Programs

Black Lives Matter

This is an unforeseen moment in the country’s history. Thousands across the country are taking to the streets day after day to call for an end to systemic racism and violence against Black people in all its forms, and they’re being met with significant repression from law enforcement.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are held in pretrial detention in the United States because they cannot afford bail. That infringement on people’s freedom is made even worse now, as correctional facilities remain hotspots for COVID-19 and we’re well aware of the public health dangers of continuing to detain and incarcerate.

For LGBTQ people, these dangers are exacerbated by the ways they’re already disproportionately impacted by an unequal justice system. They are three times more likely to be incarcerated than heterosexual people, more likely to be low-income and more likely to be sexually assaulted while in prison.

That’s why for the entire month of June we matched donations made to the LGBTQ Freedom Fund and other community bail funds across the country. Thanks to our great supporters, we ultimately were able to provide donations totaling $20,000 to these organizations.

We need to make sure that we are electing officials – on a local, statewide, and federal level – that are dedicated to criminal justice reform. The first step in doing that is making sure you are registered to vote.

However, just knowing if you are eligible to register to vote can be complicated. In certain states those with felony convictions might not be eligible, but it depends on the state – and increasingly, states are restoring the right to vote for those who have completed their sentence. Click on the box below to learn more and see what the laws are state by state.

If you are eligible and registered to vote, here are some of the important elected officials to keep in mind:

  • Mayor
  • Sheriff
  • District Attorney
  • State Legislator
  • US Senator and Representative
  • President