In 2004, the Institute integrated two groups into its organization: Marriage Equality California (MECA), a statewide grassroots organization with a membership of over 50,000 activists and volunteers, and the California Freedom to Marry Coalition. The goal is to increase the civic participation of glbtq Californians in the public dialogue over glbtq rights.

There are currently 23 volunteer chapters of EQCA throughout the state whose primary focus is marriage equality. The chapters have monthly meetings in order to disseminate information and plan community activities in order to put a face to the issues.

Sponsor Message.

EQCA PAC

The newly formed EQCA PAC endorses candidates and supports their campaigns through volunteers and donations in order to expand the number of glbtq-supportive legislators in California. In the 2004 election cycle, over 85% of Equality California-endorsed candidates won their races.

Conclusion

In its brief history, Equality California has become one of the most effective glbtq advocacy organizations in the United States. As a result, California has been transformed from a state with severely circumscribed rights for its glbtq citizens to one of the states with the most comprehensive civil rights protections for glbtq people.

Anti-discrimination statutes and ordinances have made a real difference in the lives of millions of glbtq individuals.

"Domestic partnership" is the generic term for a variety of forms of legal and institutional recognition of same-sex couples that fall short of same-sex marriage.

In the United States, glbtq candidates have achieved some significant successes at the ballot box in the last three decades, running for and winning local, state, and national elections.

Hate Crimes are crimes towards persons or groups motivated by the victim's race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The glbtq history of Los Angeles, the U.S.'s second largest metropolis, is replete with cultural, social, and political firsts.

Political scientists have generated insights important to the study of sexuality through research into glbtq participation in formal politics, studies of sexuality as a category of power, and reconceptualizations of the relationship between sexuality and politics.

Lesbian and gay couples have been fighting for the freedom to marry since the dawn of the modern glbtq struggle for equality; despite some success abroad, progress toward same-sex marriage in the United States has been slow.

Although work remains to be done, the expansion of protection from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation stands as one of the significant accomplishments of the American lesbian and gay civil rights movement.

The Empire State Pride Agenda, which lobbies New York governments at both state and local levels for equal rights, is recognized as among the strongest statewide glbtq political organizations in the United States.

The largest glbtq political organization in the United States, the Human Rights Campaign has emerged as the leading national organization representing glbtq concerns.

Once best known as a youthful actor, Sheila James Kuehl is now a respected California state legislator and a vigorous advocate for glbtq rights.

The oldest continuously operating national glbtq interest group, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has played a significant role in the development of the glbtq movement for equal rights.

Diane Whipple, the coach of the women's lacrosse team at Saint Mary's College in California, was killed in a dog-mauling; the response of her partner helped establish the right of same-sex partners to equal treatment with heterosexuals.