State-based organizations across the country are advancing major progress in the communities we call home -- where the work is hard, but the impact is great.

Nearly every week, we hear about another victory that provides LGBT people with the protection, respect, and dignity they need and deserve, but far too often, these wins are unrecognized by the broader community.

At the Federation, we’re committed to telling the story of these victories. And this time, we're headed to Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.

• While we anxiously wait to see if marriages could start as early as next month in Florida, there is even more news to celebrate. Early this month, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted 8-3 to amend the existing Human Rights Ordinance to prohibit discrimination in housing, public accommodations and employment based on gender identity or gender expression. With this victory, more than 50% of Floridians are protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Thank you to the team at Equality Florida for all of your hard work for the transgender community in the Sunshine State!
• Two more jurisdictions in Massachusetts enacted nondiscrimination protections in public spaces for transgender and gender nonconforming people this week. On Monday, the Melrose Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a nondiscrimination ordinance, and within 24 hours, the Medford City Council had followed suit, making it the 11th jurisdiction in the state to pass such a law. Great job Federation members Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and MassEquality on your work to protect the LGBT community in your state!
• Just this week, Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health proposed removal of the Medicaid exclusion that has denied transgender New Yorkers medically necessary care for years. This change comes just weeks after the New York City Council voted to pass legislation that removes the surgical requirements for transgender people born in NYC to correct the gender markers on their birth certificates. Congratulations to the coalition partners and community activists who have worked for years and contributed to the recent successes for the transgender community in New York, including Federation members Empire State Pride Agenda and NYAGRA. 
• In New Jersey, Garden State Equality is working to make it easier for transgender people born in NJ to change their birth certificates. The organization is working to pass the Transgender Birth Certificate Bill S1195, which would create standards similar to those just passed in NYC for amending the sex on a birth certificate and would eliminate the discriminatory surgery requirement. Executive director Andy Bowen recently testified at the Senate Health Committee hearing, where the bill successfully passed out of committee, 7-0!

What else? Let us know about a win in your community, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming edition of Unsung Victories! Just send an email to communications@equalityfederation.org.