Unsung Victories: West Virginia, Missouri, Georgia and Oklahoma

December 2, 2013

State-based organizations across the country are making change in the communities we call home -- where the work is hard, but the impact is great. Nearly every week, we hear about another victory that provides LGBT people with the protection, respect and dignity they need and deserve, but far too often, these wins go unsung by the broader LGBT movement.

At the Federation, we’re committed to telling the story of these victories. And this week, we're headed to West Virginia, Missouri, Georgia and Oklahoma.

  • In West Virginia, the Mayor of Lewisburg, John Manchester, has announced his support for marriage equality and has become the state’s first “Mayor for the Freedom to Marry!" Congratulations to Fairness West Virginia, whose stories touched Mayor Manchester and moved him to stand up as the first mayor in West Virginia to publicly support the freedom to marry for all families.
  • Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has issued an Executive Order directing the Missouri Department of Revenue to accept joint tax returns that mirror the Federal Treasury and IRS, ensuring that all legal same-sex marriages will be recognized for state tax purposes. This is a huge step toward recognizing all couples in Missouri, and the team at PROMO continues on the path toward winning the freedom to marry in their state!
  • Atlanta, Georgia has made history as the first city in the Deep South to receive a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2013 Municipal Equality Index! Thank you to Georgia Equality for your continuous work to ensure LGBT individuals are treated equally in your state and its cities.
  • In Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa has added sexual orientation and gender identity to its nondiscrimination policy. We stand with The Equality Network to applaud the University for its commitment to fairness and inclusion.

What else? Let us know about a win in your community, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming edition of Unsung Victories! Just send an email to communications@equalityfederation.org.

More You might like

Equality Federation Accountability and Commitment to Conference Accessibility

Equality Federation acknowledges and deeply apologizes for perpetuating the systemic harm and exclusion of disabled people at our 2025 Leadership Conference.

June 12, 2025
Equality Federation Adds Alexis Sanchez and Vincent Paolo Villano to Senior Leadership Team

We are pleased to announce the addition of two effective and experienced leaders to our senior leadership team!

June 12, 2025
National Coalition of HIV, LGBTQ+ and Health Advocates Applauds Court Decision Upholding Law that Ensures Access to PrEP and other Healthcare Preventive Services

In response to the Supreme Court decision on the Braidwood case today, June 27, a national coalition released the following statement from the Executive Directors of Lambda Legal, PrEP4All, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, the Center for HIV Law and Policy, and Equality Federation.

June 12, 2025
A young man looking up, smilingA young man smiling straight at the camera
Confident young woman standing with crossed arms.

Want To Make A Difference? Support Our Work

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.