Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
President Trump’s announcement that he will end DACA, a program that protects undocumented young people who grew up in America from deportation, is a cruel and heartless attack on 800,000 families.
Equality Federation recently held our annual Leadership Conference, featuring our fabulous FEDTalks – 5 minute talks given by the leaders of the state-based LGBTQ movement. We’re proud to debut Sara Burlingame’s (Wyoming Equality) hilarious talk 5 Ways to Stay Active in the LGBTQ Movement (Without Succumbing to Abject Martyrdom)!
Today President Trump signed an unnecessary and divisive directive that bans the military from recruiting transgender service members, and bans the Department of Defense from providing necessary medical care for current transgender service members. At press time, it is unclear if currently serving members will be able to continue since The White House has left questions unanswered.
The state-based movement for LGBTQ equality and justice is broad and diverse. That’s why we strive to ensure that our membership reflects the whole country.
Today we join transgender Texans and their families in celebration because, after many months of courageous storytelling and coalition building, the efforts to pass anti-transgender bathroom ban legislation have FAILED.
The violence in Virginia over the weekend of August 12th was a terrible reminder of the racism that is rampant in our country today. The current Administration has emboldened those who wish to divide us.
This year’s Summer Meeting is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We’re planning sessions that will fuel collaboration within regions, caucus groups that will connect attendees based on their organizational roles, and workshops that are geared toward helping state leaders build greater success in lobbying, organizing, communications, organizational development, and more.
This weekend, families across the country celebrated Father's Day. My partner Brad and I got to spend the evening with my parents, relaxing on their screened porch here in Raleigh.
This Pride season, we have so much to celebrate in our community. I’m proud of the marriage victories and non-discrimination wins that Federation members have had a part in this year. I’m also extremely proud of the stand that the LGBT community, including many Federation members, has taken on immigration reform.
In November 2012, three states -- Maine, Maryland, and Washington -- extended the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. And in the past few months, three additional states -- Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota -- have followed suit, reaching 12 states in the nation that allow all loving couples to share in the joys and responsibilities of marriage.
In just a few weeks, leaders from across the country will gather together to learn from each other and to build the skills and relationships that are so critical to growing a strong state-based movement for equality.
Over the last 30 years, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has seen great strides in the movement for full equality. Much of this success is the result of a concerted movement, which was galvanized in response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
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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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