PFLAG Chapter Leaders Across the U.S. Endorse the Equality Act

UNITED STATES—Today, hundreds of chapter leaders from PFLAG—the nation’s first and largest organization for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies—signed on to endorse the Equality Act, a federal bill that would add LGBTQ+ people to existing civil rights laws.

Despite significant steps forward, LGBTQ+ people living in the U.S. lack basic legal protections under federal law, and the patchwork of current laws leaves millions of people subject to uncertainty and potential discrimination that impacts their families, their livelihoods, their safety, and their day-to-day lives. The Equality Act would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing civil rights protections, prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity at work, in the context of housing, credit, education, and jury service; and in programs that receive federal funding and places of public accommodations.

PFLAG’s chapter network has been working in every state across the country, reaching out to their representatives to ask them to endorse and vote in favor of this legislation, so crucial to PFLAG families. This on-the-ground work is all part of PFLAG National’s #EqualityStartsWithMe campaign, which launched in March at the introduction of the Equality Act in Congress, with the entire PFLAG National Board of Directors unanimously endorsing a resolution in support of the Equality Act, a resolution which was also translated into Spanish. The resolution was shared at the Congressional introduction by Rep. David Cicilline, lead sponsor on the Equality Act. 

Last week PFLAG National released a new video for the campaign, featuring musical artists Indigo Girls, Antigone Rising, K’s Choice, Lauren Ruth Ward, Smoke Season, and Violet and The Undercurrents sharing what equality means to them, and why passing the Equality Act is a crucial step in protecting LGBTQ+ people in America from discrimination and harassment.

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PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. With over 400 chapters and 200,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed. To learn more, visit pflag.org, like us on Facebook (/pflag), or follow us on Twitter (@pflag) or Instagram (@pflag).