The Gill Foundation

Yesterday, a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking an executive order that attempts to ban #transgender Americans from serving in the military. On January 28, the day after the discriminatory ban was announced, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and NCLR – National Center for Lesbian Rights filed their lawsuit challenging the ban, representing 20 active service members and transgender Americans seeking to enlist. We are grateful to the courageous plaintiffs, the expert litigators, and all the transgender service members who have committed their lives to protecting our country.

RESILIENCE! These past few weeks, it feels like every day starts and ends with a sense of unease. But against this onslaught of harmful policies targeting the #LGBTQ community, I try to remind myself that we’ve always found strength when times are toughest. I've also tried to take stock of the smart, swift, hard work our advocates are undertaking to defend LGBTQ Americans. For just a few examples... ✅  SAGE and others successfully blocked the federal funding freeze with a temporary restraining order: https://lnkd.in/gHNRfK37 ✅  GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and NCLR – National Center for Lesbian Rights challenged an executive order denying incarcerated #transgender people appropriate housing and healthcare, blocking the transfer of a trans woman to a men’s facility: https://lnkd.in/g5y5ZJ_j ✅ GLAD and NCLR also filed a challenge to the transgender military ban, seeking an immediate block: https://lnkd.in/giU9cfuY ✅ State advocacy organizations, our movement’s first responders, are working tirelessly to connect their communities to resources, keep them informed about what federal actions mean at the local level, and mitigate the impact of harmful policies. ✅ And despite headwinds at the national level, these state groups continue to advance state-level protections. Public education from Equality Illinois Institute and Equality Michigan laid the groundwork for their states to establish safer, simpler processes for transgender people to obtain accurate ID documents. Meanwhile, public education from One Colorado has brought our home state one step closer to protecting #marriage equality in state law.

We’re #hiring a Director of LGBTQ Programs to join our mission to secure full equality for #LGBTQ Americans. You'll oversee a team of 3-4 program officers, executing grantmaking strategies that build the public imperative for LGBTQ #equality while ensuring that portfolios and projects layer up to greater #impact. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eH6-JPKj

After 10 years at The Gill Foundation, I will be stepping away from my role as CEO this spring. As a former grantee, collaborator, and now leader of the Gill Foundation, I have long admired Tim Gill's vision and commitment to improving the lives of LGBTQ Americans. For Tim and Ambassador Scott Miller to entrust me with leading this foundation has been the honor of a lifetime. I am departing a more resolute advocate and a firm believer in the foundation’s guiding principles, which have guided the work of our team and grantees over the past 10 years to achieve some remarkable feats together. To name just a few: ✅ Leading the public education and advocacy campaign that laid the groundwork for the Respect for Marriage Act, safeguarding marriage for 700,000 LGBTQ families nationwide ✅ Engaging new allies to support LGBTQ equality, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Bethany Christian Services, The Salvation Army, veterans’ groups, and conservative leaders ✅ Securing new federal administrative protections, including healthcare protections for transgender Americans and LGBTQ youth in schools ✅ Advancing protections at the state and local level where the work is hard but the change is needed most, from Kansas and Kentucky to Georgia and Ohio The fight ahead is full of challenges. But I have every confidence in Tim and Scott’s continued leadership; in the tireless work of our movement’s litigators, organizers, and agitators; and in the courage of our community and allies to carry us forward to a better future.  And I'll always be grateful to the Gill-world family - past and present! While I plan to take at least a few days off later this spring – I’m excited to jump back into the fight as I consider new, similarly inspiring work that feeds my passion to make our world a bit more just, free, and fair.  As I shared with Tim and Scott, I’m on Team Gill forever!

On Saturday, President Biden awarded our founder Tim Gill the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his decades of leadership advancing LGBTQ equality across the U.S. Last week, the President also recognized Gill Foundation board member Mary Bonauto and Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson with the Presidential Citizens Medal honoring their roles in securing marriage equality nationwide. We are grateful to Tim, Mary, and Evan for the incredible impact they’ve made on LGBTQ Americans – and to President Biden for celebrating LGBTQ trailblazers and leading the most pro-equality administration in history. https://lnkd.in/dGRjzDdp

This holiday season, the Gill Foundation is decking the shelves with #BannedBooks. Join us in defending the #FreedomToRead against the grinches and humbugs trying to censor our libraries. Browse our collection of books that have faced challenges for their LGBTQ content. Along the way, revisit meaningful moments for the LGBTQ community in 2024!

As we kick off the holiday season, check out Open to All's 2024 gift guide to ensure your holiday shopping supports businesses that support #equality: https://lnkd.in/eYk87MdG From small businesses to national brands, these companies have all pledged to maintain environments that are safe, welcoming, and #OpenToAll.

After the election, #Transgender Day of Remembrance has additional meaning for me this year. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about the LGBTQ elders who came before us – how many times they woke up feeling defeated, how much heartbreak they experienced, how often they felt like giving up. This election seems to have emboldened the politicians who focused their attacks and harmful policy agendas on transgender Americans, especially #TransYouth. It’s a hard moment to reflect on the transgender people who came before us, especially those who were taken from us far too soon. They would’ve hoped for better from our elected leaders. We all deserve better. A friend texted me some words of encouragement the morning after the election, including a note about our LGBTQ elders: “They fought for the life I get to live today. What an insult it would be, to them, to succumb to despair.” It’s up to us to continue the fight they started. One of the best ways we can honor their legacy is by continuing to stand up for LGBTQ Americans, especially the transgender young people most under attack. #TransgenderDayOfRemembrance

The results of this month's elections – coupled with the anti-LGBTQ policies proposed by candidates and those shaping their agendas – represent a major setback on our path to full equality for LGBTQ Americans. But in the long arc of history, our setbacks have never stopped the forward march of #progress. Even on Nov. 5, glimmers of progress shined through. Americans elected to U.S. Congress the first #transgender person, first LGBTQ Latina, and first LGBTQ person from the South – leading to record representation in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, voters in California, Colorado, and Hawaii amended their state constitutions to be inclusive of #LGBTQ marriages and families. While much is uncertain about what lies ahead, there's no doubt about the resilience of the LGBTQ community. The road might be winding, but we will never relent on the path to full #equality.

As #LGBTQHistoryMonth comes to a close, we're proud to share the foundation's reflections on our movement's latest chapter – our 2023 annual report. In 2023, #LGBTQ Americans experienced some of the most severe attacks we've faced in a generation. But when we shine a #spotlight on the advocates who met those challenges with renewed energy and resolve, we see pockets of #progress across the country – and signs of brighter days ahead.