Equality North Carolina Foundation

At Equality North Carolina Foundation, we envision a thriving, liberated North Carolina powered by a resilient LGBTQ+ community committed to racial and social justice. Our mission remains rooted in building LGBTQ+ power through advocacy, education, and amplifying the voices of queer and trans North Carolinians in pursuit of true liberation.

Since 2020, over 1,700 books have been banned across the country, and the wave of anti-trans legislation continues to grow. Here in North Carolina, despite an increasingly hostile legislative landscape, our community has stood firm. Through love, solidarity, and grassroots power, we continue to affirm what we know to be true: we keep each other safe. The passage of harmful laws like SB49, targeting access to inclusive education, and HB237, threatening to criminalize care and mutual aid amid ongoing public health challenges, have tested us—but they have not broken us. We are still here. Equality NC remains the only statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization fighting for North Carolinians, and we are prouder than ever to continue this critical work.

Over the past year, we’ve shown up and spoken out, including during our Rainbow Repro Advocacy Day, where we stood shoulder-to-shoulder with partners and advocates to demand that our reproductive freedoms and LGBTQ+ rights be protected. We made sure lawmakers heard directly from our communities that their legislation does not reflect the will or needs of the people. Together, we sent a clear message: North Carolina deserves better.

This Pride Season, we are grounding ourselves in the legacy of our movement—remembering that Pride began as a riot against injustice. We will not be silenced or sidelined by fear. Instead, we will continue to rise up, resist, and fight for a North Carolina where every person can live safely and authentically.

We are our own best resource. In this critical moment, we must continue to leverage our collective power—our relationships, networks, and resilience—to protect and uplift our community.

Unite with us this Pride Season. Give to Equality NC Foundation today and help us build a North Carolina where LGBTQ+ people are not only surviving but thriving. Thank you for continuing to show up for this movement in bold, necessary, and beautiful ways.