Equality North Carolina

Equality North Carolina is the nation's oldest statewide organization dedicated to securing rights and protections for the LGBTQ community, based in Durham, NC. The organization delivers comprehensive advocacy, training, education, leadership development, and community mobilization services designed to create systemic change across North Carolina. Through strategic advocacy initiatives, Equality North Carolina champions policies that protect LGBTQ rights and actively combat discriminatory practices at the state level. Their training and education programs equip individuals, institutions, businesses, and government entities with the knowledge and tools necessary to build diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments. The organization's long-term objective is to achieve comprehensive statewide nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression across housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, insurance, and education—without exemptions that single out LGBTQ people. Equality North Carolina's leadership development initiatives nurture emerging leaders within the LGBTQ community to drive meaningful social change, while their community mobilization efforts engage and activate partners to advocate for equality and justice. Operating from Durham, the organization brings nearly five decades of experience in fighting for LGBTQ rights, having evolved from its roots in the late 1970s when seven dedicated individuals formed the North Carolina Human Rights Fund. Today, Equality North Carolina combines lobbying, political action, and grassroots organizing to advance comprehensive protections and build LGBTQ power throughout the state.