Campaign For Southern Equality

Programs: Lgbtq rights toolkit: through our lgbtq rights toolkit, we support lgbtq southerners in accessing direct services and resources to address immediate legal and health needs. During 2017, cse completed 26 free direct service clinics across the south, serving a total of 486 people; we significantly exceeded our 2017 goal in order to respond to the demand for these services. Clinics focused on topics including name changes, the intersection of immigration and lgbtq law, and self-defense for transgender individuals. Cse provided support to 62 individuals/families in crisis or with immediate legal needs. Cse's digital resource center was visited by a total of 4,990 unique visitors in 2017 and 2,700 people viewed our 2017 trans in the south resource guide.

southern equality fund: through the southern equality fund, we provide funding and training to southern lgbtq folks doing heroic organizing in their hometowns. During 2017, cse awarded 95 grants totaling $53,322 across 12 southern states to support lgbtq grassroots organizing across the south and to support innovations in lgbtq-friendly direct service models. Cse also offered a series of free webinar trainings on grassroots leadership issues and launched the trans leadership initiative.

legal equality project: through our legal equality project, the campaign for southern equality works across the south to strike down anti-lgbtq laws and to promote pro-lgbtq policies. During 2017, cse organized and supported rapid response organizing to oppose laws like north carolina's hb2 and hb142, to support health care access for all, and to support immigration rights. Cse's legal team litigated federal lawsuits challenging hb1523 in mississippi and sb2 in north carolina. Cse coordinated pu