Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Equality Federation expresses our strong solidarity with the the family of Freddie Gray, local community leaders, and many community protesters in Baltimore, as well as those raising their voices across the country. We are also calling for meaningful, systemic change so that no lives are lost or negatively impacted in the future by mass incarceration or police brutality.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the LGBT* in the South Conference, hosted by Campaign for Southern Equality in Asheville, North Carolina.About 500 people from around the region gathered for two days of peer learning and collaboration.
A bill that would have made it illegal for any transgender person to use a restroom that did not match their gender assigned at birth has failed in Florida. HB 583, the “Single-Sex Public Facilities” bill, or Florida’s “Bathroom Bill,” introduced by State Representative Frank Artiles, was aimed to punish transgender individuals.
Last month, Equality Federation and our partner Campaign for Southern Equality filed an amicus brief calling on the Supreme Court to act quickly to ensure the freedom to marry across the nation.
On Friday April 24th, Bruce Jenner came out about transitioning to womanhood in a special episode of 20/20 with Diane Sawyer. Throughout the interview Jenner remained warm, calm, and honest. Diane was a kind and respectful interviewer.
Chris Hartman, Executive Director of Fairness Campaign, an Equality Federation member, was one of the activists arrested in August while peacefully demonstrating at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's annual Country Ham Breakfast due to the company's longstanding anti-LGBT lobbying. This week, Hartman and fellow activists Carla Wallace and Sonja De Vries had their charges (which should never have been pressed) dropped.
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A legislative hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th, on the “Pastor Protection” Act. Federation member Equality Florida calls the act a misleading masquerade for religious freedom when in reality it is simply a cynical, anti-LGBT political move.
This position requires the Executive Director to be a self-starter with the enthusiasm to build MassEquality’s small, grassroots organization. The organization seeks a hands-on operational manager who can also fundraise and be the face of the organization.
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has written a new practice guide for the Annie E. Casey Foundation entitled “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in the Juvenile Justice System,” which provides juvenile justice agencies the tools they need to ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT youth in their care.
Legislators in North Carolina attempted an 11th-hour sneak attack on LGBT North Carolinians by attempting to attach language to Senate Bill 279, which would have prohibited cities and counties from passing nondiscrimination ordinances in cases of public accommodations and housing and from passing higher minimum wages or regulations involving employment practices.
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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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