Ian Palmquist

Stand with Equality Federation for Week of Action Against School Pushout

Over the last two years, Equality Federation has been partnering with state equality groups, GSA Network, and education justice colleagues like Advancement Project and Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) to raise awareness of the impact of school pushout on LGBT young people. School pushout refers to school policies, practices, and procedures that make it more likely for students to leave school instead of finish it.

April 23, 2023
Thirteen Things You Can Do to Recruit a Great Board

Are you running into challenges with your board of directors? Do you wonder how to recruit engaged and active leaders?

April 23, 2023
Member Resource: Transgender Voter ID Webinar Toolkit

About 24,000 trans individuals in 10 states may be disenfranchised by strict photo ID laws in the November 2014 general election.With one-third of transgender people nationwide unable to update any of their voting IDs, this is a critical issue our movement must address.

April 23, 2023
Member Opportunity: Transgender Voter ID Webinar for Movement Leaders

In the 2012 election cycle alone, an estimated 25,000 transgender people were disenfranchised by strict new voter ID laws in just 9 states. With one-third of transgender people nationwide unable to update any of their voting IDs, this is a critical issue our movement must address.

April 23, 2023
Members: Sign-Up to Give a FEDtalk at Summer Meeting 2014!

Back by popular demand! FEDtalks were a breakaway favorite plenary session from last year’s Summer Meeting. So we're excited to announce they're back this year!

April 23, 2023
How You Can Help Get Out the Vote in Your State

Check out what some of our members are doing to provide you with resources to be an informed voter and to learn more about getting involved in your community.

April 23, 2023
Fighting Discrimination at the Supreme Court

On Oct 8, activists, allies, and leaders gathered outside the Supreme Court to show support for the plaintiffs inside who were standing for the rights of all LGBTQ people.

April 23, 2023
Executive Directors of LGBTQ Movement Go To "Boot Camp"

Recently, I got to spend the weekend at one of my favorite Equality Federation programs: our New Executive Director Boot Camp. Fran Hutchins, our deputy director, and Diana Gonzalez, our director of leadership programs, joined me for an intensive two days of training with three talented new state leaders: Jamie Foster of Equality Alabama, Kendra Johnson of Equality North Carolina, and Abbi Swatsworth of Out Nebraska.

April 23, 2023
LGBTQ Leaders Build Power in North Dakota!

Earlier this month, I participated in something historic: for the first time ever, LGBTQ leaders from across North Dakota came together to connect, strategize and build a strong movement in their state. Equality Federation member organization North Dakota Human Rights Coalition and their partner Dakota Outright hosted nearly 80 people in Bizmarck for the inaugural North Dakota LGBTQ+ Summit.

April 23, 2023
The Boot Camp for Executive Directors in the LGBTQ Movement

On a cold December night in Chicago, Fran Hutchins, our deputy director, and I hustled from our hotel to dinner with four executive directors who’ve stepped up to lead in their states in 2018. We’d just wrapped up the first of two intensive days of training at our New Executive Director Boot Camp.

April 23, 2023
Member Opportunity: Sign On to Stop Bullying on Day 1

In the spring/summer of 2015, our partners at the Tyler Clementi Foundation are launching Day 1 - an effective, immediate and free way to reduce bullying, harassment and humiliation. And your organization can take part.

April 23, 2023
Southern Grassroots Activists Connect in Asheville

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the LGBT* in the South Conference, hosted by Campaign for Southern Equality in Asheville, North Carolina.About 500 people from around the region gathered for two days of peer learning and collaboration.

April 23, 2023
State Leaders Gather to Strategize for Winning Equality in the South

This is a critical moment for our movement. While a positive marriage ruling from the Supreme Court is hopefully only weeks away, states across the country are facing a deluge of anti-LGBT bills, and over 200 million Americans currently live in states that only have a patchwork of nondiscrimination protections. Advocates in the South are at the front lines fighting for fairness and equality.

April 23, 2023
Looking Ahead to Summer Meeting 2016: Is Your Organization the Next Host?

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.

April 23, 2023
Federation Plans for the Work Ahead with Newly Merged Freedom Oklahoma

A year and a half ago, I flew to Tulsa to work with The Equality Network. At that time, TEN was a small organization of committed volunteers. While they were doing remarkable work with few resources, they recognized it was time to grow so they could have an even bigger impact on their state.

April 23, 2023
Charlotte, NC City Council Rejects Weakened Non-Discrimination Ordinance

Last night, the Charlotte City Council rejected a proposed nondiscrimination ordinance supported by Equality Federation member Equality North Carolina and their coalition partners. The measures would have added sexual orientation and gender identity, among other characteristics, to already protected classes in four city non-discrimination ordinances.

April 23, 2023
Leadership Fellowship for Executive Directors

LGBT state organizations are led by some of the best leaders -- both new and long-serving executive directors who are working for change in their communities. To develop the skills of these amazing leaders and their organizations, our friends at the Victory Institute are offering a fellowship just for LGBT nonprofit executives.

April 23, 2023
State Leaders Build Skills and Relationships at the New Executive Director Boot Camp

At the end of each year, we hold one of my favorite Federation convenings: our New Executive Director Boot Camp.This year-end event brings together the executive directors of our state groups who recently started at their organizations for a weekend of intensive training and relationship-building.

April 23, 2023
State of the States Part 2: Supporting Executive Directors Advancing the Movement

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. Over the past eight years, State of the States has faithfully documented our movement’s triumphs and trials as reflected in the capacity of our state-based organizations.

April 23, 2023
Member Resource: GLSEN Releases 2013 National School Climate Survey

Each day, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students face ongoing hostile school climates that impact their safety and mental health. Equality Federation and our members are working to build safe and just schools for LGBT youth nationwide so that students can learn, grow, and thrive.

April 23, 2023
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.

April 23, 2023
Equality Federation Contributes to Report on LGBTQ Assets in the South

One of the greatest challenges for the state-based LGBT movement is securing funding and resources to do the hard but necessary work on the ground in the communities we call home. For groups in the South, this continues to be a struggle. LGBT advocates in this region work to win equality for their communities with limited funding and capacity, all while facing often intense political and religious opposition.

April 23, 2023
North Carolina: What Happened, What's Next

I spent Wednesday standing shoulder to shoulder with Equality North Carolina and their partners as we worked to repeal House Bill 2, the devastating law passed last spring that forces transgender people to use restrooms that don’t match who they are and prohibits cities from protecting their communities with nondiscrimination ordinances. Unfortunately, we failed.

April 23, 2023
Mass Outrage Over North Carolina's Sweeping Anti-LGBTQ Law

On March 23, the North Carolina General Assembly held a special session to rush through—in less than 12 hours—legislation attacking the LGBTQ community. House Bill 2 abolished all local nondiscrimination laws that go beyond state law, leaving LGBTQ people unprotected across the state, and would force transgender people to use bathrooms that match the sex listed on their birth certificates in government facilities, putting them at risk of harassment and violence.

April 23, 2023
6 Candidates for President Make Anti-LGBTQ Pledge

Equality Federation is disappointed to learn that six candidates for president signed a pledge supporting the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA). FADA is an unnecessary piece of legislation that would enshrine discrimination into law, prohibiting the federal government from stepping in when people or businesses discriminate because they believe “marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman” or that “sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”

April 23, 2023
Supporting State Leaders Advancing the Movement

Strong and sustained leadership is an important part of building strong and effective state groups with the capacity to fend off the opposition and secure important wins for the LGBT community. We know that in the past year, states were able to withstand and defeat more than 100 anti-LGBT legislative attacks thanks to incredible state-based movement leaders.

April 23, 2023
Power in Partnerships [REPORT]

Research shows that students of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students are more likely to be disciplined than their White, non-LGBTQ peers. Students with intersectional identities, such as Black transgender youth or gay undocumented youth, are at even greater risk.

April 23, 2023
Building Momentum for Marriage in the South

At Equality Federation, we know how tough it can be to work in the South. That's why, for years, we've been facilitating, supporting, and growing partnerships and collaborations across the region that strengthen our state groups and accelerate the progress we've been making. 

April 23, 2023
Revitalize Your Team Meetings

Have your staff meetings started to feel like a waste of time? Do they drag on with each person reporting out in excruciating detail on what they’re doing?About a year ago, we realized our staff meetings at Equality Federation weren’t as productive as we wanted them to be and decided to try a different approach.

April 23, 2023
Member Opportunity: Management Center to Offer Training at Summer Meeting 2014

Summer Meeting 2014 is coming together, and it's going to be the best one yet -- especially with the newest addition to the program.This year, the Equality Federation Institute is proud to offer a special opportunity for member organizations -- a free fast-paced crash course in the basics of effective management.

April 23, 2023
Webinar Opportunity: Advocate for Model School District Policies on Suicide Prevention

Many Federation members are actively engaged in efforts to support LGBTQ young people. Some are working to develop Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs); some are fighting to end school pushout; some are advocating for bans against harmful conversion therapy. No matter what form it takes, ensuring that LGBTQ young people are safe and thriving is a key part of all of our members' youth programs. That's why we're excited to share a new resource from our friends at The Trevor Project.

April 23, 2023
New Member Resources on School Policy

All young people need to be in school and feel safe there in order to learn. That's why, at Equality Federation, we're committed to building safe and welcoming schools where students are free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and harsh discipline policies.

April 23, 2023
New Executive Director Boot Camp Builds Skills, Relationships

I remember when I first became Executive Director at Equality North Carolina; like most Executive Directors, I was facing a number of substantial gaps in my skill set. While I had learned a lot about state politics and built a good network in the state, I had no idea how to read a financial statement, and managing staff was a brand new challenge for me. There were even some things I didn't realize that I didn't know.

April 23, 2023
Protecting LGBT Youth: Working to End School Pushout

While efforts to address anti-LGBT bullying have been getting a lot of attention these last few years, more and more we're coming to understand that un-addressed bullying and harassment is just one of many ways that LGBT young people—and especially LGBT youth of color—are being systematically pushed out of the education system and into poverty, homelessness, or the criminal justice system. Equality Federation Institute is proud to be working with state equality groups to address the critical issue of school pushout.

April 23, 2023
EFI Programs Help Executive Directors Survive and Thrive

Great organizations need great leaders — and they need them to stick around a little while. For years, the turnover rate in our statewide LGBT advocacy groups has been high, and in 2010, Equality Federation Institute identified this challenge as one of our organizational priorities. Committed to addressing this turnover, particularly among executive directors, we began tracking executive tenure and rolling out new programs to help ensure that state leaders were thriving.

April 23, 2023
Initial Report Available from LGBT Donor Research Project

It's one of the most common questions we're asked: How do state groups grow the number of LGBT people financially supporting our work?And now, we have some real answers. Or, at least, the beginning of some real answers.

April 23, 2023
Finding the Right Leader: Federation Staff Offers Assistance in Executive Searches

Selecting the right executive director can be a make-or-break moment for our member organizations -- because our movement is only as strong as our leaders.But many of our members just don't have the resources to invest in a professional search firm. While the Federation can't offer that level of service, we are able to help groups manage these transitions more effectively.

April 23, 2023
The Strategic Opportunity Initiative: Working in Ohio to Pass Nondiscrimination Laws

At the Federation, we work to strengthen state-based organizations that are making critical progress on the issues that matter most. And while that work takes many forms, it often involves on-the-ground collaboration -- the kind of collaboration that keeps us traveling around the country.

April 23, 2023
This Father's Day, Too Many Fathers are Treated as Strangers in the Eyes of the Law

This weekend, families across the country celebrated Father's Day. My partner Brad and I got to spend the evening with my parents, relaxing on their screened porch here in Raleigh.

April 23, 2023
A young man looking up, smilingA young man smiling straight at the camera
Confident young woman standing with crossed arms.

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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.