News & Resources

Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.

The Latest

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Why Updating Birth Certificates Is Important for Transgender People & How Laws Are Changing

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.

March 2, 2016
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Historic: Federal Agency Sues Over Anti-Gay Workplace Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that ensures the enforcement of federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate on specified grounds against a job applicant or an employee has announced two lawsuits alleging anti-gay discrimination.

March 2, 2016
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Watch: West Virginia Senate Majority Leader Gives Tearful Testimony for Nondiscrimination

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael delivered a tearful floor speech in support of a “civil rights amendment” to an anti-LGBTQ religious exemption bill, #HB4012, to prevent the bill from being used to discriminate. The amendment passed, and on Wednesday, March 2nd, the entire bill was killed in a 27-7 vote.

March 2, 2016
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400 Businesses. 75k Emails. Clergy. Massive Groundswell of Opposition Forms in Rejection of Anti-LGBTQ Law in Georgia [videos]

Over 400 companies including major corporations like Delta, Coca Cola, Home Depot, SalesForce, and Hyatt, along with small businesses throughout Georgia and the Georgia Visitors and Convention Bureau, have come together to say no to discrimination and stand in opposition to the antii-LGBTQ religious exemption bills making their way through the legislature.

March 2, 2016
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VICTORY! South Dakota Gov. Vetoes Anti-Transgender Bill

Governor Daugaard of South Dakota has vetoed discriminatory legislation that would have prevented transgender students from using the facilities that match the gender they live every day.

March 1, 2016
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Victory! Another Anti-LGBTQ Bill Dead in Oklahoma

On February 22nd, after mounting pressure, SB1289 was pulled from consideration by its sponsor Senator Breechen before being heard by Senate General Govt. Committee. The bill would have prevented the people of a local community from passing their own laws.

February 24, 2016

Press Releases

Equality Federation Joins Groups in Urging for Student Non-Discrimination Act

Equality Federation has joined 63 organizations in calling on Congress to support the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the House and Senate.The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) would explicitly prohibit public schools from discriminating against any student on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

April 23, 2015
Defeated: North Carolina's Discriminatory Religious Exemption Bill Is Dead

A North Carolina "religious exemption" bill that would have permitted discrimination and opened a can of worms of potential unintended consequences was killed today.

April 23, 2015
2015 LGBT Progress Update: We Are Winning!

So far 2015 has been quite a year. We haven't seen a state-by-state attack on our rights like this since the marriage bans of 2004. There's good news though: we are winning.

April 17, 2015
Obama Administration Shows Strong Leadership for LGBT Rights

In a series of announcements over the past month, the Obama administration has taken critical steps to protect LGBT Americans. These historic steps are necessary to make it possible for LGBT Americans to earn a living, use the restroom, and live without the fear of having to undergo harmful so-called conversion therapy.

April 17, 2015
New Report Outlines the Harms of Conversion Therapy

This week, the Obama Administration announced support for banning so-called conversion therapy practices nationwide. This is an important step for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, as these harmful practices particularly impact the lives of LGBT youth.

April 10, 2015
Top Florida Companies Call on State Lawmakers to Reject Discrimination, Pass Competitive Workforce Act

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) – A coalition of some of the state’s top employers and business leaders today sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli asking lawmakers to hear House Bill 33 by Rep. Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and Senate Bill 156 by Sen. Joe Abruzzo (D-Boynton Beach) and to support the Competitive Workforce Act.

April 9, 2015
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