Dear Friends,

In this work, I meet some incredible people — champions of courage and strength whose work and wisdom have made us all immeasurably better. Judy Shepard is one of those people. And today, I’m thrilled to congratulate her on being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor. Since her son Matthew was killed in an anti-gay hate crime in 1998, Judy and her husband Dennis have dedicated their lives to social justice and championing their son’s legacy to secure critical rights and inspire people to embrace dignity and equality for all people. Judy is the founding president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and its first executive director. She has also served on the HRC Foundation Board of Directors since 2001.

President Biden’s decision to honor Judy in this way is a testament to what she’s done to be a force for good in the world. A mother who turned unspeakable grief over the loss of her son into a decades-long fight against anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence, Judy continues to make an ongoing impact in the lives of our community.

It is because of her advocacy that the first LGBTQ+ inclusive federal hate crimes prevention legislation became law: the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The Act expanded federal hate crimes law to consider motivation based on a person’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability in the commission of a crime. Working together with HRC, Congressional champions and other partners, the Shepards’ advocacy was instrumental in the passage of this historic bill, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2009.

Seeing President Biden give her this honor was an amazing ending to a week with other notable wins since my last email.

Last Friday, the Biden-Harris administration announced the finalization of a new regulation strengthening critical non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people enforced by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Over the years, HRC members and supporters drove almost 12,500 comments on Section 1557 during the proposed rule-making process, an accomplishment that we can all celebrate.

Then on Monday the Biden-Harris administration released a final rule that directs state and tribal agencies across the country to fully implement existing protections for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care. Children in the foster care system face a lot of uncertainty, and LGBTQ+ children even more so. This new rule confirms that all placements must be safe and appropriate for all children, including LGBTQ+ children.

On Tuesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a major update to longstanding guidance on workplace harassment to align with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. LGBTQ+ people will be able to better assert legal protections against instances of physical assault due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, forced outing, intentional misgendering and even workplace policies denying them access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with their gender identity.

And on Wednesday, in the states, we saw a major victory with the Kansas House voting to sustain Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of SB 233, which would have banned critical, medically necessary health care for transgender youth (the vote came only hours after the Kansas Senate voted to override the governor’s veto). Governor Kelly also recently vetoed MAGA-sponsored bills that would have applied a discriminatory definition of gender that would further harm transgender individuals; required people to use restrooms aligned with their gender assigned at birth; forced misgendering in overnight and jail cell accommodations for transgender Kansans; and banned the participation of transgender student athletes in school sports. Governor Kelly remains a stalwart ally of our movement, committed to making Kansas a safe state for everyone and setting an example for the rest of the nation.

Lastly, this week also saw the beginning of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month. For too long in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, AANHPI voices have been toned down, quiet or missing. HRC’s AANHPI & Proud working group is helping to change that. In the past two decades AANHPI people have become one of the fastest growing racial or ethnic groups in the United States, and in the 2020 presidential election, AANHPI voters had the highest growth of any racial or ethnic group with a 47% increase in turnout. We know that AANHPI voters are critical in the outcome of elections, and HRC is engaging this growing bloc and making a more inclusive case for equality. This month, and every month, we celebrate the cultures, histories, and stories of AANHPI people in this country and around the world.

Dear Friends,

As we approach the midpoint of the year, I wanted to take a moment to share with you several important updates on the progress we've made, the challenges we face and the opportunities that lie ahead.

I am thrilled to announce the release of the HRC Foundation's 2024 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), our annual benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+-inclusive policies and practices in healthcare facilities nationwide. This year marks a significant milestone, with over 1,000 healthcare facilities participating in the survey — the highest number since the HEI's inception in 2007, when we had just 88 participants. This growth is a testament to the increasing recognition of the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the healthcare sector.

The results of the 2024 HEI are encouraging, with 384 facilities earning the coveted top score of 100 and receiving the designation of "LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader." Additionally, 462 facilities were recognized as "LGBTQ+ High Performers." These achievements showcase the commitment of these healthcare providers to ensuring that LGBTQ+ patients receive the inclusive, respectful and high-quality care they deserve.

However, while we celebrate this progress, we must also acknowledge the gaps that persist. Only 27% of participating facilities have specific programs in place to help navigate transgender patients through their healthcare journey, and just over half have implemented bias elimination policies to ensure welcoming interactions with transgender individuals. These findings underscore the need for continued advocacy and education to make inclusive, affirming healthcare the norm for all LGBTQ+ people, regardless of where they seek care.

As we shift our focus to the legislative landscape, the past few months have been marked by both challenges and glimmers of hope. Many state legislative sessions are drawing to a close, but not before a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ bills were pushed through. To date, a staggering 26 hateful bills targeting our community have been signed into law across various states, aiming to restrict our rights, limit our access to healthcare and erase our very existence.

Yet, even in the face of these relentless attacks, we are witnessing signs of shifting momentum. Eleven pro-equality bills have been successfully enacted, offering critical protections and recognition for LGBTQ+ individuals. Moreover, several high-profile anti-transgender bills have been met with fierce public outcry and ultimately vetoed in states like Arizona, Kansas and Wisconsin. These victories, hard-fought and well-deserved, demonstrate that Americans are growing increasingly weary of these divisive political attacks that seek to marginalize and harm our community.

As we continue to navigate this challenging legislative terrain, it is more important than ever that we make our voices heard. We must continue to mobilize, to educate and to advocate for the fundamental rights and dignity of all LGBTQ+ people. Together, we will push back against the tide of hate and discrimination, and work towards a future where every person, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live freely and authentically.

Even as we grapple with the challenges of the present, we must also keep our eyes firmly fixed on the future. This week, members of the HRC staff traveled to Chicago to begin laying the groundwork for our robust presence at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. As we gear up for this pivotal gathering, we are determined to make our voices heard and our priorities known.

Our team met with movement leaders who are leaning into the convention, forging alliances and strategies to ensure that LGBTQ+ rights remain at the forefront of the political agenda. We are committed to showing up visibly and forcefully, leveraging our collective strength to help elect pro-equality leaders up and down the ballot. From the White House to state legislatures and local offices, we will work tirelessly to support candidates who stand with our community and who will fight for the policies and protections we so urgently need.

The road ahead won’t be without struggle, but we draw strength from the knowledge that we are not alone in this fight. With your unwavering support and partnership, we will continue to push forward, to break down barriers, and to build a world where every LGBTQ+ person can live with dignity, safety and pride.

In closing, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your ongoing support, dedication and partnership in this vital work. The road to full equality is full of twists and turns; we could not navigate it without you.

Thank you for being a part of this movement and lending your voice, time, and heart to this work. Together, I know we will prevail.

Dear Friends,

We had another important week fighting for full equality on a variety of fronts. This week, we proudly announced the release of our Welcoming Schools Report. This comprehensive report highlights the impactful work being done through our Welcoming Schools program — which now reaches a record 750,000 students each day — in the fight against bias-based bullying. It showcases the efforts of teachers, families and communities in creating accepting and inclusive environments for all students. When you have a moment, take time to explore the report and celebrate the progress we've made together.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending the Engage for Good Conference in Minneapolis. The conference revolved around the theme of "Turning Moments into Movements," and it was inspiring to witness the discussions and collaborations aimed at creating lasting change through corporate and nonprofit partnerships. During my keynote speech, I emphasized the importance of HRC's Corporate Citizenship Report, which provides a roadmap for companies to advance equality across various pillars.

It’s important to note how our struggle for equality builds on progress that has come before us. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision. This landmark ruling shattered the doctrine of "separate but equal" and laid the foundation for advancing equal protection under the law in our nation. As we commemorate this milestone, we acknowledge that there is still work to be done. We must stand up against those who seek to undermine our hard-fought progress. It is our duty to fight for every family’s ability to achieve joy, health and success.

Looking ahead, we are eagerly anticipating this weekend’s Time to Thrive summit. This gathering holds immense significance for HRC and our community, as it highlights our commitment to nurturing and supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Creating safe, inclusive and affirming spaces for young people to thrive is of utmost importance. Together, let's continue to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ youth, ensuring that their dreams and aspirations are valued and protected.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to honor the incredible contributions of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood. They were true champions in our community, leading with passion, commitment and love. Peggy's advocacy in Oakland was legendary, and Hope's impact on my own organizing career was profound. They expanded our capacity to believe in the power of organizing and the significance of loving one another. Let's cherish their memory and carry forward their remarkable legacies.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication and commitment to driving positive change in our society. Let's continue making a difference.

Dear Friends,

As pollsters and pundits keep telling us — and we can feel in our bones — this is going to be a razor-thin close election: much too close for comfort, and surely too close for any of us to remain on the sidelines. The hard-won rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are at stake. Reproductive freedom is at stake. The future of our democracy is at stake. All of our progress as a community and a nation is at stake.

That’s why, on Monday, the Human Rights Campaign announced a sophisticated new 2024 public education and engagement campaign — “We Show Up: Equality Wins” — to persuade 75 million Equality Voters to protect and expand our civil rights and fundamental freedoms and to safeguard our endangered republic.

And this announcement made waves. HRC’s “We Show Up: Equality Wins” campaign was covered in more than 100 articles, with coverage including an interview I did with the folks at MSNBC’s Morning Joe and an exclusive with NBC News, all together reaching an audience of nearly 700 million. Across social media channels, our posts reached nearly half a million people and prompted thousands of website views.

And here’s why we show up — with fierce determination and defiant joy:

We show up to protect LGBTQ+ youth.

We show up to stand against bullies and hate.

We show up to defend our right to love who we love.

We show up to fight until every last one of us is fully free.

We show up together, for each other and for the future we deserve.

As part of our “We Show Up” campaign, HRC is strategically investing $15 million to reach voters with more staff, paid advertising and enhanced grassroots field efforts. Our focus will be on key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where HRC has had year-round staff since 2017. And we will be adding dozens of additional team members on the ground to organize for November.

The 75 million Equality Voters — whom HRC has identified as prioritizing LGBTQ+ issues when making decisions at the ballot box — will deliver major victories this November by electing historic LGBTQ+ and pro-equality candidates across the country and by defeating anti-trans attacks once and for all. And, importantly, HRC is a trusted messenger on LGBTQ+ issues: nearly 70% of Equality Voters trust the HRC brand — more than any candidate or political party.

Make no mistake: LGBTQ+ voters and our allies will make the difference in the election. The stakes are high, and we cannot afford to sit back.

Our anti-equality opponents are promising a hate-filled agenda that hurts everyone who doesn’t look and live like them. They believe they can bully and intimidate us and strip away our dignity and freedom.

But the LGBTQ+ community has fought and won hard battles before, and we will do so again this year. Our “We Show Up” campaign will tirelessly inform, activate and mobilize Equality Voters, explicitly communicating the stark reality of what’s at stake for our community and the progress that hangs in the balance.

We need your help to win this election. Please take our “We Show Up” pledge now! Let’s show the world that we are showing up this election to advance equality, protect reproductive rights and secure our democracy.

Let’s win this together!

Dear Friends,

Guilty. Convicted. But NOT GONE! Yesterday, twice-impeached Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts — for the first time in our nation’s history, a former president is now a convicted felon. But he remains nevertheless the presumptive Republican nominee, perilously close to winning a second term which would be disastrous for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, our allies and all of our hard-won progress.

Help the Human Rights Campaign defend equality, protect reproductive rights and secure our democracy with a gift of $34 for his 34 felony counts.

HRC jumped into high gear yesterday, leveraging our channels to make sure our position on this historic political moment was clear. Shortly after the verdict was announced, our initial Instagram post exploded with nearly 40,000 likes, and our original tweet on X garnered a whopping 140,000 impressions. We kept a steady cadence throughout last night with over 16 posts, resulting in a potential reach of 7.5 million people in under 24 hours.

Rep. Maxine Waters reminded her followers on social media that it was at an HRC dinner three years ago where she predicted Thursday’s convictions would come to pass. We responded with a video archive clip from our 2018 dinner across all channels to drive brand awareness; see Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

On the press side, the team got my statement out to reporters within minutes of the guilty verdicts, securing placement in national outlets with an audience reach of 171 million people.

We cannot allow this new “man of convictions” to leap from the courthouse to the White House. Please help us keep fighting for our rights and our liberation.

Together, as an HRC family, we are building our people power and expanding our base of members and supporters; we are disrupting the systems that do not work for us, and we are changing the narrative of how LGBTQ+ people are seen, heard and heeded in our country.

To these ends, we just hit a major milestone of which I’m so proud: On Wednesday, HRC and SHOWTIME® announced the fifth year of QUEER TO STAY: An LGBTQ+ Small-Business Preservation Initiative. When we launched the program in June 2020, we awarded donations to 10 LGBTQ+ small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially businesses owned by and designed for LGBTQ+ people of color, women and the transgender community. With the fifth iteration of this program, QUEER TO STAY will reach $1 Million in total distributed funding, awarding 100 LGBTQ+ businesses across the country (with 90% of recipients remaining open in their communities after four challenging years).

There can be so much queer joy in supporting LGBTQ+ small businesses. Let me share with you just a few heart-warming statements from QUEER TO STAY recipients which illustrate the positive impact this support can have on LGBTQ+ businesses and communities — in real people’s everyday lives:

• “In addition to having [rent and monthly expenses] covered, we were able to pay our trainers for additional classes and personal training sessions,” said Max Adler (he/him), owner of OutBox Gym, Brooklyn, NY. “Our goal is to keep employing and paying members of the LGBTQ+ community who are looking to work in a safe and affirming environment. Our classes and services specifically cater to trans, non-binary and queer folks, so we consider it a win-win to be able to pay queer trainers and give our members safe classes and training.”
  
• “We’ve launched Vermont Transmasc Camp and Vermont Trans Camp, two programs for trans adults that offer community building, skills workshops and time to reflect on our gender journeys,” said Murphy Robinson (he/they), founder of Mountainsong Expeditions, Worcester, VT. “These programs are life-changing and profoundly healing.”
  
• “The QUEER TO STAY funding… not only provided us with essential financial support but also reaffirmed our commitment to serving the LGBTQ+ community,” said Anna Graham (she/her), co-founder of Urbody, Los Angeles, CA. “This recognition fueled our passion and enabled us to further innovate and expand our offering of gender-affirming underwear and activewear, ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of our community.”
  
• “Queers supporting queers is just beautiful to witness. We celebrate our own success of providing skilled and accessible remodeling services by sharing it,” said Queers Remodel PDX (they/them), Portland, OR. “The community response to the changes we have been able to make is that of mutual support. When one of us thrives, we all thrive.”

Applications for this year’s QUEER TO STAY program will be accepted through August 31, 2024. Check out the newly updated promotional video and submit an application at queertostay.org. And if you know of an LGBTQ+ small business that could benefit from a QUEER TO STAY donation, please encourage them to apply as well.

As we approach tomorrow, June 1st — officially “Membership Appreciation Day” at HRC and our kickoff to Pride season — I want to express my deepest gratitude for you and the critical impact you make in our movement for LGBTQ+ equality.

I appreciate you, because I know our work isn’t always easy, and our defeats, although temporary, can be bitter and crazy-making. We’re almost a full year into the national state of emergency that HRC declared last June for LGBTQ+ people in the United States. And this year alone, we’ve been tracking nearly 500 anti-equality bills across the country — 33 of which have become law. The road to justice and equality without exception has a number of setbacks along the way, and while I know in my bones a brighter future lies ahead, it doesn’t mean the hard times don’t sting.

But as I take stock of our movement this week, I also have joy in my heart… Because of you — our HRC members, supporters and allies — marriage equality remains the law of the land. We’ve stopped THOUSANDS of anti-LGBTQ+ bills from becoming law over recent years. More LGBTQ+ and pro-equality leaders are serving at every level of government than ever before. And whenever an LGBTQ+ person sees HRC’s equality logo on a car bumper, in a store window, on a friend's water bottle or laptop, they feel safe and seen. But we have more work to do.

Together, we’re building on this progress, and we won’t stop until every single one of us is free. And that’s why Membership Appreciation Day is so important to us at HRC: You make all the difference — so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you; invite your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to join us, and let’s get free.