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Friend:

A few years ago, I could have never imagined that I’d be writing you this email, let alone working as a full-time advocate for transgender people in my home state of Mississippi.

But your purpose in life has a way of calling to you. And I believe when you’re ordained to do something, you have to do it, and do it well. I am a beautiful black woman, I am transgender—and I work every day to make sure that transgender people like myself can look forward to a future free from discrimination.

That’s why I’m proud to support Freedom for All Americans, the bipartisan campaign to secure express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQ people nationwide.

Your support for Freedom for All Americans would mean so much to me this week, friend, during Transgender Awareness Week, when organizations around the country are working to raise the visibility of transgender people and the issues we face as a community.

Will you take this moment to join the nationwide movement of people who believe it's time to fully protect all LGBTQ Americans under federal law?

I was forced to leave a career in cosmetics after experiencing relentless anti-transgender harassment and discrimination. And I have a lot of friends who have packed up and left Mississippi because they don’t feel safe or protected.

My life changed forever last year when I lost one of my closest and oldest friends—also a transgender woman of color—to violence. Mesha was one of the people I cherished most in the world. Losing her was devastating. It was the ignition to my advocacy.

I now work full-time at a non-profit where I run ‘Trans 101’ trainings so my fellow Mississippians understand the basics of transgender identity and how transgender people want to be treated. The work that I do now for my community is to ensure that everyone has a voice that can be heard.

We know how hard it is for people like us, transgender and gender-nonconforming people throughout the South, and we focus on the opportunities that have been given to us with the knowledge that life could be so much better. I want to take advantage of doors that may not have been open for people like me and ensure that we, black and brown transgender people, occupy seats at those tables of influence.

It is important for our communities to understand the basics of transgender identity and how transgender people deserve to be treated. There are so many transgender and gender-nonconforming people making a positive impact in society today, but we cannot make influential changes without others acknowledging our existence and allowing us to bridge those gaps of inclusion.

You have to help us help ourselves. That's the only way we'll be able to survive and be equal members of society. We must ensure that all LGBTQ Americans can live, work, and access basic services free from discrimination, no matter what state we call home.

The current patchwork of laws around the country—with some states having them, and others not (like Mississippi)—is unsustainable and leaves too many LGBTQ people behind. That’s why there’s an urgent need for our federal lawmakers to pass legislation like the Equality Act, which would provide express and enduring nondiscrimination protections nationwide.

Freedom for All Americans is working to secure nondiscrimination protections for as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, friend. Sign FFAA’s pledge to support federal protections for LGBTQ people today.

In gratitude,

Malaysia Walker

Friend:

This holiday season, we're thankful to the LGBTQ Americans and allies who let us share their stories this year.

Give today to help us share more stories like these as we push for nationwide nondiscrimination protections.

Friend:

I know. It’s that time of year already, and there’s at least one person on your list who’s impossible to shop for. It happens to all of us. I’m writing today to give you the perfect solution to your holiday shopping woes. That’s right—you can take care of those gifts right now, today. I’ve got you covered.

Tie The Knot, the organization that I founded with my husband Justin Mikita, has launched our new 2019 Pride Collection, and our scarves, bow ties, socks, and more are fabulous gifts for everyone on your list.

The best part? Proceeds from Tie The Knot products will be dedicated to supporting Freedom for All Americans and LGBTQ equality around the world.

And this fabulous collection of apparel is ready to be snatched up. Check out the full inventory and browse around for the gift—or 10 gifts—that you like best.

Freedom for All Americans is one of our favorite partners at Tie The Knot, and as we look forward to 2020, we want to support them as much as we can.

This amazing organization did so much this year, friend. They worked with local organizations to promote nondiscrimination legislation in Virginia, West Virginia, and other states. They built a broad, bipartisan coalition of people to fight for the Equality Act. They helped organize hundreds of people across the country to submit briefs to the Supreme Court, which is RIGHT NOW deliberating three cases that could strip LGBTQ workers of existing federal employment nondiscrimination protections. And they defeated bad bills in dozens of states and protected millions of LGBTQ people from discrimination.

I’m hoping you’ll join us in supporting Freedom for All Americans with a purchase from Tie The Knot’s online store today.

Our apparel selections make great gifts for your loved ones, sure—but every purchase represents a gift for the entire country. Because we believe that fighting for LGBTQ freedom is even better when our community looks darn good doing it.

You’re going to feel great about it—take a look around Tie The Knot’s shop and make a purchase to support Freedom for All Americans in passing nationwide nondiscrimination protections.

Can’t wait to see you looking stylish,

Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Tie The Knot

Friend:

It’s not too late to buy your loved ones some cute gifts from Tie The Knot and have them arrive in time for the holidays. So get on that!

Just a reminder: Tie The Knot's products are dedicated to supporting Freedom for All Americans and LGBTQ equality around the world.

Today is the final day to get these gifts by next week with expedited or 2-day shipping, so check out the full inventory and browse around for the gift—or 10 gifts—that you like best.

Their ties, socks and other accessories make great gifts for your loved ones, sure—but every purchase represents a gift for the entire country! Because fighting for LGBTQ freedom is even better when our community looks good doing it.

Take a look at the Tie The Knot shop and make a purchase to support Freedom for All Americans in passing nationwide nondiscrimination protections.

Thanks!

Freedom for All Americans

Hope your holiday has been fabulous, friend!

I’m sure you’re busy with last-minute plans for New Year’s Eve, so I’ll keep this brief.

Nearly seven million LGBTQ Americans aren’t protected from discrimination because of who they are, who they love, and where they live. And that’s because 30 states don’t have express statewide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

Freedom for All Americans is going to make sure that changes. They are the campaign working for nationwide nondiscrimination protections, by urging Congress to update existing federal law.

That’s why my husband Justin Mikita and I were proud to support FFAA earlier this month with a year-end donation of $5,000 through our organization, Tie The Knot. FFAA is already making plans to roll that into next year’s work: Passing LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation in Virginia and West Virginia, preparing for decisions in three crucial Supreme Court cases, and of course, building the bipartisan coalition around the Equality Act!

Will you help set FFAA up for success in 2020 with a gift of $8 or more?

It’s also important to give now because every donation through the end of the year—up to $50,000—is being matched by Love Inc.!

Thanks,

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Friend,

For me, the holidays are about community. Whether you’re visiting with family, celebrating with loved ones, or just taking some time to reconnect with an old friend, I hope that this holiday season brings you closer to the folks who treasure and support you.

As I reflect on the year, I’m feeling so grateful for supporters like you. Because you are a part of this fight, our movement made significant progress toward our ultimate goal of passing express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans nationwide.

That’s why I’m also asking you to give one final gift this year—a gift to FFAA, so we can keep making progress in 2020.

This holiday season, our friends Brittny Drye and Eric Knight at Love Inc. are matching all donations up to $50,000. Will you support the future of LGBTQ freedom (and get matched) with an $8 donation today?

This year, we saw bipartisan support for nondiscrimination protections grow in legislatures, in courts of law, and in the court of public opinion.

In 2020, we’ll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with state partners to push for passage of nondiscrimination legislation in Virginia, West Virginia, and other states, plus beat back bad bills wherever they crop up. Your donation will enable our ongoing work collaborating with on-the-ground activists, convening local leaders, and elevating and supporting the work of grassroots organizers.

And because winning this fight is going to take all of us, we’ll keep building a broad, bipartisan coalition of people advocating for the Equality Act, a critical piece of federal legislation to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in all areas of life.

Thank you for being part of the FFAA community, friend. Help us start off strong in 2020 with an $8 donation today.

Remember: Any donation you make between now and Dec. 31 will be matched by Love Inc.!

Happy Holidays to you and yours,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend, ?

Last week we witnessed a watershed moment in Virginia: The introduction of the VA Values Act! ?

This landmark bill would protect LGBTQ Virginians from being fired, denied housing, or refused service in a public place because of who they are. ?

So FFAA is doing what our mission calls us to do: Support local groups working to pass it! That means we’re a proud member of the Virginia Values Coalition—dozens of other LGBTQ organizations and thousands of Virginians from all walks of life, working together for victory. ?

We have less than a month for the House or Senate to pass the VA Values Act and keep it on the path to passing in 2020. Will you pitch in $8 or more now so we can make calls to lawmakers, organize lobby days, and do the other work we need to do to win?

Similar legislation has been introduced (and failed) in the past, but with powerful support from legislative leaders?and?a General Assembly made up of more pro-LGBTQ lawmakers than ever, 2020 is?the year for it to pass. ?

Of course, we’re all-in on this bill because we’re all about protecting as many LGBTQ people as possible, as quickly as we can. But the VA Values Act will do more than improve the lives of LGBTQ Virginians. Passing the VA Values Act would make Virginia the first state in the South with a statewide law that explicitly protects LGBTQ people from discrimination, and that builds momentum for passing nondiscrimination protections?nationwide.

We need that momentum, and those nationwide protections, because otherwise we’re relying on the Supreme Court—which right now, is considering three LGTBQ nondiscrimination cases. ?

That’s not enough, friend. We need the VA Values Act—and after that, we need nationwide nondiscrimination protections. Help us get there: Chip in $8 or more now.

Thanks, ?

Kasey Suffredini, ?
CEO & National Campaign Director

The Virginia Values Act is moving fast, friend.

After back-to-back hearings this week, it’s heading for a full vote in the Virginia Senate next week!

That’s right: Virginia is on the verge of being the 21st state in the nation—and the first state in the South—to ensure *all* LGBTQ Virginians are protected from discrimination in housing, employment and public places.

In this final stretch, folks on the ground need all of us to pitch in, however we can. 

Our members like you, friend, who don't live in Virginia can pitch in $5 or more to help us help local partners hire organizers, recruit volunteers, and do the outreach to lawmakers that it will take to WIN.

With FFAA’s support, friend, the local campaign has put together the kind of broad, bipartisan coalition that we know from experience—in New Hampshire, in Alaska, and in Massachusetts—it will take to pass this bill.

Since we last updated you, support for the Virginia Values Act has grown to include dozens of major businesses, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House, and seven Republican lawmakers who voted to move our bills out of committee.

But it’s the grassroots power of thousands of Virginians making calls to their lawmakers and crowding the Capitol that will take the Virginia Values Act over the finish line.

Will you pitch in $5 or more so we can fund this critical outreach?

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

It’s a historic day in Virginia, friend.

For the very first time, the state’s House of Delegates passed LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections—the Virginia Values Act!

Our crew helping out at Equality Virginia's Day of Action, two days before this historic vote.

Year after year, anti-LGBTQ lawmakers blocked similar bills, even though 3 in 4 Virginians want their LGBTQ neighbors protected from discrimination, including more than half of Republicans. That’s why the Virginia Values Act is moving this year with Republican votes and a Republican co-sponsor, plus the endorsement of the Democratic House Speaker.

BUT it isn’t a done deal yet. I’ll save you a deep dive into Virginia politics; all you need to know is that while the House and Senate have each passed a bill, those bills need to pass the opposite chamber. So, we’ll do this all over again—but we must be fast, and we must keep an eye out for stalling tactics from opponents of LGBTQ freedom.

That’s why every week until the Virginia Values Act is law, we’ll activate our Virginia members to call and email their lawmakers, and keep helping the folks on the ground who are doing this work at the Capitol and across the state.

Then Virginia will make history again—as the first state in the South to explicitly protect all LGBTQ people from discrimination.

Help us make history in Virginia: Give $8 or more so that we can support the folks on the ground who are calling their lawmakers, organizing phonebanks and rallies, and taking this bill all the way!

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini,
CEO & National Campaign Director

Good news and bad news, Friend.

First, the good news: After a nationwide outcry, South Dakota lawmakers have withdrawn a bill that would deny critical medical care to transgender youth!

Freedom for All Americans is proud to have done what we could to help defeat this dangerous legislation, including urging our thousands of South Dakota members to call, email and visit their lawmakers. This is what our State Campaigns Team does every day, in states across the country, and right now they’re working overtime.

Now the bad news: Attacks against transgender youth are STILL advancing in more than a dozen states. These bills, which fall mostly into two groups—those that target medical care and others that target student athletes—are the newest attack in the years-long effort to erode public support for nondiscrimination protections using anti-transgender fearmongering.

This time, opponents of LGBTQ freedom have stooped too low, attacking young people, and we will not let them win. Can you chip in $5 to fuel our work until state legislatures gavel out this spring?

Thanks friend. We've beaten this fearmongering before, and with your help, we'll do it again.

Amy Mello,
Vice President of Campaigns
 

--------------- Forwarded Message ---------------

Friend, 

We’re barely a month into state legislative sessions, and already we’re seeing lawmakers racing to discriminate against LGBTQ people—and in particular, LGBTQ youth.

In Tennessee, legislators rammed through a bill that will allow adoption agencies to prevent LGBTQ people from adopting children who desperately need loving homes, a bill the Governor has pledged to sign. An adoption agency could also deny service if it objects to the religion practiced by the parents.

We can’t allow these efforts to go unchecked. Help us stop any more anti-LGBTQ bills from passing this year with a donation of $5 today.

Unfortunately, these discriminatory efforts aren’t limited to just adoption. In states across the country, bills are being introduced that would punish doctors from providing best practice medical care to transgender youth—one of the most extreme attacks on the transgender community in recent memory. Medical professionals, not politicians, should decide what medical care is in the best interest of a patient.

Other bills seek to prevent transgender student-athletes from competing on teams that align with their gender identity. Transgender athletes participate in sports for the same reason as everyone else—to stay healthy, feel part of group, and build community. Attacking these students is bullying, plain and simple.

With your help, we can double our efforts to combat these dangerous pieces of legislation. Make a donation of $5.

A new year should bring new opportunities for people to feel welcomed and supported by their communities—not be attacked because of who they are or who they love and singled out for discrimination.

We’re not giving up the fight, and we’re not backing down. We need you with us if we’re to make headway in blocking and defeating these blatant attempts to discriminate. Let’s work together to protect LGBTQ people across the country.

Best,

Kasey Suffredini,
Freedom for All Americans

Friend,

The election of a President who supports LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections gives us new momentum for getting federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation over the finish line.

In fact, President-elect Biden has pledged to advance nondiscrimination protections in his Administration, including making the Equality Act a priority.

Our job now is to hold him to that pledge, until all LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination, in all aspects of life. That will be Freedom for All Americans’ focus in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Friend: Fuel our work in 2021 and beyond by giving $21 or more now.

New or increased gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar by our generous partner, the Gill Foundation.

We must act while the momentum is with us—momentum that has been building for years:

?? Over the past four decades, 21 states and DC, and more than 300 cities, have enacted comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. Just this year, Virginia became the first state in the South to pass these protections.

?? Since 2015, annual polls have shown that a supermajority of Americans—83 percent as of this year—support protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. That support is bipartisan: 68 percent of Republicans agree.

?? In 2019, the US House passed, for the first time ever, comprehensive, fully inclusive nondiscrimination protections—the Equality Act—and the Senate can finish the job right now.

?? And this June, the US Supreme Court affirmed LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in the workplace, in an opinion joined by justices appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents.

Now, with the support of the incoming President, we can move forward on federal protections for LGBTQ Americans in all areas of life.

We MUST seize this opportunity: Give $21 or more to fuel our campaign to pass comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections nationwide.

Let’s do this, friend.

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend:

We founded FFAA in 2015 at a uniquely difficult political moment for LGBTQ Americans, and transgender Americans in particular.

Political attacks against transgender people like me were rising across the country—part of a concerted effort by opponents of equality to block progress for the entire LGBTQ community. Fighting those attacks is a key moment in our origin story.

During one of our first campaigns, our opponents redubbed Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance a “Bathroom Bill” and spread lies about transgender people to try and sink it. It worked: A little over five years ago, on November 4, 2015, Houston voters repealed that ordinance.

Freedom for All Americans has had many victories since then because that defeat taught us how to win—by cutting through disinformation with real stories about why we need these protections. But we have one big victory left to notch: Nationwide nondiscrimination protections for every LGBTQ American.

For Giving Tuesday, help us make our $20,000 year-end goal so we can recruit 10,000 new supporters to contact their Senators about national nondiscrimination protections. Even just $10 will help us recruit five new activists.

Reminder: Any new gift, or increased gift from last year, will be matched—dollar for dollar up to $75,000—thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Gill Foundation.

We’re in a similar moment now: Legislative attacks on transgender young people, intended to weaken our movement, are peaking right as we’ve seen some of our biggest victories:

This spring, Virginia officially became the 21st state, and first in the South, with comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. FFAA was proud to be a leader in the Virginia Values coalition that achieved this historic victory.

And in June, the Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ Americans are protected from workplace discrimination—a landmark decision, but one that still leaves us unprotected outside of work, when we go into public places like restaurants and shops, or seek other public services.

All of our recent wins—at the Supreme Court and in Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and countless cities and towns—were possible because people got to know transgender Americans. Our real stories, not the fearmongering from opponents of equality.

Transgender people like me have called our lawmakers and talked to our neighbors. We told them about our lives and our dreams. We talked about dignity and respect. We prepared everyday Americans to resist the hateful arguments from opponents of equality.

And our strategy is working: 83 percent of Americans support LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination laws as of this year, including majorities of Democrats and Republicans.

Now, we need to channel this support toward our unfinished work of protecting every LGBTQ American, in all areas of life. No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. And everyone deserves dignity and respect, no matter where they live.

This Giving Tuesday, give $10 and help FFAA recruit 10,000 *new* activists to the movement for LGBTQ freedom.

In gratitude,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend,

Freedom for All Americans was founded with a distinct purpose—to ensure that all LGBTQ Americans can live their lives with dignity and respect, free from prejudice and discrimination. But the truth is this: We will never reach that goal if we do not include within it a commitment to working to overcome the systemic racism and police violence that is killing our Black community members, our Black friends, our Black family members, and our Black loved ones.

Again and again, we have witnessed violence against our Black communities, too often at the hands of those who are supposed to protect us. As an organization dedicated to securing equal treatment for all LGBTQ Americans, we stand in solidarity with our Black LGBTQ community members—and all Black Americans—in mourning George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and the millions of other Black Americans whose lives have been taken throughout our nation''s history of oppression and systemic racism.

June marks the start of LGBTQ Pride, a month whose history is rooted in a time when LGBTQ people and allies—Black, Brown and white, together—stood up at the Stonewall Inn against a police force carrying out the will of a society that was determined to deny our basic humanity. While racism, homophobia, and transphobia are not the same—and the fight our Black community members and friends are facing in this moment is very different—LGBTQ people know what it means to stand up for justice in the face of chronic police brutality and in the context of a larger culture that tells us our lives don''t matter.

And here’s another truth. While the LGBTQ community still has a long journey ahead to enjoy full equality, we would not be where we are without non-LGBTQ allies who stand up with and for us. Just as many non-LGBTQ allies will show their support this month during Pride, all Americans must stand up and unite to support the equal dignity and worth of our Black friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers. FFAA and I make that commitment and the action it requires as integral to our mission of ensuring dignity and respect for all LGBTQ Americans, and I hope you, our supporters, will join us. We are all better off when each of us is treated with dignity and respect. We will not rest until every LGBTQ American is free from discrimination, harassment and violence, no matter who they are, their zip code, or what skin color they have.

Freedom for all means just that—freedom for all.

Now is the time for action. Last week, we joined together with hundreds of our fellow LGBTQ organizations in committing to combat racial injustice and joined our community in hearing from several Black LGBTQ movement leaders in a virtual town hall this past Wednesday on how the LGBTQ community can advance racial justice. Next Tuesday, we’ll attend a virtual town hall with white LGBTQ leaders to discuss how white people specifically can advance commitments to racial justice and anti-racism. As these public opportunities for discussion, learning and action develop we’ll be sure to keep you posted, and we hope you’ll join us. The work could not be more urgent, and we’re glad to have you by our side.

Ever forward,

Kasey Suffredini, 
CEO & National Campaign Director

Hi Friend,

I hope you’re feeling optimistic about last week’s historic Supreme Court decision. I am.

The Court has now said that LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination at work. But did you know LGBTQ people can still be discriminated against in public places? That means we can be denied service at a restaurant, denied a room at a hotel, or turned away from many other places we need to go to live our lives.

The good news is, state governments and Congress can act now to pass laws that fully protect us. Freedom for All Americans is the nationwide campaign to enact these nondiscrimination protections at the state and federal level, so our work about to ramp up. 

That’s why I’m asking if you can help us reach our $5,000 goal for Give OUT Day, the only national day for LGBTQ-specific giving.

We’re encouraging everyone to give at least $25—in recognition of FFAA’s goal of realizing full nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQ Americans by 2025.

Any new gift, or increased gift from last year, will be matched—dollar for dollar up to $75,000—thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Gill Foundation.

The money we raise will help FFAA do the work we have been doing since we were founded in 2015: Calling on Congress and the states without them to pass comprehensive nondiscrimination protections—like the federal Equality Act—to ensure all LGBTQ Americans are allowed to live their lives safely with the dignity and respect that every American deserves.

We''ve already had some amazing legislative victories. In fact, during the last four years, we''ve notched four victories: In 2016, Massachusetts enacted comprehensive protections; in 2018, New Hampshire did; in 2019, New York did; and just this year, Virginia did.

Are you ready to help us crowdfund this work? Click here to give $25 or more toward our $5,000 Give OUT Day goal.

Finally, we know our nation must address discrimination and violence against Black people and all people of color—including those who are LGBTQ—even when discrimination is prohibited by law. LGBTQ equality can’t be realized until our nation’s most vulnerable no longer face discrimination disproportionately.

So for Give OUT Day, we’re also lifting up several Black-led LGBTQ organizations:

• The Trans Women of Color Survival Fund, which provides transgender women of color with financial assistance for food, clothing, and more;
• The Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, the only national organization working to end anti-transgender discrimination that is led by Black, transgender people; 
• The Okra Project, a collective that brings home-cooked, healthy, and culturally-specific meals to Black transgender people nationwide;
• The National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBTQ people;
• The Trans Justice Funding Project, a community-led funding initiative that supports grassroots justice groups run by and for transgender people.

Please consider supporting these organizations in addition to or in lieu of FFAA for Give OUT Day.

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini,
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend,

Like you, we are watching and waiting to see who our next president will be, and whether we will start 2021 with a Congress and president who have pledged to prioritize passing the Equality Act.

That’s because we need to move fast on enacting federal legislation that protects LGBTQ Americans from discrimination. There are 29 states that lack these protections, and there are 7 million LGBTQ Americans who are vulnerable to discrimination. We cannot wait any longer.

Friend: That’s why no matter the result, we will keep pushing ahead to pass nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. Fuel our work in 2021 and beyond by giving $21 or more now.

New or increased gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar by our generous partner, the Gill Foundation.

It’s up to us to get this done, no matter what happens tonight, tomorrow and moving forward.

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

A historic decision just came down from the Supreme Court, friend.

The Court has ruled that companies can’t unfairly fire or otherwise discriminate against LGBTQ people in the workplace.

This is big. It’s a watershed moment for our community, and for our nation’s continued drive toward freedom.

The ruling will directly improve the lives of the 11.5 million gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans, and the 1.5 million transgender Americans, for whom workplace discrimination is a daily threat. And it is urgent relief for LGBTQ people living in the 29 states without comprehensive nondiscrimination protections.

LGBTQ Americans really needed this, for our own safety and economic security. But all Americans can take heart in it—because a majority of all Americans want their LGBTQ neighbors protected from discrimination.

Which is why I know our country will finish the job of protecting every LGBTQ American from discrimination. You heard that right: Even with today’s Supreme Court decision on the books, there are still shocking gaps in our nation’s nondiscrimination laws.

In 29 states, stores, restaurants and hotels can still deny us service. Adoption agencies can still refuse us help. And transgender people like me can still be essentially banished from public life. In fact, under federal law, just about anyone can be turned away from a wide range of public places, institutions and services. These gaps are exacerbated by a culture of systemic racism and an ever-present public health crisis that leaves Black, indigenous, and LGBTQ people of color especially susceptible to harm.

That’s why 29 states must still pass statewide nondiscrimination protections, and Congress must still pass a comprehensive federal nondiscrimination law, like the Equality Act.

We know, as we watch the nation rise up against racism that perpetuates violence against Black Americans, that it takes more than laws to end systemic oppression. Our nation, at every level—across our society and culture—needs to also address the systemic racism that perpetuates discrimination and violence against people of color, including those who are LGBTQ, even when such discrimination is formally prohibited by law. But laws prohibiting discrimination and addressing systemic racism are the least our country can do for its most vulnerable until our culture catches up.

Until then, systemic racism will expose Black, indigenous and LGBTQ people of color to disproportionate discrimination and the pursuit of LGBTQ equality will be far from done.

Friend: Our campaign is working hard to get Congress and the states to take action. Can you give $8 today to fuel our drive to win nationwide nondiscrimination protections by 2024?

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini,
CEO & National Campaign Director

Have you voted yet, friend? Please don’t sit this one out—the stakes for LGBTQ freedom are too high.

Let me lay it out for you:

In 2019, the US House passed—for the first time ever—comprehensive, fully inclusive legislation that would ensure all LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination, no matter what state or zip code we call home.

That bill is the Equality Act. When the new Congress gavels in next January, the Senate will have a chance to finish the job and pass this critical piece of LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation too.

Here’s why we can’t wait any longer:

Right now, LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections exist as a patchwork across this country. Comprehensive, inclusive laws that ensure we can’t be denied work, housing or service in public places—like restaurants and shops—exist in 21 states. More than 300 cities have similar protections. And this summer, the Supreme Court ruled that existing federal nondiscrimination laws protect us from discrimination at work.

But this patchwork is confusing and dangerous, leaving seven million LGBTQ people vulnerable to discrimination in the remaining 29 states. That’s why we need nationwide legislation like the Equality Act.

No matter what happens in the election, Freedom for All Americans will be kicking into high gear next year to urge ALL of our elected officials to make comprehensive, inclusive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections a priority.

Help us be ready: Give $21 or more to fuel our campaign for nationwide nondiscrimination protections in 2021.

And make sure you vote!

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

FFAA has been so proud to play a role in one of the LGBTQ movement’s biggest victories: The Supreme Court’s 6-3 determination that LGBTQ people can’t be discriminated against at work.

And that’s not all, Friend.

FFAA also worked alongside our coalition partners in Virginia this year to win comprehensive protections for all LGBTQ Virginians. We can also count comprehensive LGBTQ protections in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York among our victories. 

Those victories, and larger LGBTQ movement gains—from Stonewall to Obergefell to Bostock—are proof that what we’re doing is working. Raising the visibility of LGBTQ Americans is a core part of our work, and a key way we advance equality for LGBTQ Americans at the federal, state and local levels. 

But LGBTQ people still remain unprotected in a number of critical areas of daily life. This is the work we have to keep doing to win comprehensive nationwide nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQ Americans. 

For Give OUT Day, will you fuel this work and our movement by chipping in $25 toward our goal of winning these protections by 2025? We’ve reached $5,000—and now we’re trying to hit $7,500.

Any new gift, or increased gift from last year, will be matched—dollar for dollar up to $75,000—thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Gill Foundation.

Despite being protected from workplace discrimination, LGBTQ people in 29 states lack comprehensive nondiscrimination protections in areas like housing and public places.

That’s why we’re planning to kick our advocacy into high gear, renewing our calls for Congress and for these 29 states to pass comprehensive nondiscrimination protections—like the Equality Act. We must ensure all LGBTQ Americans are allowed to live their lives safely, with the dignity and respect that every American deserves

Your donation will build upon our movement’s successes as we surge forward, and help us harness the power of LGBTQ visibility.

LGBTQ stories need to be heard, and our faces seen. 

This is our work. Will you answer the call to fight alongside us for equality, with a Give OUT Day donation of $25 or more?

Together we can stamp out anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend—

I hope you saw this message from our CEO, laying out the path ahead for our movement to protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination.

Today, victory has never been closer. Soon, Freedom for All Americans will be kicking into high gear to advance LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections nationwide. We need grassroots supporters like you to help us build momentum during this critical time.

We’re asking, friend: Can you give $5 or more to fuel our campaign in 2021 and beyond?

Reminder: New or increased gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar by our generous partner, the Gill Foundation.

Thanks,

Freedom for All Americans

--- Forwarded Message ---

Friend,

The election of a President who supports LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections gives us new momentum for getting federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation over the finish line.

In fact, President-elect Biden has pledged to advance nondiscrimination protections in his Administration, including making the Equality Act a priority.

Our job now is to hold him to that pledge, until all LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination, in all aspects of life. That will be Freedom for All Americans’ focus in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Friend: Fuel our work in 2021 and beyond by giving $21 or more now.

New or increased gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar by our generous partner, the Gill Foundation.

We must act while the momentum is with us—momentum that has been building for years:

?? Over the past four decades, 21 states and DC, and more than 300 cities, have enacted comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. Just this year, Virginia became the first state in the South to pass these protections.

?? Since 2015, annual polls have shown that a supermajority of Americans—83 percent as of this year—support protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. That support is bipartisan: 68 percent of Republicans agree.

?? In 2019, the US House passed, for the first time ever, comprehensive, fully inclusive nondiscrimination protections—the Equality Act—and the Senate can finish the job right now.

?? And this June, the US Supreme Court affirmed LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in the workplace, in an opinion joined by justices appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents.

Now, with the support of the incoming President, we can move forward on federal protections for LGBTQ Americans in all areas of life.

We MUST seize this opportunity: Give $21 or more to fuel our campaign to pass comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections nationwide.

Let’s do this, friend.

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend—

Every friend of LGBTQ freedom should be voting this year, to give us the best possible chance of advancing federal, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination legislation like the Equality Act in 2021.

Polls consistently show that 83 percent of Americans support these protections. Now, we need to show this momentum with our votes.

If you haven’t voted yet, go now or make a plan to vote soon. (In many states, it''s too late to put your ballot in the mail.)

Then, be an active part of our campaign by signing our pledge supporting nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections like the Equality Act.

Thanks,

Freedom for All Americans


 

--- Forwarded Message ---

Have you voted yet, friend? Please don’t sit this one out—the stakes for LGBTQ freedom are too high.

Let me lay it out for you:

In 2019, the US House passed—for the first time ever—comprehensive, fully inclusive legislation that would ensure all LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination, no matter what state or zip code we call home.

That bill is the Equality Act. When the new Congress gavels in next January, the Senate will have a chance to finish the job and pass this critical piece of LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation too.

Here’s why we can’t wait any longer:

Right now, LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections exist as a patchwork across this country. Comprehensive, inclusive laws that ensure we can’t be denied work, housing or service in public places—like restaurants and shops—exist in 21 states. More than 300 cities have similar protections. And this summer, the Supreme Court ruled that existing federal nondiscrimination laws protect us from discrimination at work.

But this patchwork is confusing and dangerous, leaving seven million LGBTQ people vulnerable to discrimination in the remaining 29 states. That’s why we need nationwide legislation like the Equality Act.

No matter what happens in the election, Freedom for All Americans will be kicking into high gear next year to urge ALL of our elected officials to make comprehensive, inclusive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections a priority.

Help us be ready: Grow our grassroots movement for LGBTQ freedom by signing the pledge supporting the Equality Act.

And make sure you vote!

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend,

Storytelling is a core part of our work, because the more people hear about LGBTQ Americans affected by the threat of discrimination, the more our allies will see the urgency behind passing laws that protect us from discrimination.

It’s also very important to us that we capture the full range of LGBTQ experiences, and that our movement reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community.

That’s why today, for Native American Heritage Day, we would like to share with you stories from two of our Indigenous supporters on why it is critical that we win comprehensive, nationwide nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQ Americans.

Read excerpts from their stories below. Then, please donate $5 to help us prepare for 2021, and continue this critical storytelling in the year ahead.

Remember, any new or increased gift will be doubled by our generous partner, the Gill Foundation. This match ends on December 31, so give now!

Rina Kowalski, Fairbanks, AK

Rina Kowalski is a proud Indigenous LGBTQ2+ activist and mother of two. She is the founder of Indigenous Lives Matter.

“At times it remains difficult to live in Alaska knowing that I’m not legally protected as an LGBTQ2+ individual. I was involved in the movement to pass Fairbanks Ordinance 6093, which would have provided comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ2+ people. Unfortunately, it was vetoed by the mayor after passing by a majority vote.

“People leave Alaska because they don’t feel accepted or protected. I get this, I have two multi-tribal children and I want them to feel comfortable calling Alaska home. I don’t want to leave and I don’t want my children to leave. I want to see change. But the current patchwork of protections is unfair and unworkable. Now that the nation’s highest court has decided that LGBTQ2+ workplace discrimination is illegal, it’s time for Congress and Alaska lawmakers to do their part. We need comprehensive protections in all areas of life, including housing and public spaces.”

Eric Alva, San Antonio, TX

Eric Alva is a retired US Marine who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He lost his right leg during the Iraq War.

“Even as LGBTQ Americans are serving and protecting our country, our elected officials are failing to serve and protect LGBTQ Americans. Every year, LGBTQ veterans—like me—who have risked their lives for the United States come home to states where they’re still vulnerable to discrimination. Nondiscrimination protections would grant significant relief to LGBTQ people who face discrimination each year. In fact, 1 in 3 LGBTQ people have faced discrimination in the past year, and that mistreatment as well as fear of discrimination can limit our ability to thrive.

“Comprehensive nondiscrimination protections would send a message that everyone is respected, welcome, and safe. And as a man with a diversity of identities—including not only being gay, disabled, and a veteran of the Armed Forces but also Latino and Native American—I know personally how important it is that everyone feel welcome, regardless of who they are. The diversity of our nation is what makes America great. That’s the America that I fought for.”

With your gift of $5, we can collect and share many more stories, to build momentum for our movement. Please, give now and get matched!

Thanks friend.

Freedom for All Americans

Dear Mayor,

The December 7 deadline to sign on to our open letter on behalf of municipal leaders urging members of Congress to pass federal nondiscrimination legislation is fast approaching,

This letter will be shared both directly to Members of Congress and publicly through earned and social media in advance of the start of the 2021-22 Congressional Session. We hope to raise the visibility of the current lack of protections, and to highlight the support of local leaders.

We are particularly interested in sign-ons from Mayors in states where we don''t have sign-ups yet: AZ, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, and UT.

Please add your name to our Municipal Leaders’ Open Letter by December 7. It’s time for Congress to fulfill its responsibility and pass a federal law making clear that no one should face discrimination because of who they are, who they love, or what zip code they call home.

Thank you for your support. I’m glad we get to continue to work together to get the job done.

Amy Mello
VP of Campaigns, Freedom for All Americans

Friend,

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility—and this year, like every year, we’re going to recognize and celebrate transgender people.

Transgender people should be proud of who we are every single day. TDOV is a time to put that pride to work, telling our stories and helping our community claim the respect we deserve.

I feel fortunate to live as an out transgender man with supportive family and friends. But I know it’s not like this for many others. Especially now, as communities across our country suffer during this pandemic, I know transgender Americans will likely be among the most vulnerable because of barriers to health care that we’ve always faced: unwelcoming attitudes and a lack of understanding from providers, and a lack of explicit protection from discrimination.

That’s why Freedom for All Americans is working to pass laws nationwide that will protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in the most basic areas of our life: employment, housing, and public places—including places like doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals. We''re also fighting laws that discriminate against us, like Idaho''s HB 500, which the Governor signed yesterday. It''s the first state law in the country to ban transgender students from participating in sports.

Friend: Join our movement and celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility with us. Like and share our #TDOV graphics, and if you feel comfortable, share your story in the comments.

We love seeing and hearing from all of you, especially during this uncertain time.

Thank you,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend,

As we celebrate the end of Transgender Awareness Week, our community can breathe a sigh of relief (albeit a small one) at the election of a president who can act swiftly to protect us, by restoring federal policies that safeguard our access to health care and other public services.

These actions have overwhelming support from the American people. In a recent poll, 83% of Americans said they are in favor of laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

But we need to go further: Now is the time to come together, and to ask our elected leaders to pass the Equality Act. We must do away with the patchwork of state and local nondiscrimination laws across the country.

To close out Transgender Awareness Week, can you take two minutes to tweet @ President-Elect Biden, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, and your Senators to urge them to prioritize the Equality Act in 2021?

When states can''t or won''t protect us, the federal government needs to step in and protect our community. Transgender people have been accused of asking for "special rights" when we''re only asking for the same rights and freedoms everyone else enjoys. We work hard, we pay taxes, we contribute to society and we deserve a place at the table.

Of the allies who support our cause, two are now leading the new administration. Now is the time to make our presence known, our voices heard and our position stronger. In the 20 last years or so that I''ve been speaking, teaching and advocating, I''ve emphasized over and over that if we don''t stick together and speak with one voice, those who oppose us need only sit back and watch as our infighting and arguing defeats us.

I have a hunch that we may not get another opportunity like this for quite a while.

Seize this moment, friend, and tweet @ our lawmakers about supporting the Equality Act!

Blessings from Philadelphia,

Reverend (Dr.) Sarah Carpenter, PhD, DD
 

Friend,

Earlier this year, Idaho became the first state to pass a law—House Bill 500—preventing transgender athletes from participating in school sports. Now, we’re seeing the ripple effect: Dozens of other states introduced similar bills in early 2020, and the US House and Senate have too.

If we don’t show there are consequences for discriminating against transgender youth, this ripple will become a flood of anti-transgender youth sports legislation in 2021.

That’s why Freedom for All Americans is joining Athlete Ally and other movement partners to call on the NCAA to take action. They have scheduled the 2021 Championship in Idaho, even though HB 500 violates the organization’s inclusion policies.

Send a message to all 16 members of the NCAA Board of Governors now, urging them to move this championship out of Idaho in response to HB 500.

The Board is scheduled to vote in late October on whether to move the games, so they need to hear from you ASAP.

If they do, it would not be the first time the NCAA has acted to support LGBTQ equality.

In 2015 and 2016, the NCAA threatened to pull games out of Indiana and Georgia over legislation that would have given businesses and individuals a license to discriminate. It did pull games out of North Carolina over the state’s notorious House Bill 2, which banned transgender people from using the restroom. HB 2 was the most extreme anti-LGBTQ law in the nation at that time.

Now, the NCAA must again demonstrate the economic consequences to states that double down on discrimination.

Tell the Board of Governors: Move the 2021 NCAA Championship out of Idaho over the anti-transgender HB 500.

Transgender students simply want to play the sport they love and be a part of a team, just like any other student. Our laws should protect transgender youth, not encourage discrimination against them.

Thanks for speaking out, friend.

Hannah Willard,
Senior Director of Campaigns

The clock is about to start ticking on the Virginia Values Act, friend.

When the legislative session ends today, the Governor will have 30 days to sign the bill, and opponents of LGBTQ freedom have kicked into high gear.

They’re flooding the Governor’s inbox right now, urging him to add dangerous amendments that would weaken the bill and send it back to the General Assembly—a situation that could sink this history-making legislation altogether, right as we’re on the edge of victory.

For me, the slogan “the personal is political” holds true. As a genderqueer Virginian, this fight is personal. I grew up in Charlottesville and graduated from the University of Virginia. Now, I live in the Roanoke Valley, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with my wife, who was born right here in the Commonwealth.

I’m not prepared to be disappointed, friend. Will you give $5 now so FFAA and our local partners can keep up our calls and emails to the Governor, for as long as it takes him to sign the Virginia Values Act into law?

It’s been incredible to watch my home state move closer to ensuring LGBTQ Virginians like me and my wife are protected from discrimination in our daily lives, and to know I played some part in making that happen.

But if our opponents have their way, it won’t happen. Virginians will continue to be fired, evicted and denied service in public places just for being LGBTQ and nothing in our state laws will defend us. Virginia won’t become the first state in the South—and the 21st state in the nation—to explicitly and comprehensively protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

Virginia, one of the original 13 colonies and home to four of the first five presidents, is known as the “birthplace of the nation.” Those of us who live here, especially we who are LGBTQ, know that that our state has a complex history. This is our chance in the modern day to show that Virginia does value liberty and justice for all.

All Virginians, including LGBTQ Virginians, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Please give $5 or more now, so we can seize this moment and make the right kind of history.

With thanks,

Felix Nguyen-Dalton
Associate Director of Donor Engagement

Friend,

We’re one month away from a critical moment for the future of LGBTQ freedom. No, I’m not talking about the election—though that will also have a huge impact on the future of our movement for nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

I’m talking about the Supreme Court’s scheduled date (November 4) for hearing oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which will determine whether a religious foster care agency can refuse to work with same-sex couples in violation of a City contract into which the agency voluntarily entered and received taxpayer funds to carry out.

A bad decision in this case could give private agencies across the country a broad license to discriminate—not just against LGBTQ people, but also against people of faith—while providing government services with taxpayer money.

Friend: Fulton is the next watershed moment for LGBTQ freedom at the Supreme Court. It will have huge implications for the enforcement of LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws, and the future of important federal legislation like the Equality Act, which Congress must pass to ensure LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in virtually all areas of life.

Stay informed about this case and what it means for our movement for comprehensive, nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections. Join our Supreme Court Action Team.

We’re also following closely Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination, since she could be seated in time to hear this case. As of now, hearings are still scheduled to start the week of October 12, though it''s unclear if that could change given the coronavirus outbreak in the White House and US Senate.

You will also get updates and analysis on the confirmation process when you join our Supreme Court Action Team.

Thanks,

Amy Mello
VP of Campaigns

Friend,

Jumping out of a plane 13,000 feet above the Earth isn’t most people’s idea of a great first date, but that’s where I found myself the day after meeting my former partner, Don Zarda.

Don was brave like that. He made his living as a skydiver, and he was great at it. That’s why I was confused when he called me in 2010 with terrible news: He had been fired from his job as a skydiving instructor for divulging “personal issues”—telling a customer he was gay. This was the final stroke in a pattern of anti-gay harassment: His boss once reprimanded him for wearing a pink cast. His coworkers often teased him as “gay Don.”

But like I said, Don was brave. He filed a lawsuit, and now his case has gone all the way to the Supreme Court.

With his case and two others, the Court could affirm—or deny—that LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination under federal law. The Court is back in session this week, and could make a decision any day.

This is a watershed case for LGBTQ people. By joining Freedom for All Americans’ Supreme Court Action Team, you can be the first to know when the decision comes down, and exactly what it means for us.

The stakes in this case are high, but not complicated: Like all Americans, LGBTQ people want to work hard, and support ourselves and our families, without being treated unfairly. If we’re not protected from discrimination at work—and in every other area of our lives—we can’t do that. A bad ruling in this case could undermine fairness for all of us.

Tragically, Don won’t see the outcome of his own case. He passed away in 2014 while BASE jumping in Switzerland. His sister, Melissa Zarda, and I are carrying it forward. We want to see justice for him and every LGBTQ American who has been fired because of who they are.

Don was a firm believer in fairness for all. I know he’d want us to talk about this case with everyone we can.

Friend: Help share his story, and spread the word about this watershed moment for LGBTQ Americans. Join the Action Team.

Thank you,

Bill Moore, 
Plaintiff, Zarda v. Altitude Express

Friend,

Tonight, we’re closing out our Give OUT Day fundraising campaign and we’re only $250 away from meeting our $7,500 goal. 

Will you chip in $5 before midnight and fuel the fight to protect LGBTQ Americans? Help us cross the finish line as we continue to fight for equality and close the critical gaps in our nondiscrimination laws. 

Let’s keep winning, together.

Brandie Balken, 
Executive Director

----- Forwarded Message -----
 

FFAA has been so proud to play a role in one of the LGBTQ movement’s biggest victories: The Supreme Court’s 6-3 determination that LGBTQ people can’t be discriminated against at work.

And that’s not all, Friend.

FFAA also worked alongside our coalition partners in Virginia this year to win comprehensive protections for all LGBTQ Virginians. We can also count comprehensive LGBTQ protections in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York among our victories. 

Those victories, and larger LGBTQ movement gains—from Stonewall to Obergefell to Bostock—are proof that what we’re doing is working. Raising the visibility of LGBTQ Americans is a core part of our work, and a key way we advance equality for LGBTQ Americans at the federal, state and local levels. 

But LGBTQ people still remain unprotected in a number of critical areas of daily life. This is the work we have to keep doing to win comprehensive nationwide nondiscrimination protections for all LGBTQ Americans. 

For Give OUT Day, will you fuel this work and our movement by chipping in $25 toward our goal of winning these protections by 2025? We’ve reached $5,000—and now we’re trying to hit $7,500.

Any new gift, or increased gift from last year, will be matched—dollar for dollar up to $75,000—thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Gill Foundation.

Despite being protected from workplace discrimination, LGBTQ people in 29 states lack comprehensive nondiscrimination protections in areas like housing and public places.

That’s why we’re planning to kick our advocacy into high gear, renewing our calls for Congress and for these 29 states to pass comprehensive nondiscrimination protections—like the Equality Act. We must ensure all LGBTQ Americans are allowed to live their lives safely, with the dignity and respect that every American deserves

Your donation will build upon our movement’s successes as we surge forward, and help us harness the power of LGBTQ visibility.

LGBTQ stories need to be heard, and our faces seen. 

This is our work. Will you answer the call to fight alongside us for equality, with a Give OUT Day donation of $25 or more?

Together we can stamp out anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend,

President Trump just nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat left vacant by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death. Here’s what this means for our movement to win nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

Judge Barrett could be seated in time to hear the next landmark case for LGBTQ freedom: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which concerns whether a religious foster care agency can refuse to work with same-sex couples in violation of the nondiscrimination provisions of a City contract they voluntarily entered and received taxpayer funds to carry out.

The outcome in Fulton could have broad implications for enforcing existing nondiscrimination laws around the country. It could even undermine this year’s victory in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that anti-LGBTQ workplace discrimination is prohibited sex discrimination.

Judge Barrett''s record on LGBTQ rights is limited but concerning. She has also associated with anti-LGBTQ groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom. That’s why we’re calling on her to be clear that equality and freedom for all Americans—including LGBTQ Americans—cannot be compromised.

Justice Ginsburg dedicated her life to that notion. She affirmed LGBTQ protections under the law in every legal milestone we have achieved, from striking down laws criminalizing our relationships, to winning the freedom to marry, to prohibiting, in Bostock, discrimination against us.

Judge Barrett will carry the weight of serving our country for generations. She must similarly embody a commitment to the words carved above the Supreme Court’s entrance: equal justice under law.

Friend, we’re pushing all public officials—in the courts, Congress and state legislatures—to commit to protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. These commitments are critical for ensuring, ultimately, that LGBTQ Americans are protected from discrimination by comprehensive federal legislation like the Equality Act.

Fuel our movement: Give $20 or more now to help build our campaign for nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

There''s a lot of work ahead, and I''m so glad to have you with us.

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

A case currently being heard by the Supreme Court, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, will impact the lives of nearly half a million children who are in the foster care system.


I’m writing to you today because of an urgent issue, friend, and because I need your help.

Catholic Social Services, a taxpayer-funded foster care agency, is violating Philadelphia law by refusing to certify same-sex couples. CSS says its religious objections make it exempt from the city''s nondiscrimination law.

Soon, the Supreme Court will weigh in on whether these agencies have a constitutional right to discriminate.

That’s why today, more than 1,000 faith and local leaders from across the political spectrum filed briefs with the Supreme Court, supporting same-sex couples and firmly opposing the creation of a right to discriminate.

We’re working hard to raise awareness about this case. A bad decision would put vulnerable children at risk and establish a broad right for taxpayer-funded religious organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ and other Americans.

Stay involved in the fight to protect children and prospective LGBTQ parents: Sign up for our Supreme Court Action Team today.

Once you join the team, we’ll keep you updated on news like today’s, and send you action items and other resources for spreading the word.

Thanks!

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

Friend:

States are starting to open up, and that means state legislatures too.

Which is why we’re asking you for $7.50 ASAP, so we can put the final $750 in our $5,000 Digital Action Fund.

Tennessee’s legislature will reconvene June 1. Here’s where we left things in mid-March:

• Two bills attacking best-practice medical care for transgender youth, HB 2576 and HB 2827, were scheduled for hearings;
• Two bills attacking transgender student athletes, SB 1736 and HB 1572, were scheduled for hearings too;
• And another anti-transgender athlete bill, HB 1689, already passed a House subcommittee and was scheduled for a vote by the full committee—the final step before a full House vote;

ANY of these bills could move, even though we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic.

And that’s just what’s happening in Tennessee. Lawmakers are already back at work and eyeing anti-LGBTQ bills in Missouri, Alabama, Ohio, South Carolina, and Louisiana as well.

A robust Digital Action Fund ensures we can fight anti-LGBTQ bills all summer long—and we’re only $750 away from fully funding it. Your gift of $7.50 can help get us there.

Thanks,
Hannah Willard, Senior Director of Campaigns

You just helped make history, friend.

Moments ago, Governor Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Values Act, making Virginia the 21st state, and the first state in the South, to fully protect LGBTQ people from discrimination! But that victory wasn’t the end of our work.

There are still 29 states without full protections for LGBTQ people, meaning millions of Americans like me can be denied a job, a place to live, or service in places like restaurants and shops just because of where we live.

Freedom for All Americans was founded to fix this, by creating a nationwide campaign to protect LGBTQ people under state and federal nondiscrimination laws. But we can’t do this without you.

A federal law like the Equality Act is the most comprehensive way to keep LGBTQ Americans safe from discrimination no matter where we live—but until we achieve that, we’ll continue to work in states like Virginia that are taking action to protect LGBTQ people.

Will you be a part of this movement, friend? Sign our pledge to win nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans in all 50 states!

This legislative session, we saw exactly why we need nationwide nondiscrimination protections. In more than a dozen states, legislative attacks on LGBTQ people surged. 

Idaho became the first state ever to pass a law banning transgender students from participating in sports. Tennessee considered more than 10 anti-LGBTQ bills. South Dakota defeated a bill that would have denied best-practice medical care to transgender youth. And even as we grapple with this pandemic, and many state legislatures are in a temporary recess, these bills are ready to be brought back up as soon as they''re back in session.

LGBTQ Americans confront these attacks on our dignity and freedom every day. But in states with nondiscrimination protections, we at least know the law is on our side.

We need to protect the freedom and dignity of all LGBTQ Americans, friend—we need nationwide nondiscrimination protections.

Help us get there: Sign the pledge and join the movement.

Thanks,

Kasey Suffredini,
CEO & National Campaign Director

Disturbing news, Friend:

Yesterday afternoon, on the anniversary of one of the deadliest massacres of LGBTQ Americans at the Pulse nightclub, the Department of Health and Human Services published a final ruling that rolls back federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in health care. And they’ve done this during a pandemic, when access to health care is more important than ever.

Our response: enough is enough.

Now, millions of LGBTQ people—who have always faced barriers to health care—will be left more vulnerable. What’s more, preventing LGBTQ Americans from accessing care during a pandemic will put entire communities—LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ alike—at risk.

We urgently need your help.

Without federal or statewide nondiscrimination protections, LGBTQ patients in 29 states can be refused care at a doctor’s office, and at other public places like restaurants and shops, as well as fired from their jobs or refused housing.

Will you join us in the fight for LGBTQ Americans to be able to access fair treatment? Sign the pledge and join our campaign to win nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

LGBTQ Americans are among the most vulnerable during this pandemic, and like ALL Americans we must be protected from discrimination in healthcare and all aspects of life.

Thank you,

Kasey Suffredini
CEO & National Campaign Director

I have good news and bad news, friend.

First, the bad news: Tennessee’s legislature just reconvened early—on Tuesday—and the House is moving two bills that attack transgender athletes, HB 1572 and HB 1689. The education committee just passed HB 1689 yesterday, meaning a vote by the full House is imminent.

It’s appalling that during a time of public health crisis—when schools are closed and lawmakers should be focused on keeping our children safe—they’re instead spending their time pushing through bills to exclude and discriminate against transgender students.

Now, the good news: We CAN fight back. We’re only $100 short of putting $5,000 in our Digital Action Fund, which we''ll use to fight bad bills like these. 

Ten people giving just $10 can get us there—will you be one?

Thanks for putting us in a good spot to fight these bills, friend.

— Amy Mello, Vice President of Campaigns


 

-- Forwarded Message --

Friend,

States are starting to open up, and that means state legislatures too.

Which is why we’re asking you for $7.50 ASAP, so we can put the final $750 in our $5,000 Digital Action Fund.

Tennessee’s legislature will reconvene June 1. Here’s where we left things in mid-March:

• Two bills attacking best-practice medical care for transgender youth, HB 2576 and HB 2827, were scheduled for hearings;
• Two bills attacking transgender student athletes, SB 1736 and HB 1572, were scheduled for hearings too;
• And another anti-transgender athlete bill, HB 1689, already passed a House subcommittee and was scheduled for a vote by the full committee—the final step before a full House vote;

ANY of these bills could move, even though we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic.

And that’s just what’s happening in Tennessee. Lawmakers are already back at work and eyeing anti-LGBTQ bills in Missouri, Alabama, Ohio, South Carolina, and Louisiana as well.

A robust Digital Action Fund ensures we can fight anti-LGBTQ bills all summer long—and we’re only $750 away from fully funding it. Your gift of $7.50 can help get us there.

Thanks,
Hannah Willard, Senior Director of Campaigns

Friend: While racism, homophobia, and transphobia are not the same—and the fight our Black community members and friends are facing in this moment is very different—LGBTQ people know what it means to stand up for justice in the face of chronic police brutality and in the context of a larger culture that tells us our lives don''t matter. That''s why we are more committed than ever to continuing our advocacy for nationwide nondiscrimination protections, and hope you''ll participate in our #ProudToBe campaign for Pride Month, as we show the faces and lift up the voices of Black LGBTQ people and allies. Thanks —the FFAA Team

Friend,

We live in a world that too often disregards and dismisses the dignity of people like me—a Black, gay man living with HIV. Because of that, we face widespread discrimination.

For me, this started at home.

I grew up in a conservative Black household, unsupported because of my sexuality. I remember the news frequently reported on AIDS within the LGBTQ community; it felt like an everyday occurrence. I was young and scared of becoming HIV-positive. I remember asking my parents how I as a gay Black man could avoid contracting HIV. Their answer: Don’t have sex with men.

Living in a home that dismissed my dignity left me unprepared to navigate the challenges I would face as a gay, Black man.

And while attempting to enlist in the Navy in 2006, I learned I was HIV-positive. I was crushed. My partner of eight years, poorly educated on how the disease spreads, had never informed me that he was HIV-positive.

This changed everything—except the discrimination I faced. That continues.

Recently, I nearly lost my housing. I walked into the housing office to complete paperwork, and after taking one look at me, the property managers changed their minds. My friends and community helped me fight back, and we won. And the Supreme Court''s recent decision should make it easier for us to fight back and win when we face housing discrimination. 

Still, the vast majority of LGBTQ Americans report facing discrimination in their daily lives. For people living with HIV, the likelihood of experiencing discrimination only increases. There''s so much more we need to do, in law and culture, to protect people like me from discrimination. 

This is why I am sharing my story today: I’m #ProudToBe who I am, and proud to speak out against discrimination. Will you join me?

Whether you’re Black, HIV-positive or working in the HIV advocacy community, or simply support protecting all people from discrimination, sharing your story can help FFAA raise awareness about the discrimination faced by LGBTQ people—especially those of us who are Black or living with HIV.

We must do better. We can do better.

My home state of Arizona is one of 29 states lacking comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. Even with the recent Supreme Court decision, that''s a problem. The decision doesn''t prohibit us from being kicked out of public places like shops and restaurants, or denied access to federally-funded services. Comprehensive state and federal nondiscrimination laws can fix that. 

You can help fight for this reality, by raising your voice. Freedom for All Americans is collecting stories today to show that people from all walks of life believe in protecting Black, LGBTQ and HIV-positive people from discrimination.

If you’re with us, will you share your story today? Whether you are an ally or have experienced discrimination, FFAA wants to hear from you.

Let’s collectively say no one should be discriminated against because of who they are, who they love, or their health status.

Thank you!

Hudson Kelly
Arizona  

Friend,

You might have missed it, but earlier this month we sent an important email inviting you to add your name to a petition with a simple request: lawmakers, finish the job! 

In a huge victory, the Supreme Court recently affirmed employment nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ workers. These protections were long overdue, but our work is not over.

We must close critical gaps in the law that still exist for LGBTQ Americans in housing and public places. LGBTQ Americans can still get kicked out of places like restaurants, shops, and hotels—all the places people need to go to simply live their lives.

Congress and state legislatures must act now—and they need to hear from you. 

Add your name to our growing petition. Join us as we call upon lawmakers to step up and finish the job.

Let’s tell state and federal lawmakers to support comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections NOW!

Thank you,

Amy Mello, 
VP of Campaigns

Friend, 

The new year is right around the corner, and I think we’re all eager to commit 2020 to the past. 

But we did make some impressive gains this year in our work to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. Virginia became the first state in the South to pass comprehensive statewide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, and the Supreme Court ruled that discriminating against LGBTQ people in the workplace is unconstitutional.

Now, we’re heading into the new year with an administration that supports passing the Equality Act. 

We at Freedom for All Americans thought it might be uplifting and fun to acknowledge how much we’ve accomplished, along with the work that still needs to be done to pass a comprehensive federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill. We flexed our creative muscles and put together a video in the spirit of the season featuring many FFAA staff, which we’d like to share with you! 

Check out the video on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. It''s short, it has fun holiday music, and it rhymes—who could ask for anything more? 

As we close the book on this year, we’re more resolved than ever to get federal nondiscrimination protections across the finish line. Thank you so much for your support this year, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to protect all LGBTQ people from discrimination.  

Happy New Year. Be well and stay safe. 

Shane M. Stahl 
Digital Communications Manager 

Dear friend,

I’m Roberta, and I’m proud to say that I’m an advocate, supporter, and donor to Freedom for All Americans.

I imagine that you, like me, are tired of being indoors, of not seeing friends and family, of the uncertainty of waiting for life to return to “normal.” The pandemic, long-overdue demands for racial justice, and the election all happened in such a short mind-boggling time frame.

But we have kept moving forward, together.

It is hard to prioritize where to give your time and treasure. I want to give to so many nonprofits, but I choose ones that touch my heart and bring clarity to my mind on how to move justice forward, and organizations that I know will make an impact in the near future. That is why FFAA’s work is so important to me, particularly now, when we have elected a pro-equality majority in the House and a pro-equality President.

FFAA holds the reins of both the long and short game, but they can’t do that without our help. They are gearing up for a big push for federal protections in 2021, because we are now in the best position to pass a federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill since one was first introduced in Congress in 1974.

To help fuel this push over the finish line, I am personally matching gifts up to $20,000 to Freedom for All Americans Education Fund until tomorrow at midnight.

Please consider a gift of $20, $30, or $50, and together, we will double the impact of your gift. New and increased gifts will be triple matched from the Gill Foundation!

We need these protections so that all members of our community, including LGBTQ people of color, live free from discrimination. We have to make sure that everyone is protected from discrimination everywhere in America so we can live as our authentic selves. Let’s get this done.

Yours truly,

Roberta Conroy

P.S. Please help me give all these dollars to FFAA by making a gift today and having it matched dollar-for-dollar.

Friend—

I wanted to make sure you saw this message from one of our fantastic donors, and my dear friend, Roberta Conroy. Already, we’ve raised nearly $15,000 toward her $20,000 match!

It means so much to me that she—and you—care so deeply about FFAA’s mission that you would give your time and treasure to us, even as your inboxes are filling up with asks from dozens of other worthy organizations.

But I know that’s because we have a powerful goal: Protect every LGBTQ American from discrimination.

Even $8 helps us achieve that goal—and if you give by midnight tonight, your impact will double. New and increased gifts will even be triple matched by the Gill Foundation! Please give now, friend.

Thank you! And thank you, Roberta!

Jon Davidson
Chief Counsel

--- Forwarded Message ---

Dear friend,

I’m Roberta, and I’m proud to say that I’m an advocate, supporter, and donor to Freedom for All Americans.

I imagine that you, like me, are tired of being indoors, of not seeing friends and family, of the uncertainty of waiting for life to return to “normal.” The pandemic, long-overdue demands for racial justice, and the election all happened in such a short mind-boggling time frame.

But we have kept moving forward, together.

It is hard to prioritize where to give your time and treasure. I want to give to so many nonprofits, but I choose ones that touch my heart and bring clarity to my mind on how to move justice forward, and organizations that I know will make an impact in the near future. That is why FFAA’s work is so important to me, particularly now, when we have elected a pro-equality majority in the House and a pro-equality President.

FFAA holds the reins of both the long and short game, but they can’t do that without our help. They are gearing up for a big push for federal protections in 2021, because we are now in the best position to pass a federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill since one was first introduced in Congress in 1974.

To help fuel this push over the finish line, I am personally matching gifts up to $20,000 to Freedom for All Americans Education Fund until tomorrow at midnight.

Please consider a gift of $20, $30, or $50, and together, we will double the impact of your gift. New and increased gifts will even be triple matched from the Gill Foundation!

We need these protections so that all members of our community, including LGBTQ people of color, live free from discrimination. We have to make sure that everyone is protected from discrimination everywhere in America so we can live as our authentic selves. Let’s get this done.

Yours truly,

Roberta Conroy