Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
Our friends at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) are asking for your help in completing this year’s National School Climate Survey. This survey is the largest national survey of the experiences of LGBTQ students in schools, making it a crucial tool for advocates like us.
We're in the home stretch now! In less than two weeks, I'll stand up in Salt Lake City and welcome you all to our 16th Annual Summer Meeting. Honestly, as the days tick away, I can't decide what I'm more excited about -- the informative workshops or the incredible social events.
Every day since the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling striking down DOMA, we’re faced with more questions about how the decision will impact same-sex couples across the nation.
As you may have noticed, over the past month, we’ve been rolling out a number of exciting changes to our communications. Thanks to the support of several key donors, the Federation added Jace Woodrum, a seasoned communications operative, to our team in June.
At the Federation, we work to strengthen state-based organizations that are making critical progress on the issues that matter most. And while that work takes many forms, it often involves on-the-ground collaboration -- the kind of collaboration that keeps us traveling around the country.
Just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down DOMA and restored marriage in California, the LGBT community is celebrating another historic victory.
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.
Every Summer Meeting is special, but the energy of this year’s gathering was as unique as the movement moment we’re in. This energy was felt throughout the Meeting, but especially during our favorite plenary session: FEDtalks.
Although our country has come a long way in teaching sexual education to adolescents, many states still teach ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to students. Many of our members live in these states, but are working within their communities to implement more comprehensive sexual education programs that educate students while supporting the sexual health of adolescents. But federal funding plays a huge role in what sexual education programs can be provided.
Across the country, our members are working hard to ensure that young people feel safe and protected at school. In order to build safe environments for students, we need support from decision makers in the community. But it isn’t always easy to build community support for schools that openly affirm people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth are disproportionately represented in the foster care population and are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment due to widespread anti-transgender bias, prejudice, and transphobia. Young transgender individuals may face unnecessary barriers while under the care of Children’s Services, such as in foster care or juvenile detention.
Each year, millions of students are removed from their classrooms for minor misconduct. This puts them at a significantly higher risk of falling behind academically, dropping out of school, and potentially being forced into the juvenile justice system.
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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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