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Equality Federation hosted an amazing fundraising reception on April 24th at the Studio Theater in Washington DC. With the help of Board Members, Sam Nitz and Kellan Baker, we had 14 sponsors and over 175 attendees! Our speakers were two amazing transgender activists, Sarah McBride from the Center for American Progress and Raffi Freedman-Gurspan from the White House. (See their bios below!)

Our fearless leader, Rebecca Isaacs, also addressed the crowd and explained the crucial work that the Federation does around the country.  The event raised over $17,000 in contributions to help us win equality in the communities we call home.

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is the first openly transgender member of staff at the White House. Prior to her role at the White House, Freedman-Gurspan was the first openly transgender legislative staffer to work in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. At the event, she spoke about the Obama Administration’s work on behalf of transgender people in the United States, including legal protections, changes of policy, and shifting narratives.

Sarah McBride also spoke at the event. She is the Campaigns and Communications Manager for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress and a board member of Equality Delaware. McBride came out as trans while serving as student body president at American University. She worked on the successful effort in Delaware to pass gender identity protections in 2013. Now at CAP, she works on state and federal nondiscrimination efforts.