FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL

CIV · Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

Lobbied in Support of the Equality Act to increase civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ individuals. Also lobbied in favor of the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act and other nondiscrimination protections in the child welfare system for LGBTQ+ youth in care, prospective foster and adoptive parents, and families of origin. Pushing back on efforts to remove Protections for Transgender individuals in Federal law. And where appropriate in other bills, we lobby for nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and families in government services and programs, schools, the child welfare system, and reproductive healthcare.

FAM · Family issues/Abortion/Adoption

In general and on an ongoing basis, we support protections for women's bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and choice and reproductive freedom (including WHPA);Lobbied in favor of efforts in the Senate to pass the Access to Family Building Act, which establishes a statutory right for an individual to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) services, such as IVF, and for a healthcare provider to provide ART services.

REL · Religion

John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act and other nondiscrimination protections in the child welfare system for youth in care, families of origin, and prospective parents (particularly those who identify as LGBTQ+). This discrimination is often disguised as "religious liberty." In addition, lobbied against ongoing efforts in the House to insert anti-LGBTQ amendments and language that sometimes are couched as "religious freedom" into appropriations bills.

BUD · Budget/Appropriations

Lobbied against ongoing efforts in the House to insert anti-LGBTQ amendments and language into appropriations bills and on reductions in budget to the Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Education.

EDU · Education

Met congressional staff to urge for continued support for inclusive policies in schools and general nondiscrimination against LGBTQ+ students and students with LGBTQ+ parents in K-12 schools. Lobbied against ongoing efforts in the House to insert anti-LGBTQ amendments into appropriations bill as well as bills that call for archaic definition of gender and restrict the ability of Trangender students to participate in school sports and activities.

INS · Insurance

lobbied Senators and Members of the House of Representatives for expanding access to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) services, such as IVF, and for a healthcare provider to provide ART services. URged White house to use an expansive definition of infertility and include ART in Medicaid/ medicare as part of implementation of Executive order on IVT. Also lobbied to urge the FDA to lift the ban on MSM sperm donation. met with staff in the Senate and the House of Representatives to express opposition of Fertility fraud Bill that would impose possible criminal penalties for misrepresenting the nature or source of DNA used in fertility treatments like IVF or IUI.