Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
At this year’s Summer Meeting, we invited state leaders to take five minutes to share a big idea, talk through an innovative strategy, or offer up an exciting concept in a FEDtalk. These energetic and captivating presentations about the most innovative parts of our members’ work stood out, once again, as a major highlight of Summer Meeting.
About 24,000 trans individuals in 10 states may be disenfranchised by strict photo ID laws in the November 2014 general election.With one-third of transgender people nationwide unable to update any of their voting IDs, this is a critical issue our movement must address.
The Federation’s Director of Communications, our beloved Jace Woodrum, is leaving us to join the team at the Gill Foundation in Denver, Colorado. Over the past 15 months, Jace has revolutionized our communications with our members, partners, donors, and supporters. Never before have so many people understood what our team does and what impact we’re making in the movement.
Exclusionary policies go against our movement’s commitment to winning equality for all. But our members stand up against such hurtful practices that leave out people in our communities.Groups like Equality Michigan, who recently publicly denounced the exclusion of transgender women from the state’s annual Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (Michfest), are reaffirming our movement’s commitment to equality for all — with no one left behind.
Many people are surprised to learn that in the fourth largest city in the country, it’s perfectly legal to fire someone, deny them an apartment, or refuse them service at a business simply because of who they are. That’s why, earlier this year, activists in Houston were pushing for HERO, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a law protecting Houston residents from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information, and sex.
In Maine, Federation member organization EqualityMaine is working beyond the marriage milestone — proving to Mainers and Americans that we have a lot more to do after winning the freedom to marry. In recent months, since completing its new strategic plan, EqualityMaine has shifted its focus to ending transgender discrimination in healthcare.
HUD announced that they have finalized their rule that ensures transgender people needing shelter will be provided housing in accordance to their gender identity.Equality Federation hails this as a vital clarification and we express our greatest thanks to all the advocates who worked on these policy changes.
After a months-long public engagement campaign, the Michigan State Board of Education voted 6-2 yesterday to adopt the “Guidance on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students.” This guidance creates more supportive learning environments for LGBTQ students, who are at greater risk of suicide, and cannot succeed academically without a supportive school environment.
Update: On Wednesday, September 14th, the Atlantic Coast Conference (A.C.C.) followed suit and announced it will pull all “neutral-site championships for this academic year” from North Carolina.Equality Federation joins Federation member Equality North Carolina in hailing the NCAA’s decision to pull their championship events from North Carolina due to the state’s anti-LGBTQ law HB2.
In this Star Wars themed talk, Equality Ohio's Alana Jochum explains how transgender nondiscrimination protections were won in Cleveland.
Last week we held a webinar for Equality Federation members about how your organization can engage in Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) advocacy in your states and municipalities by adding an optional question on gender expansive youth.
This week, the Juneau Assembly passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In passing this ordinance, Juneau became the second Alaskan city to pass an inclusive non‐discrimination ordinance that extends protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or national origin, race, color, age, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
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.
.png)
