Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Things are moving quickly in Georgia, having passed the half-way point of our legislative session just last week. Georgia Equality, through our campaign Georgia Unites Against Discrimination, is currently focusing our attention on stopping House Bill 757.
Federation member Georgia Equality caught this fascinating, must-watch, moment of debate over the “licence to discriminate” bill, HB 757, in which Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur asked Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, if the bill would give cover to the KKK on religious grounds.
Today, after its passage in the Georgia Senate, Equality Federation called upon the House to reject taking action on HB 757, a wide-reaching and harmful piece of legislation which demolishes the time-honored separation of Church and State and allows faith-based organizations that receive taxpayer funding to deny critical services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, single mothers, and others; if they feel certain people conflict with their religious belief of marriage as between one man and one woman.
The nation’s major child advocacy groups (including American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American School Counselor Association, Child Welfare League of America, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, and the National Education Association) have issued an open letter to governors asking that they veto any anti-transgender youth legislation that lands on their desk.
South Dakota’s Senate voted on Tuesday, 20-15, to approve a bill that would prevent transgender students from using the facilities that match the gender of which they identify and live. The bill has already passed in the House, and is awaiting the Governor’s action.
Last week, Governor Cuomo of New York announced regulations that will ban public and private healthcare insurers from covering so-called gay conversion therapy and prohibit state mental health facilities from conducting the controversial practice on minors. This is big news.
Raising money for your organization can be a real challenge, especially when only a small percentage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community gives to an LGBTQ cause. But donations, no matter how big or small, are critical for nonprofit LGBTQ organizations to thrive.
Troy Stevenson is the Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma, the statewide organization focused on public education and advocacy on behalf of Oklahoma's LGBT Community. Troy is a nationally recognized civil rights advocate and the former executive director of Garden State Equality, in New Jersey, and a veteran of 2 presidential campaigns.
At our annual Summer Meeting, state and national movement leaders from across the country gather to celebrate recent victories, connect with colleagues and friends, old and new, and collaborate for future success.Each year, our host organization partners with us to ensure that the meeting is fun, informative, and unforgettable.
The State Equality Index (SEI) is a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBT people and their families. The SEI rates all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. in six areas and assigns the states to one of four distinct categories.
On March 5th, more than 300 Republicans filed a friend of the court brief at the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage nationwide. Organized by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, the amicus brief was filed for the four same-sex marriage cases the Court will hear on April 28th that could legalize marriage nationwide.
Texas, Kentucky, and Florida have anti-transgender bills making their way through the legislative process. The bills could have very real, harmful consequences for transgender people and anyone else who may not fit in with the narrow assumptions some people have about how a man or woman is expected to appear.
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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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