Advancing LGBT Rights

Overview

The goal of this work is to secure equal rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The Challenge

While the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has made great strides in advancing their rights, full equality remains elusive. Throughout the United States, LGBT communities—in particular low-income, elderly and young people—regularly face discrimination and a disregard for basic human rights.

In the United States, 29 states do not protect lesbian, gay or bisexual workers from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Transgender employees face even wider barriers to employment opportunities. In addition, LGBT families are significantly more likely to be living in poverty than their heterosexual counterparts. And LGBT people are more prone to harassment and to violence that often ends in death; anti-LGBT violence is consistently the third most frequent bias crime after racial and religious.

Without access to adequate housing, health care and employment; safeguards against violence; old age provisions; and other protections, many LGBT people remain uniquely vulnerable and disenfranchised.

What We're Doing

We support organizations at the state and national level that are working to:

• Promote policies that advance economic fairness and safety including access to economic benefits; relationship recognition; employment non-discrimination and safety from violence, harassment and mistreatment
• Expand the base of support for LGBT rights by forging alliances across movements that increase engagement with other allied movements
• Build effective leadership and strong organizations that are coordinated, connected and collaborating across regions and constituencies
• Increase public support for LGBT rights by promoting awareness through communications, media and technology

We believe that funding such efforts will result in greater inclusion, acceptance and respect for LGBT people—and indeed for all people.

Learn more about how our strategies and approaches shape our grant making.

From the Newsroom

• News from Ford: A Courageous Film “God Loves Uganda” shows how homophobia is being exported from the U.S. to African nations
• News from Ford: The Best of the Web Our short documentary, Out for Change, wins a People’s Voice Webby Award
• Speeches: Luis Ubiñas Welcomes Attendees to Full Spectrum Opening the symposium of gaming and the LGBT community, he reflects on the accomplishments of the LGBT rights movement and the work that remains
• Events: Full Spectrum: Gaming and the LGBT Community Event features discussions of homophobia and opportunities for inclusion

Regions

Team

• Surina Khan
  Director
• Luna Yasui
  Program Officer

What We're Following

• Improving the Lives of Transgender Older Adults Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) looks at challenges facing transgender older adults and offers more than 60 recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.