Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Recently, I got to spend the weekend at one of my favorite Equality Federation programs: our New Executive Director Boot Camp. Fran Hutchins, our deputy director, and Diana Gonzalez, our director of leadership programs, joined me for an intensive two days of training with three talented new state leaders: Jamie Foster of Equality Alabama, Kendra Johnson of Equality North Carolina, and Abbi Swatsworth of Out Nebraska.
Today Equality Federation is excited to introduce our new Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, David Topping. In this role, David will work with our member organizations to craft smart, effective legislative and electoral campaigns that build political power and allow supporters to take action in their communities.
Today Equality Federation celebrates the launch of OutNebraska, formed from OutLinc, Lincoln’s LGBTQ community center, which will serve as a statewide organization to secure fairness and equality for LGBTQ+ Nebraskans and their families.
Today, Equality Federation and Human Rights Campaign released the annual State Equality Index (SEI). This report illuminates the hard work of our member organizations from Equality Florida to Mass Equality to Equality Texas.
We have something new, to bring in the new year! In January/early February, we are pleased to offer How State Agencies Protect Transgender Rights: A Series with the National Center for Transgender Equality.
I’ve spent the last week on the ground in Western Massachusetts running get out the vote for the Yes on 3 campaign, and Tuesday night (Nov. 6, 2018) I got to celebrate a historic win with the amazing people who’ve made it happen.
Here are a few takeaways from the report that paints a picture of an often overlooked segment of our population.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review on Oct. 4, 2019. The rule is titled “Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations.”
The LGBTQ community is no stranger to state overreach – when legislatures swoop in to eradicate local nondiscrimination measures or take other sweeping actions that, ultimately, hurt our ability to live, work, and raise our families free from discrimination. In fact, the first time most Americans even became aware of the concept of preemption legislation was when North Carolina enacted HB 2 – the discriminatory law that attacked the very humanity of transgender people, and eviscerated local nondiscrimination measures across the Tar Heel state.
Chrissy Etienne joined Equality Federation in October 2019 as the organizations first Digital Strategist and Kairos Fellow.
Des Moines, IA—Media coverage often portrays rural America as singularly white, conservative and working-class. Yet at least 10 million people of color, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color, call rural America home.
I took a job working for Equality Federation because I believe it is everyone’s job to help make the world a better place. The fact that I can do that while working for a cause I so deeply believe in was a double win.
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.