LGBTQ

Pride 2020: A Return to Our Roots

June 22, 2020
LGBTQ

Though in recent years Pride has come to be known as a joyous celebration of the many shades of our beautiful LGBTQ community, Pride 2020 emphasizes the systemic struggles from which our celebrations originated. A Better Balance is committed to listening to and working with leaders and partners in the LGBTQ community and Black leaders nationwide to continue toward a better world for all. Our fights are not separate, and we stand together.

A Major Step Forward for LGBTQ Equality in the Workplace

June 16, 2020
LGBTQ, National Laws

Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision on employment nondiscrimination that will provide critical protections for LGBTQ workers across the United States. The Court issued a 6-3 ruling in favor of the LGBTQ plaintiffs in Bostock, Zarda, and Harris Funeral Homes, three consolidated cases that challenged workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. In no uncertain terms, the Court’s decision signifies a major victory for equal rights, as the court held that “[a]n employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”

We Must Update Our Workplace Leave Laws to Cover All Kinds of Families

February 26, 2020
LGBTQ, Paid Family Leave

Who makes a family? If you ask people throughout the U.S., the question would undoubtedly yield a wide variety of responses. Today’s families do not fit one mold – they are multi-generational, blended, LGBTQ, and span beyond legally or biologically related loved ones. Yet some policies, such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), have fallen short for workers and their families.

The Next Big LGBTQ Issues Before SCOTUS: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Gender Expression in the Workplace

October 7, 2019
LGBTQ

On October 8th, just three days prior to National Coming Out Day, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding three cases concerning workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. The Court’s decision will have significant ramifications for the LGBTQ community nationwide.

Celebrating Progress for LGBTQ Rights At Equality Federation’s 2019 Conference

July 26, 2019
LGBTQ

Advocates in Georgia passed four local nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBTQ individuals, Massachusetts became the first state to pass a transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination law by referendum, and six more states have passed laws prohibiting the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. We were also excited to celebrate our role in passage of several new LGBTQ-inclusive paid leave laws and victories upholding local LGBTQ rights laws.

Chosen Family 2018 Year in Review: We Won’t Rest Until All Families are Protected

December 19, 2018
LGBTQ

Although families are incredibly diverse, our laws and policies often define family relationships narrowly. In 2018 A Better Balance worked with partners across the country to ensure that all family members, regardless of biological or legal ties, would be covered by these important workplace protections.

Proud and Powerful: LGBTQ Union Members and their Allies Gather in Phoenix

August 27, 2018
LGBTQ

Overall, the conference was an especially important moment to act in solidarity with our partners in the labor movement following the Supreme Court’s anti-worker rights decision in Janus v. AFSCME earlier this summer.

Celebrating Victories, Energizing for the Road Ahead: Equality Federation Leadership Conference 2018

July 31, 2018
Defending Local Democracy, LGBTQ, State Laws, Uncategorized

One of the many high points at the conference was hearing about the incredible cross-movement work happening at the local level, even in the face of state interference.

Beware: Congress’s “WorkFlex” Bill is an Attack on Workers, Families, and Local Democracy

July 23, 2018
Defending Local Democracy, Fair & Flexible Work, LGBTQ, National Laws, Paid Family Leave, Paid Sick Time

Congress's “Workflex in the 21st Century” bill will undermine robust state and local paid sick leave and fair scheduling laws as well as efforts nationwide to ensure that workers can take time off to care for their loved ones.

FMLA 25: States are Expanding the meaning of Family

June 12, 2018
LGBTQ, Paid Family Leave

The way our laws define family sends a signal about who our country sees and values. But these choices are more than symbols—they have powerful practical consequences for real people’s ability to care for those they love.