News & Resources

Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.

The Latest

BGM Forum logo
Getting Help With Your State Equality Fund Application

The State Equality Fund (SEF) has announced its new guidelines for 2014 and issued an invitation for letters of inquiry (LOI).For the past eight years, Federation members have used support from SEF to make huge policy advances that improve the lives of LGBT people in their state. And at the Federation, we're eager to help even more of our state groups take advantage of this critical funding stream.

August 22, 2013
BGM Forum logo
FEDtalks Daily: Troy Stevenson of Garden State Equality--Watch Now!

Our eighth FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Troy Stevenson, Executive Director at Garden State Equality.

August 21, 2013
BGM Forum logo
FEDtalks Daily: Ali Vander Zanden of EqualityMaine--Watch Now!

Our seventh FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Ali Vander Zanden, Political Director at EqualityMaine.

August 20, 2013
BGM Forum logo
FEDtalks Daily: Randy Moore of South Carolina Equality--Watch Now!

Our sixth FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Randy Moore, Intern at South Carolina Equality.

August 19, 2013
BGM Forum logo
Stories from the States: Empire State Pride Agenda Releases Report on Health Disparities

LGBT people have unique health needs – and face unique challenges when accessing the care they need. In New York, the team at Empire State Pride Agenda has been working for years to meet the needs and address the challenges faced by LGBT New Yorkers. Just this week, they released a new report that will improve the health and well-being of the state’s LGBT community for years to come.

August 19, 2013
BGM Forum logo
FEDtalks Daily: Marina Santiago of Equality Texas--Watch Now!

Our fifth FEDtalk given at the Summer Meeting 2013 is from Marina Santiago, Intern at Equality Texas.

August 16, 2013

Press Releases

Married Same-Sex Couples Now Protected By Family and Medical Leave Act

The Department of Labor has issued some great news for LGBT couples and their families: married same-sex couples will soon be eligible for benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act even if they live in a state that doesn’t recognize their marriage. From a release on the Department’s website, workers in same-sex marriages will have the same rights as those in opposite-sex marriages to federal job-protected leave under the FMLA to care for a spouse with a serious health condition.

February 28, 2015
Exposed: Dangerous "Gay Conversion Therapy" Still Practiced in Most States (video)

Dangerous forms of "therapy" are performed every day in the United States and throughout the world in an attempt to "convert" lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to conform to heterosexuality and traditional gender standards. Despite the progress we've made achieving the freedom to marry in many states and the increased cultural acceptance of LGBT people, this dangerous practice continues.

February 27, 2015
Nathan Schaefer

Nathan Schaefer is the Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation. In this capacity, he oversees the organization’s staff across the state and is responsible for advancing equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers via the various facets of both organizations.

February 26, 2015
Meet The First Legally Wed Same-Sex Couple in Texas!

Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant have been together almost 31 years, and this morning they were married in Texas! A Travis County Judge ordered the clerk to issue the license, citing a serious health condition of one of the women.

February 19, 2015
Pediatrician Refuses To Care For Baby With Lesbian Mothers

A Michigan pediatrician has refused to care for the baby of a lesbian couple, a sad illustration of why every state needs inclusive nondiscrimination laws that do not have loopholes that could put lives in danger. Currently, 206 million people live in a state that does not have nondiscrimination laws to fully protect gay and transgender people. 

February 19, 2015
Leadership Opportunity from the Arcus Foundation

Good news for Federation members from the Arcus Foundation! They have announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Arcus Leadership Fellowship.

February 17, 2015
A young man looking up, smilingA young man smiling straight at the camera
Confident young woman standing with crossed arms.

Want To Make A Difference? Support Our Work

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.