Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
The State Equality Index (SEI) is a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families.
Today is a new day for transgender service members. We applaud President Biden and the newly confirmed Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin, for their action today to reverse the discriminatory transgender military ban.
New year, new executive director. We’ve known her for many years as Equality Federation’s deputy director, but this week Fran Hutchins started her new role as executive director. Get to know a little about Fran!
Today, Equality Federation announced that Fran Hutchins, the organization’s current Deputy Director, will lead the organization as Executive Director starting January 1, 2021.
The Municipal Equality Index (MEI) examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city leadership’s public position on equality.
On November 4 the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case (Fulton v. City of Philadelphia) that will determine whether taxpayer-funded child welfare services agencies have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Equality Federation denounces North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory for signing into law the most extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country. House Bill 2 repeals Charlotte’s nondiscrimination ordinance, prevents other towns from passing their own nondiscrimination ordinances, prevents transgender people from being able to use the restroom that matches the gender they live every day, and even prevents cities from adopting living wage ordinances.
BREAKING (Stay tuned for updates): Equality Federation calls upon North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to veto the extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation that was passed in the General Assembly on Wednesday. HB2 is one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation to emerge in the country this year.
March 10th came and went without much fanfare, yet it was a milestone day for Equality Federation member Freedom Oklahoma. When the Oklahoma Legislature gaveled into session earlier this year, Oklahoma’s LGBTQ community faced a daunting challenge to overcome 27 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation — many carried over from the previous legislation.
In state after state this year, opponents have used ever-evolving strategies to legislate anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The two most common strategies are religious exemption bills (so-called “religious freedom” bills) and bills focussed on restroom access.
Update: Equality Federation extends our deepest gratitude to the eight courageous Senators in Missouri who filibustered for a historic 39 hours to prevent a discriminatory religious exemption bill from moving forward in the legislature. SJ39 is a dangerous bill that would ask the voters of Missouri to amend their constitution to allow religious organizations and individuals to use their faith to legally justify refusing services and benefits to LGBTQ people.
Now is the time for transgender equality, and more states are doing the right thing. They are no longer forcing transgender people to have surgery or obtain court orders in order to change the gender marker on their birth certificates.
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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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