Dear John,

2021 wasn’t quite what we expected it to be, was it?

We’re still in a worldwide pandemic. Our nation is still divided over the results of a presidential election. The LGBTQ+ community is still reeling from an incredibly tough legislative session that saw the most anti-transgender bills ever. Despite these setbacks, 2021 wasn’t all bad.

As we get ready to say goodbye to another year, we want to remind you of 5 LGBTQ+ milestones we’re celebrating from 2021:

1. Over 921 pro-LGBTQ+ bills were filed across the country and 121 were enacted thanks to the hard work of state and local advocates!
2. The Equality Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives and received its first Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
3. More and more states are making progress in HIV decriminalization efforts: Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, and Virginia all took legislative steps to improve HIV laws this year.
4. Our state partners defeated the vast majority of anti-LGBTQ+ bills: Of the 405 anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed, only 28 were enacted.
5. Equality Federation welcomed Fran Hutchins as our new executive director, hired 5 new team members, and provided more support to state partners than ever before!

Donate $5 today to help celebrate these milestones!

I am incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished this year and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together in 2022. 

Ian Palmquist
Deputy Director
Equality Federation