About Equality Texas
Equality Texas is the leading statewide nonprofit fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights in Texas.
Our Vision
We envision a Texas where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans as well as their families have full equality in the hearts and minds of our fellow Texans and in all areas of the law.
Our Mission
Equality Texas works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through education, community organizing, and collaboration.
Equality Texas Action works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration.
Our Commitment to Anti-Racism
We exist to advance the rights of historically marginalized communities. We want to build the foundation that allows for intersectional pride, but that cannot occur unless we all show up and bring attention to the state of emergency Black Americans are in. We are committed to operating according to anti-racist principles.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Justice
An attack on one Texan is an attack on all Texans.
Equality Texas exists to ensure that LGBTQIA+ Texans have the same opportunities and rights to lead prosperous and joyful lives without fear. Our path to equality for all LGBTQIA+ Texans requires a focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice within our state, our organization, and our community.
We will continue our advocacy to achieve the rights LGBTQIA+ Texans deserve. As we do this, we commit to being an organization where our board, staff and volunteers reflect and celebrate the depth and breadth of Texan experiences. We further commit to building an inclusive and equitable work environment that fosters the trust and safety necessary for everyone to share their perspectives, experiences, and identities. We further commit to engaging our partners in respectful and intentional ways that promote EDIJ.
We know we are not alone, and we welcome, make space for, and are better because of the multifaceted identities of every LGBTQIA+ Texan and ally.
Our Two Branches
Equality Texas Action and Equality Texas work in unison the realize the same mission. They house different components of our work, and you can support our work by giving to either one (or both!).
Equality Texas Action 501(c)(4)
Equality Texas Action is the largest nonpartisan statewide political advocacy organization working to eliminate discrimination targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. This work occurs primarily within, but is not limited to, odd-numbered years when the Texas Legislature is in session. During the session, Equality Texas works to advance the rights of LGBTQIA+ Texans alongside pro-equality legislators and protect LGBTQIA+ Texans from legislative attacks. Because this branch directly lobbies state leadership, contributions to Equality Texas Action are not considered tax-deductible.
Equality Texas 501(c)(3)
Equality Texas programs are designed to meet individuals where they’re at in their advocacy journey, providing vital education and facilitating skill-building necessary in this work. We’ll give you the tools to confidently exercise your individual and collective power to advance LGBTQIA+ rights and fight anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Texas. Equality Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donation can be considered tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
History of Equality Texas
Fighting for Equality in the Lone Star State
After recognizing the need to have representation in the 66th Texas Legislature (1979), a group of lesbians and gay men formed Human Rights Advocates. The organization worked with lobbyists to defeat an appropriations rider that mandated state-funded colleges and universities discourage the formation of lesbian/gay student groups.
In 1980, members of the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas (LGDT) and the Texas Gay Taskforce (TGTF) hired a lobbyist to monitor the 67th session and lobby on behalf of lesbian and gay interests.
In January of 1982, The Texas Gay Taskforce (TGTF) and the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas (LGDT) consolidated efforts to lobby at the Capitol into one group, the Lesbian/Gay Rights Advocates (LGRA).
In 1986, the Lesbian/Gay Rights Advocates of Texas evolved into the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby (LGRL). This is when the advocacy efforts of the group became more permanent, persisting even during years where the legislature was not active. The group also hired it’s first full time Executive Director, Glen Maxey.
In 1990, LGRL established the Allan G. Calkin Human Rights Education and Research Fund to operate as the development engine for LGRL. Its goal was to educate the public about how policies regarding sexual orientation affect the lives of lesbian and gay Texans.
This name change reflected the enormous growth in the organization and represented the strength and diversity of the coalition that was galvanized during the campaign to defeat Texas’ so-called “defense of marriage” amendment to the state constitution.
Since that time Equality Texas has grown to establish itself as the leading LGBTQIA+ advocacy group in Texas. Even as anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation has escalated in the Lone Star State, our work and partnerships have helped hold back well over 90% of the bad bills. But we’re not just working to prevent harm, we’re moving toward a future where all members of our community feel safe and cherished no matter where they live in the state.
Major Victories
- Led the fight for stronger hate crime laws; helped pass the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, brought national attention to anti-gay hate crimes in Texas.
- Defeated measures that would prevent gays and lesbians from serving as foster and adoptive parents.
- Defeated the anti-gay marriage bills that would have prevented the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages and civil unions in 1997, 1999, and 2001.
- Increased AIDS and HIV funding; facilitated the passage of the Omnibus AIDS bill.
- Achieved the adoption of nondiscrimination policies protecting lesbian and gay employees in five major state agencies.
- Successfully lobbied for the passage of anti-redlining bills prohibiting discrimination on the basis of martial status which protects lesbians and gays.
- Stopped legislation that would have prohibited state government from providing benefits to domestic partners.
- Defeated over 96% of the anti-LGBTQIA+ bills filed in 2021 & 2023
- In 2023, we worked tirelessly to fight the onslaught of 140 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills during the regular session and successfully eliminated 132 of them. We also saw a historic number of pro-LGBTQIA+ bills filed and worked to support their passage.
Notable Projects and Campaigns
Queer Texas Crisis Fund
The QTCF is a joint project by Texas Pride Impact Funds and Equality Texas. The fund was initially created in 2020 to raise and distribute money to LGBTQIA+ focused nonprofits that were providing emergency relief to communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
The partnership responded again in 2022 to the attacks on trans youth and their families and the broader trans communities of Texas by distributing Rapid Response funding to trans-led and supportive organizations.
Currently the funds are used to support the Campaign for Southern Equality’s Trans Youth Emergency Project, which provides funds to families that must travel out of state to receive health care.
Mpox Center
The Mpox Center was a resource hub for information about the mpox virus. It outlined mpox symptoms, transmission, mitigation strategies, vaccine information, and community guidance. The center resource was active in 2022 when mpox was circulating among the queer community. We partnered with healthcare providers around the state to host pop-up vaccination clinics at Pride events, community centers, and LGBTQIA+ care spaces.
TransVisible Project
The TransVisible Project was a broad public education campaign to reduce prejudice against transgender Texans by telling the stories of trans people in their own words. Project participants introduce themselves through portrait photography, and videos, which are available for broadcast and online news sources.