'State organizations are on the front lines and the Equality Federation is leading the charge,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign is proud to announce a $75,000 donation to the Equality Federation in order to support the work of state groups advocating for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. The Federation is the national coalition of statewide LGBT advocacy organizations founded by state leaders in 1997.

&quotState organizations are on the front lines and the Equality Federation is leading the charge,&quot said HRC President Joe Solmonese. &quotState groups need a strong and independent voice in the equal rights movement and the Equality Federation is the most effective vehicle to provide that. HRC has a track record of working with the Federation in the past and we look forward to maintaining a collaborative relationship. Now, more than ever, it's important for state and national organizations to work toward the goals of equality that we all share.&quot

&quotWe are thrilled that HRC is providing such significant support to the collective work of state organizations,&quot said Toni Broaddus, executive director of the Equality Federation. &quotThe mission of the Federation is to build a stronger LGBT civil rights movement by creating strong state leaders and strong state organizations. We look forward to continuing to partner with HRC and other allies as we all work to achieve equality for LGBT Americans.&quot

More than 40 statewide LGBT groups belong to the Equality Federation, working together to secure full civil rights in every U.S. state and territory. The group's program activities for 2005 include:

ﾴShared access to integrated web-based services and data management

ﾴMechanisms for easily and quickly sharing materials and resources

ﾴPeer-based training workshops

ﾴCollective leveraging of resources of all kinds and

ﾴTechnical assistance for emerging state organizations.

HRC works with the Equality Federation and state groups, offering programmatic and financial support. In January, HRC and the Equality Federation teamed up to release Standing Up For Equality: A Winning Strategy for State Legislators, a report showing that 94 percent of state legislators who voted in opposition to LGBT discrimination in 2004 were not hurt politically by their votes.

Find out more about the Equality Federation.