Nearly 200 leaders from Equality Federation’s state-based partner membership as well as leaders from national LGBTQ organizations attended our annual Leadership Conference this July in Portland, Oregon. Local hosts Basic Rights Oregon supported the efforts and an array of new sponsors ensured the event was a smashing success.

Tina Kotek, a Representative from Oregon, became the nation’s first openly lesbian House Speaker when she was sworn into office in 2013. She’s a longtime advocate of LGBTQ equality but is also well-known for her advocacy efforts around housing, health care, and other important issues that most impact marginalized communities.

Summer of Action has kicked off in Phoenix, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Cleveland! Over the next three weeks we will have thousands of conversations about nondiscrimination with people on their front porches and on the phone!

Equality Federation is proud to partner in the launch of a groundbreaking ad depicting the challenges faced by transgender people in accessing public restrooms—and highlighting the lack of state and federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.

The I-1515 campaign – an effort to repeal Washington State’s 10 year old non-discrimination law protecting our transgender friends, co-workers and family members – failed to turn in enough (246,372) signatures to qualify for this year’s fall election ballot. The WA Secretary of State’s office announced late this afternoon that the I-1515 campaign cancelled its appointment to turn in signatures.

Today Equality Federation celebrates Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s signing of a historic bill that updates Massachusetts state law to ensure explicit protections for transgender people from discrimination in public places, including restaurants, hospitals, parks, and public restrooms.