Since 2006, the State of the States report by Equality Federation has documented the strength and sustainability of state-based advocacy organizations that advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the communities they call home.

In Part 1 of State of the States, we looked at how the state-based movement is funded. In Part 2 and 3 we focused on the individuals keeping our organizations thriving -- our Executive Directors, Staff, and Board Members. For Part 4, we look at how our groups are effectively using strategic partnerships to accomplish priorities, and how they can continue to do so in the year to come.

Partnerships

When it comes to developing strategic partnerships to achieve priorities, Equality Federation members clearly understand its importance. The results of this year’s State of the States survey show that 90% of our groups work with national LGBT organizations. The percentage of members who work with specific nationals can be seen below.

These national partnerships have impacted the hard work our members are doing, resulting in some significant wins in 2014. The top ones listed by our members are:

• Health insurance coverage extended to transgender individuals for transition-related care
• Passage of local nondiscrimination ordinances that include sexual orientation & gender identity
• Defeating religious liberties legislation/RFRAs
• Winning marriage
• Getting support of businesses and Republican legislators
• Passing LGBTQ anti-bullying/safe schools bills

In the coming year, our members listed four top priorities, the success of which will be enhanced by the partners involved:

• Pass local and/or statewide nondiscrimination legislation
• Protect youth via safe schools and anti-bullying legislation
• Extend equality to transgender community (through healthcare and nondiscrimination laws)
• Stop anti-lgbt laws/religious liberties legislation

The Federation is proud of the ways we are able to help state groups achieve their priorities, and plan to serve our groups to accomplish many more goals. Whether that is through connecting the states with national groups, or working to create intersectional alliances and partnerships with different organizations within an individual state, we believe working with one another is the best way for everyone to succeed.

Partnering Across Issues

State LGBT organizations partnering with national LGBT groups is not surprising. But many of our members are starting to collaborate across different issue areas as they work on a broader range of LGBT issues from health care to immigration reform to police brutality. One such partnership that we’ve highlighted before was work done in North Carolina between a coalition of groups, including Equality North Carolina and the North Carolina NAACP.

Focusing on a multi-issue agenda but with voter suppression front and center, the NC NAACP envisioned, organized and led Moral Freedom Summer with support from a diverse coalition of partners. Modeled on the original Freedom Summer fifty years ago, over 30 young organizers -- mostly young organizers of color -- fanned out across the state to educate, register and mobilize voters. A major difference between Freedom Summer 1964 and Freedom Summer 2014 was the open inclusion of LGBT individuals and issues.

That didn’t just happen. It was the result of groups like Equality NC and the NAACP working in partnership with organizations whose membership and priorities look very different from their own.

There were many benefits to this cross-sectional partnership: local NAACP members got to know and work with LGBT organizers, and LGBT individuals in some of the most rural parts of NC saw themselves and their concerns reflected in a high profile community organizing effort. Equally important, Equality NC educated their own members on issues that had not previously been part of their policy agenda. They were able to make the connection that issues like voter suppression, immigration reform and educational justice are LGBT issues because they impact those in our community too.

The Impact

In collaboration with grassroots activists and national advocates, states have racked up huge wins:

• 35 states and D.C. have extended marriage to same-sex couples, and now 65% of the country’s LGBT population lives in a state with marriage equality.
• 18 states and D.C. have employment nondiscrimination laws that protect workers on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
• In the 33 states that lack inclusive and comprehensive laws, many municipalities–cities and counties–have passed nondiscrimination ordinances. Approximately 150 cities and counties have such protections.

(These figures are from the Movement Advancement Project’s LGBT Equality Maps and our Fairness Project site. They are current as of December 11, 2014).

With continuing momentum for marriage and an elevated commitment to discrimination protections, the next several years in our movement could prove just as historic as the last few. And state leaders will be in the center of it all.

Equality Federation has been broadening our partnerships alongside our state groups, and we are continually looking for new ways we can connect with the full range of justice issues that impact our communities. We’d love to hear from you about new partnerships and collaborations you’re involved with or considering. Share those stories with us and we’ll share them with your colleagues.

Methodology
The State of the States survey is distributed in the spring of each year to all current Equality Federation member organizations. The survey is sent by email as part of our member recertification, and responses are collected over several months. The most current data was submitted by 41 organizations. Each year, the survey includes approximately 25 questions, some with multiple responses. Some organizations choose not to complete every question, leaving some answers blank.