Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Each year, the Equality Federation Institute holds the Summer Meeting to bring together the sharpest minds and the most strategic players in the movement for LGBT equality. More than 160 leaders join us to connect and forge relationships, collaborate for future success and build momentum toward even greater wins in the communities we call home.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr - the list of new avenues available to nonprofits to communicate their messages has grown tremendously, but that doesn't mean the rules that govern advocacy have changed. Do you know if your organization is following the rules?
Raising money for your organization can be a real challenge, especially when only a small percentage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community gives to an LGBTQ cause. But donations, no matter how big or small, are critical for nonprofit LGBTQ organizations to thrive.
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.
Troy Stevenson is the Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma, the statewide organization focused on public education and advocacy on behalf of Oklahoma's LGBT Community. Troy is a nationally recognized civil rights advocate and the former executive director of Garden State Equality, in New Jersey, and a veteran of 2 presidential campaigns.
The State Equality Index (SEI) is a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBT people and their families. The SEI rates all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. in six areas and assigns the states to one of four distinct categories.
In Maine, Federation member organization EqualityMaine is working beyond the marriage milestone — proving to Mainers and Americans that we have a lot more to do after winning the freedom to marry. In recent months, since completing its new strategic plan, EqualityMaine has shifted its focus to ending transgender discrimination in healthcare.
Every Summer Meeting is special, but the energy of this year’s gathering was as unique as the movement moment we’re in. This energy was felt throughout the Meeting, but especially during our favorite plenary session: FEDtalks.
Although our country has come a long way in teaching sexual education to adolescents, many states still teach ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to students. Many of our members live in these states, but are working within their communities to implement more comprehensive sexual education programs that educate students while supporting the sexual health of adolescents. But federal funding plays a huge role in what sexual education programs can be provided.
Across the country, our members are working hard to ensure that young people feel safe and protected at school. In order to build safe environments for students, we need support from decision makers in the community. But it isn’t always easy to build community support for schools that openly affirm people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth are disproportionately represented in the foster care population and are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment due to widespread anti-transgender bias, prejudice, and transphobia. Young transgender individuals may face unnecessary barriers while under the care of Children’s Services, such as in foster care or juvenile detention.
Each year, millions of students are removed from their classrooms for minor misconduct. This puts them at a significantly higher risk of falling behind academically, dropping out of school, and potentially being forced into the juvenile justice system.
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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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