Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
The Utah Legislature passed a historic bill on Wednesday this week repealing a state law prohibiting supportive discussions of “homosexuality” in public and charter school curricula and classrooms. This victory has been months in the making.
A judge in Pinedale, Wyoming faced discipline from the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics for a newspaper interview she gave stating that she would not officiate same-sex marriages. She said, “When law and religion conflict, choices have to be made.”
Equality Federation regrets to report that several organizations, including two Federation member groups, have been targeted by acts of vandalism. Someone smashed a window of Equality Florida’s Orlando office in late February.
In case you missed it, 2016 was a year for the record books. Well over 200 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation kept Equality Federation and our state partners busy in state capitals across the country. That’s the bad news.
Though the national political scene has been tumultuous, unpredictable, and downright discouraging these past few months, I have the privilege to work with passionate Ohioans in several of our cities who are determined to do everything they can to stand with LGBTQ Americans in the face of harmful rhetoric coming from this new administration and its advocates.
In recent months, Assembly Bill 1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, was passed by both chambers of the California legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. This bill restates existing anti-discrimination law requiring that transgender students, like all students, be provided with a safe and supportive school environment where they can succeed.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
In June, the Federation launched a weekly "Members Only" newsletter for member staff and boards as well as a biweekly "Friends of the Fed" newsletter for our supporters, donors and friends. Over the past few months, we've gotten a wealth of positive feedback about our new communications, and we've also heard some great suggestions.
WASHINGTON — From coast to coast, America’s cities are demonstrating a commitment to treating lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people with dignity and respect by passing laws and implementing policies that treat all people equally. That’s according to a new report by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization.
Made possible by support from Gill Foundation and written by three Federation staff members -- Fran Hutchins, Ian Palmquist, and Jace Woodrum -- Building Momentum for Change carefully considers the power of local and incremental campaigns, making a strong case for doing and funding this work. The report also offers recommendations for movement leaders to ensure that these efforts avoid a number of common pitfalls.
Since 2006, the State of the States report by the Equality Federation has documented the strength and sustainability of state-based advocacy organizations that advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
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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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