Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
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Last month, we hosted our New Executive Director Intensive, one of our longest-running leadership programs. For over a decade, this program has brought together Executive Directors who are new in their role to foster healthy, sustainable organizations and leadership practices. Here are inspiring takeaways we got out of this year’s intensive!
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In recognition of HIV is Not a Crime Day and Maryland's recent groundbreaking progress toward HIV law reform, we sat down for a conversation with Ronnie at FreeState Justice, one of our state partners. We discuss Maryland’s historic progress, its significance in the current landscape of HIV criminalization across the United States, and the importance of Black LGBTQ+ leadership in shaping HIV justice.
The Iowa Legislature this evening passed a repeal of 18-year-old nondiscrimination protections for transgender people. We denounce Iowa’s rollback of civil rights protections for trans people in the strongest possible terms, and call on all Americans of conscience to stand up for their LGBTQ+ friends, family, and neighbors.
To everyone in our community: We are here. We will keep fighting for us, showing up for us, and creating spaces where we can all feel safe and loved.
President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. This annual defense policy bill included a new provision blocking health care for the transgender children of military servicemembers. This provision is the first anti-LGBTQ+ federal law enacted since the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.
Hear from the Fed team, and take a look at what we’ve been up to in 2024!
In the past year since the Supreme Court struck down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), we’ve witnessed 36 consecutive victories, and zero losses, for the freedom to marry. Twenty rulings have been issued in federal court, 13 in state court, and 3 by a federal appellate court.
Monica Meyer became the Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota in 2010, after serving as Public Policy Director since 2001. Under Monica's leadership, OutFront Minnesota and Project 515 co-founded Minnesotans United for All Families, the campaign which defeated the proposed constitutional amendment to limit the freedom to marry in 2012 and won marriage equality just seven months later.
Michael Nordman is the Director of Development at Equality Illinois. Since starting in 2012, he has helped the organization raise more than $2.8 million towards their fight for LGBT equality by mobilizing existing supporters and inspiring Illinoisans from all walks of life to join the movement.
Another Summer Meeting has come and gone, and as in year’s past, our gathering in Minneapolis was full of moments to remember. This year, in what was one of the biggest highlights for me personally, the Federation team took a few moments to tell participants about our work and our vision for the state-based movement in the years to come.
After winning marriage, the next question that’s typically asked is: “What’s next?” For Equality New Mexico, this question has a multitude of answers.
Amber Royster is the Executive Director of Equality New Mexico (EQNM), New Mexico's LGBTQ advocacy organization. Following six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Master of Public Administration degrees at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.
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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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