In 1994, the United States granted asylum to an individual on the basis of sexual orientation for the first time. This opened the door for LGBTQ immigrants facing persecution in their countries of origin to seek protection as refugees and asylees. Thirty years later, immigration continues to be central to our political discourse and remains a focus in the presidential election. In response to the US allowing asylum claims from LGBTQ immigrants, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 9, 2018 Contacts: Lauren Gray, NCLR lgray@nclrights.org / (215) 983-3099 Trump’s Plan to Cut Off Access to Asylum is Illegal and Will Endanger LGBTQ Lives Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, the Trump administration announced its intention to adopt a new federal rule preventing certain individuals who enter the U.S. from Mexico from seeking asylum. For more than 20 years, NCLR has provided...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lauren Gray, Communications Director, NCLR lgray@nclrights.org / (215) 983-3099 After NCLR victory for LGBTQ youth in Utah State Board of Education case, Salt Lake City Mayor gives NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell a Key to the City at Coming Out Day Celebration Last year, NCLR sued the Utah State Board of Education for censoring content about LGBTQ people. Today,...
LGBTQ individuals disproportionately interact with the criminal justice system and are often the victims of this cash bail system. LGBTQ people are more likely to be assessed a higher bail than others because they are seen as greater flight risks and more likely to be a danger to the community based on stereotypes and perceptions that LGBTQ people are not connected to families or communities. Read more
(Washington, DC, June 22, 2017)—Today, Senate Republicans released a “discussion draft” of their healthcare repeal plan. National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell issued the following statement in response: “After unprecedented secrecy during drafting, a small number of senators put forward a plan today to take away healthcare from millions of Americans, including millions of LGBTQ Americans,” said Kate Kendell, executive director at the National Center for Lesbian...
On June 13, 2017, the Human Rights Campaign and National Center for Lesbian Rights delivered a letter to the U.S. Senate urging them not to gut access to healthcare. More than 60 LGBTQ organizations, representing millions of LGBTQ people across the country, signed onto this letter sharing deep concerns for the health of our community. The letter notes that the Congressional Budget Office has projected that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would result in 14 million Americans losing health...
On May 23rd, President Trump released his first full federal budget proposal. While many knew it would be bad, nothing could have prepared us for this. If enacted, this budget would be devastating. It slashes funding for vital programs and services that help struggling individuals and families afford the basics- food, housing, heating, education, and healthcare. At the same time, the budget seeks an additional $54 billion for the defense department and gives corporations and the wealthy...
NCLR’s Born Perfect Campaign adds new win to state-by-state advocacy efforts (San Francisco, CA, May 17, 2017)—Today, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed SB201 into law, putting an end to the fraudulent, harmful and unscientific practice of so-called “conversion therapy” in the state of Nevada for LGBTQ youth. Today’s bill signing was the result of targeted grassroots advocacy efforts by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Gender Justice Nevada, Kaempfer Crowell, and the Human...
(San Francisco, CA, May 4, 2017)—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which if passed, would leave millions of Americans without health insurance, strip protections from discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, gut Medicaid, block patient access to trusted medical providers at Planned Parenthood, and undercut 30 years of progress made in fighting HIV. The Affordable Care Act provided coverage to thousands of people living with HIV by...
NCLR says order “revised after LGBTQ community came out in full force” and that “the LGBTQ community will not stand down” (San Francisco, CA, May 4, 2017)—Today, President Trump signed an executive order expanding religious exemptions, weakening our nation’s commitment to separation between church and state and permitting decisions about employees’ access to health care to be made based on the personal religious views of employers. National Center for...
Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. We’re changing Florida through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building — so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Come Out With Pride
The mission of Come Out With Pride Orlando is to cultivate visibility, authenticity, and acceptance by curating inclusive experiences that celebrate and embody the spirit of queer resilience.
Orlando Youth Alliance
Since 1990, the Orlando Youth Alliance (OYA) has been providing safe spaces for LGBTQ youth in Central Florida. Their coverage area includes metro Orlando, but also spans out to include the rural counties surrounding Orlando. In 2008, they created a chapter in Lakeland, Florida (Polk County). OYA oversees the highly successful Polk Pride Festival which attracts over 6,000 people annually.
Southern Legal Counsel
Southern Legal Counsel, Inc. (SLC) is a Florida statewide not-for-profit public interest law firm that is committed to the ideal of equal justice for all and the attainment of basic human and civil rights. SLC developed its Transgender Rights Initiative to fill a gap in access to justice for Florida’s transgender community, including in areas such as access to legal authenticity, access to safe and affirming school and work environments, access to medically necessary healthcare, and more. SLC’s Trans Rights Initiative protects the rights of Florida’s LGBTQ+ community utilizing federal impact litigation, policy advocacy, and individual representation. SLC has litigated many of the recent federal cases against the state of Florida, and has successfully overturned the Medicaid Ban on gender-affirming care (Dekker v. Weida); permanently enjoined the medical care bans for minors and restrictions for adults created by SB 254 and the Boards of Medicine rules (Doe v. Ladapo); preliminarily enjoined the pronoun ban for transgender teachers in Florida’s public schools; and more.
Joy Metropolitan Community Church
Joy MCC is the spiritual home to a multi-cultural, inclusive, and diverse community of faith. We are rooted in the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus. We experience a vibrant spirituality that is positive, practical, and progressive. We’ve always been a totally open and affirming church. We welcome the full participation of people of allraces, cultures, ages, abilities, spiritual backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. We share a deep sense of community where our diversity is celebrated, not merely tolerated.
ACLU of Florida
The mission of the ACLU of Florida is to protect, defend, strengthen, and promote the constitutional rights and liberties of all people in Florida. We envision a fair and just Florida, where all people are free, equal under the law, and live with dignity.
QLatinx
QLatinx is a grassroots community-led racial, social, and gender justice organization dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of Orlando’s LGBTQ+ Latinx community. QLatinx is committed to building a supportive infrastructure, addressing inequity, promoting inclusionary QLatinx aims to deepen the political consciousness of LGBTQ+ and Latinx individuals about intersections and complexities of institutional, interpersonal, and internalized forms of oppression. This work includes empowering local LGBTQ+ leadership to become cognizant of gender and racial inequities with the LGBTQ+ community and in relation to cisgender populations.
Community Spring
Community Spring is a grassroots organization dedicated to economic justice. The two pillars of our work are income and power: income to meet people’s needs and power to reshape the systems that keep them down.
Pride Community Center of North Central Florida
The Pride Community Center of North Central Florida offers safe spaces, resources, services and events to foster and enhance the well-being and visibility of LGBTQ+ people in North Central Florida. Visibility changes minds. Here in North Central Florida, LGBTQ+ people deserve access to safe spaces where they can not only express themselves, but where they can also be a part of a community. Come join us.