that being LGBT-affirming is consistent with one’s faith.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr - the list of new avenues available to nonprofits to communicate their messages has grown tremendously, but that doesn't mean the rules that govern advocacy have changed. Do you know if your organization is following the rules?
Each year, the Equality Federation Institute holds the Summer Meeting to bring together the sharpest minds and the most strategic players in the movement for LGBT equality. More than 160 leaders join us to connect and forge relationships, collaborate for future success and build momentum toward even greater wins in the communities we call home.
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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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