Our Work This Year

We’re more than halfway through 2023, and we’ve seen over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country. These bills range from restricting access to life-saving healthcare to prohibiting the mere mention of our families in the classroom. The good news? Through it all, Family Equality has been on the frontlines to protect and support our families.

Family Equality families at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington.
Family Equality was proud to be community partners for the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, a commemoration and continuation of the fight for justice that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to six decades ago.
Family Equality families had the honor of joining the White House for a special Pride event.
Our second annual Family Night: Deep Sea Disco was a SPLASH at Family Week this year!
We welcomed movement leaders to an empowering and important discussion about the fight for LGBTQ+ equality at Family Week 2023.
More than 700 families joined us at Family Week!
Author and advocate Chasten Buttigieg joined us for a fireside chat at Family Week in Provincetown.
Family Week is all about community, connection, and fun in the sun.
Our annual Night at the Pier featured amazing performers coming together to support LGBTQ+ families.
The Family Equality team represented LGBTQ+ families at NYC Pride!
Our team member, Emily, spoke at a panel about LGBTQ+ family-building.
Our team member, Matthew, and our board member, Alvin, represented Family Equality at a Disney Pride event.
LGBTQ+ families from across the country joined us at the White House for Pride!
We were thrilled to spotlight LGBTQ+ family stories for our first-ever Family Equality Giving Day on #LGBTQFamiliesDay.
Johnson family on their adoption court date
Happy Adoption Day to the Johnsons, party of 8, who shared their story with Family Equality this spring.
Stacey Stevenson called us all to action at our annual Night at the Pier in New York City.

Protecting LGBTQ+ families

They say history repeats itself. We’re watching the idiom come true in real-time. 50 years ago, Anita Bryant led the “Save Our Children” campaign in Florida, spewing dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Now, from school boards to state houses, we’re seeing the same fear-mongering narratives resurface. This spring, the Florida Department of Education voted to expand the state’s now infamous “Don’t Say Gay and Trans” legislation to grades K-12, and the Florida legislature followed by passing a bill extending the law to eighth grade. The legislative session has been so harmful to LGBTQ+ families that our friends at Equality Florida have issued a travel advisory for any LGBTQ+ person considering stepping foot in the state. 

And, it’s not just Florida. During this session, 45 similar “Don’t Say Gay and Trans” bills have been filed in more than a dozen states throughout the country.

Here’s the good news: 91% of the anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced last year failed because of the hard work of organizations like us and advocates like you. We’re determined to defeat 91%—or more—of this year’s too. That’s why we’re working hard to support state leaders in trying to defeat these bills by pointing out the harmful impact they have on students with LGBTQ+ parents, LGBTQ+ families, and non-LGBTQ+ students alike. In fact, we’re suing the state of Florida for the freedoms of LGBTQ+ youth and families. 

Building Connection & Telling Our Story

At times like this, it’s more important than ever to harness the power of community-building and storytelling. 

Family Week in Provincetown

This July, we welcomed nearly 700 families — 1,600 attendees from 35 states and 9 countries — to our annual Family Week in Provincetown, MA. The beloved and record-breaking event featured activities for the whole family, including empowering discussions with movement leaders, a book signing with Chasten Buttigieg, movie nights, beach parties, a deep sea-themed disco, and more!

Family Equality families at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

The 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Family Equality was honored to be a community partner at the historic 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, with our very own CEO, Stacey Stevenson, as a featured speaker! With advocates coming together from across movements, we re-committed to fighting for peace, equality, and justice for all.

Shining Through the Clouds

Amid hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country, LGBTQ+ families are leaning on LOVE, FAMILY, and FREEDOM more than ever. We’re sharing their stories in our new podcast, Shining Through the Clouds. Uncover their remarkable resilience by listening today!

The Road Ahead

As 2024 approaches, we’re setting our sights on what’s ahead: Fiercely protecting our families through policy work, storytelling, and building resilience in the community. But we need your help. 

The dangerous policies and rhetoric coming from our elected officials has trickled down: School boards and political pundits are crafting harmful narratives about who our families are, LGBTQ+ centers have been vandalized, Pride parades are being targeted, and doctors providing gender-affirming care have been threatened. We’re fighting a well-funded anti-LGBTQ+ machine the likes of which we haven’t seen in years — and the only way we’re going to change the tide in the year ahead is if we all work together.