Equality Federation won’t stop until all LGBTQ+ people are fully empowered and represented in their communities, experiencing full equality in their lives.
About 24,000 trans individuals in 10 states may be disenfranchised by strict photo ID laws in the November 2014 general election.With one-third of transgender people nationwide unable to update any of their voting IDs, this is a critical issue our movement must address.
The Federation’s Director of Communications, our beloved Jace Woodrum, is leaving us to join the team at the Gill Foundation in Denver, Colorado. Over the past 15 months, Jace has revolutionized our communications with our members, partners, donors, and supporters. Never before have so many people understood what our team does and what impact we’re making in the movement.
Exclusionary policies go against our movement’s commitment to winning equality for all. But our members stand up against such hurtful practices that leave out people in our communities.Groups like Equality Michigan, who recently publicly denounced the exclusion of transgender women from the state’s annual Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (Michfest), are reaffirming our movement’s commitment to equality for all — with no one left behind.
Many people are surprised to learn that in the fourth largest city in the country, it’s perfectly legal to fire someone, deny them an apartment, or refuse them service at a business simply because of who they are. That’s why, earlier this year, activists in Houston were pushing for HERO, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a law protecting Houston residents from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information, and sex.
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.
Every year, Federation members must complete our recertification survey as part of our Member in Good Standing Policy.Recertification is a chance for you to update the Federation about your work, your priorities, and your team.
We heard from many of you who participated in the Fairness Project site survey. You told us you want news and resources, and you want them often. We can do that!
In the spring/summer of 2015, our partners at the Tyler Clementi Foundation are launching Day 1 - an effective, immediate and free way to reduce bullying, harassment and humiliation. And your organization can take part.
The LGBT movement is shifting. We are seeing the tides changing from a focus on marriage to one of states working for protections in nondiscrimination, safe schools, immigration, healthcare, and beyond. But what is constant throughout this change is the intersectionality of our work, and the need to look at each issue through multiple lenses.
On Monday, March 2nd, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon ruled Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional calling it an "unabashedly gender-specific infringement of the equal rights of its citizens."
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.
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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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