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 regrets to report that several organizations, including two Federation member groups, have been targeted by acts of vandalism. Someone smashed a window of Equality Florida’s Orlando office in late February.
In case you missed it, 2016 was a year for the record books. Well over 200 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation kept Equality Federation and our state partners busy in state capitals across the country. That’s the bad news.
Though the national political scene has been tumultuous, unpredictable, and downright discouraging these past few months, I have the privilege to work with passionate Ohioans in several of our cities who are determined to do everything they can to stand with LGBTQ Americans in the face of harmful rhetoric coming from this new administration and its advocates.
With the challenges, disappointments, and threats coming out of Washington, it’s a pleasure to see forward thinking legislative packages coming out on the state level. Equality Federation will keep highlighting the groundbreaking work of our member organizations.
Equality Federation will continue to fight for the inclusion and fair treatment of transgender students. We are encouraged by the outpouring of support for Gavin and other transgender students across the nation.
This legislative session, we’ve hired a Policy Fellow to analyze the impact of proposed policies related to the LGBTQ community in all 50 states at the state legislative level. After a wide search with numerous qualified applicants, this week we welcomed Maryse Pearce to the team.
Last year Federation member Freedom Oklahoma led the defeat of 27 anti-LGBTQ bills, and this year they are ready to continue their winning streak on behalf of every Oklahoman who values fairness and equality for all. Earlier this week, they hosted 150 people interested in advocating for equality.
On Thursday last week, Wyoming’s state legislature withdrew House Bill 135. HB135 would have allowed businesses, state and local governments to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
438 civil and human rights organizations, including Equality Federation, have signed onto a letter from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to express our strong opposition to the confirmation of Senator Jefferson B. Sessions (R-AL) to be the 84th Attorney General of the United States.
Equality Federation stands in solidarity with immigrants, refugees, and their families today as the Trump Administration launches an attack on millions of people’s freedoms and civil liberties.
Today Lt. Governor Dan Patrick introduced a bill cosponsored by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, that would discriminate against transgender people under the guise of protecting women’s and students’ privacy. The bill would ban transgender people from using the restroom that matches the gender they live as every day and ban cities and towns from passing nondiscrimination ordinances that protect transgender people from discrimination.
Equality Federation is standing strong against any nominee put forth by the Trump Administration who wants to roll-back nondiscrimination protections and enshrine discrimination into law. People of all faiths, races, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and abilities are a part of the fabric that fills our country with the potential to be extraordinary. This is a country that believes in fairness and that all of us should have the opportunity to thrive and provide for ourselves and our families.
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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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