Equality Federation is the national alliance of state-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organizations. The Federation works to achieve equality for lgbt people in every state and territory by building strong and sustainable statewide organizations in a state-based movement.
The overwhelming majority of protections for lgbt people in the United States exists not at the federal level, but through laws passed by state legislatures. Federation member organizations are at the forefront of this work – organizing voters and grassroots support, hosting lgbt lobby days, writing legislation, supporting fair-minded legislators, and educating the public about the discrimination faced by lgbt people and their families.
Thanks to laws in 20 states and the District of Columbia, over half of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans and one-third of transgender Americans are protected from employment discrimination. Relationship recognition is also available to lgbt couples only at the state level, with marriage equality in one state and another six states providing most of the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage through civil union or domestic partnership laws; three additional states and the District of Columbia provide limited rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples. Thirty-two states have hate crimes law that include sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression.
Despite the critical importance of state-based work to achieve equality, the majority of resources in the lgbt movement are concentrated at the national level – not in the organizations doing the lion’s share of work at the state level. And while the Federation supports federal efforts to achieve equality, our mission is to ensure that we have strong and well-resourced organizations in every state and territory. We believe that equality begins at home. History also teaches us that we cannot make progress at the national level until we have made significant progress in the states.
We invite you to join us in building a strong and vibrant lgbt movement in every corner of the United States. By supporting the lgbt advocacy organization in your state, you are helping to create change where you live. By supporting Equality Federation, you are helping to create change across your country.
More
Resources
|
