Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Equality Federation and Equality Federation Institute are winning equality in the communities we call home. You can fuel that momentum by making a contribution to support our work right now:
Equality Utah welcomes state and national leaders to the 16th Equality Federation Institute Summer Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Salt Lake City, located in the beautiful, complex state of Utah. Reserve your room online.
HRC's Municipal Equality Index rates selected municipalities by their laws, policies, and services affecting LGBT people. Starting in 2012 with a snapshot of 137 cities in 50 states, the 2013 Index adds 150 more locations to their report. The Equality Federation Institute and the Victory Fund are joint partners in this project.
Equality Federation Institute’s annual Summer Meeting is the premier gathering of state-based and national LGBT movement leaders. More than 150 advocates from across the country gather to connect and forge relationships, collaborate for future success and build momentum toward even greater wins in the communities we call home.
Strong leaders have propelled the movement for equality forward, with unprecedented wins over the last decade. Now our movement is facing new challenges -- from working in more conservative parts of the country to advancing social justice policies like immigration reform and health equity.
Through smart advocacy and strategic public education, our movement has secured key policy victories that have dramatically improved the lives of LGBT people. But as more than a dozen states have now won the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, in addition to several other critical protections for LGBT people and families, our state-based movement has reached a turning point.
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.
Running an organization can be hard work. From supporting a board to interacting with donors to representing your brand -- being a successful leader takes commitment. One of the greatest responsibilities of an Executive Director is being a strong manager. And one way you can improve your management skills is through interactions with staff.
One in five Americans is financially “insecure,” meaning they recently experienced a significant loss in income without an adequate financial cushion. Because of outdated and discriminatory laws, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face even greater economic insecurity than their non-LGBT counterparts simply because of who they are and whom they love.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Windsor v. United States last June, we have seen over 10 states win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. We have witnessed 40 wins, and two losses, for the freedom to marry, and with 81 cases pending in 32 states, the time is right for the Supreme Court to consider one or more of the federal marriage equality cases.
At the end of 2013, New Jersey became the 14th state to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. This historic victory was the result of the hard work of many LGBT activists and organizations, including Federation member Garden State Equality.
We’re in the midst of a unique moment in the movement for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. As marriage wins continue in the courts, and national attention shifts to work in places where LGBT people aren’t protected from discrimination — strong leadership in the states is more important than ever.
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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.
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