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
Equality Federation Leader Speaks Out on Trans Youth Participation in Sports

The Biden administration has issued new proposed regulations under Title IX, the federal civil rights law, stating that schools cannot categorically ban transgender students from joining athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.‍The regulations are a response to a coordinated nationwide effort to erase trans people from public life, including 64 bills seeking to bar transgender students athletes from participating in school sports. Since 2021, 20 states have banned trans student athletes from participating in school sports.‍Equality Federation Executive Director Fran Hutchins had the following comment on the proposed regulations:

April 7, 2023
BGM Forum logo
LGBTQ+ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault

LGBTQ+ Communities Fight Back Against Coordinated Nationwide Assault State legislators have passed 28, proposed 460 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills‍ In 2023, state lawmakers have introduced 460 bills attacking LGBTQ+ people, with 356 bills specifically targeting transgender people. Recent reports indicate that the record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills result from a coordinated, nationwide effort by far-right politicians with ties to extremist groups.‍So far in 2023, states have enacted 28 anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills, including legislation or executive action banning or further restricting gender-affirming health care for adults or children in twelve states:, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, Idaho, and Arkansas. In 2022, Arizona and Alabama passed similar laws banning health care. Advocates expect as many as twenty states will ban gender-affirming health care this year. 

April 3, 2023
BGM Forum logo
How this Southern Team Defended Trans Rights

Trans people are the experts in their own lives and are not a monolith. We should listen to as many trans people as we are willing to share and trust that their lives will adequately supplement the data we have and are continuing to collect to create robust and effective policy.

March 28, 2023
BGM Forum logo
President Biden Signs the Respect for Marriage Act

December 14, 2022 - Yesterday, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that the federal government respects and protects all marriages equally.

December 14, 2022
BGM Forum logo
Equality Federation Institute Honored to be Recipient of Major Gift from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Today, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that she has made a major gift to Equality Federation Institute as part of her pledge to give away a majority of her wealth through the Giving Pledge. Equality Federation received a $2 million gift to support the organization’s work as an advocacy accelerator for the state-based LGBTQ+ movement.

November 14, 2022
BGM Forum logo
Report: Trans Defense Campaign

This year, in addition to our usual planning, coaching and other legislative support work, Equality Federation launched the Trans Defense Campaign to demonstrate the unified power of the state-based movement to defeat anti-transgender bills and win public support for transgender people. 

August 24, 2022

Press Releases

The 2013 Equality Federation Annual Report: Winning At Home

The movement for full LGBT equality is making incredible headway and state-based equality organizations have played a critical role. That’s why I’m proud to share with you Equality Federation’s 2013 Annual Report, which provides a look at how we work with states to make change happen at the local and state level.

October 22, 2014
New Report Examines the Aging Realities of LGBT People

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults make up a large proportion of the LGBT community, yet are one of the most understudied populations. With 10,000 people turning 65 every day, many of whom are LGBT, it is essential that we understand the values, needs, wants and lifestyle preferences of LGBT older adults.

October 15, 2014
How To Be a Better Steward for Your Organization

If the term "steward" only has meaning for you when it comes to ordering wine, keep reading. Whether you're a board member, executive director, development director, or other staff, you have a role to play in fundraising, and often this role calls on you to be a steward for your organization.

October 15, 2014
Member Resource: New Reports on LGBTQ Youth and School Pushout from GSA Network

All young people deserve the opportunity to succeed in a safe and protective school environment. But far too often, LGBTQ youth, and especially LGBTQ youth of color, face extreme barriers to achieving success.

October 15, 2014
A Week of Marriage Wins for Many of Our Members

It is almost hard to keep up with the incredible marriage progress over the past week. In the span of just a few days, the Supreme Court extended the freedom to marry to couples in Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Indiana, and the 9th Circuit Court ruled against bans in Nevada and Idaho.

October 15, 2014
Equality Florida Is Looking for a Communications Director

The Communications Director is a full-time position which will set and guide the strategy for all communications, websites, and public relations messages and collateral to consistently articulate Equality Florida's mission and brand. You hold the voice of Equality Florida in your hands and must be a master storyteller.

October 9, 2014
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.