Dear friends,

As we mark World AIDS Day today, we are reminded of the progress we've made as a movement in the fight to end the epidemic. World AIDS Day serves as a global call to action, a day to raise awareness, center remembrance and renew our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic within our lifetimes.

Together, we've come far, but there's more work ahead. If you haven’t yet, please check out and share our team’s incredible My Body, My Health campaign -- which provides free HIV testing kits and other resources to break through the barriers and injustice affecting the sexual health of our Black and Latine LGBTQ+ communities hit hardest by the epidemic.

This week also marks my one-year anniversary as president of HRC. Looking back, I'm more certain than ever that the work we do is absolutely crucial. I had a chance to sit down with Errin Haines from 19th News to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the past year.

I walked away from our conversation uniquely aware that our role in this movement is to lead with courage and vision for a world where we all have the freedom and the power to live and thrive as our authentic selves. I’m humbled by the immense honor to carry this fight forward with joy and resolve.

And speaking of joy, this week we took the critical work of the HRC on the road to New York City, where we unveiled the 21st edition of HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI). I was proud to share with members of the media, key partners, and corporate stakeholders how the CEI continues to be the gold standard for uplifting companies and employers that are committed to implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices.

The 2023 Corporate Equality IndexThe HRC Foundation's CEI is a primary driving force for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion and the national benchmarking tool measuring policies, practices and benefits pertinent to LGBTQ+ employees.www.hrc.org

This year a record 1,384 companies actively participated in the CEI 2023-2024 Survey. We saw 545 employers achieve a top score of 100, earning the coveted “Equality 100 Award,” while 128 new companies from nearly every industry participated in the CEI for the first time this year and 378 Fortune 500 employers actively participated this year, and 164 Am Law 200 law firms actively stepped up as well.

TL;DR — we crushed it again. None of this work would be possible without the work of our HRC Foundation team, so I want to give a huge shout-out to Eric, Shawnie, and Marcos and their teams — everyone who made this report possible. Your work is moving the needle forward, and I’m proud to fight alongside you every day.

While in New York, we made a stop on Broadway, where we enjoyed the side-splitting, barrier-breaking musical “Shucked.” The energy in that room was unmatched. I’m grateful we had the chance to show our support for the incredible cast and crew, including Alex Newell, the first non-binary actor to ever win a Tony Award and perform in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you have a chance to support the show, please do.

And we took the time to visit The Center in NYC, where the pulse of our movement work beats strong. The LGBTQ Center stands as a symbol of the diverse narratives within our community. In a world that values inclusivity, their work is at the core of our collective journey toward a more equitable future.

It’s hard to believe that 2023 is coming to a close, but we have just a few weeks left. As we head into the final month of this year and prepare for the work that lies ahead, let's carry the spirit of grace and resolve into the coming year, understanding that every effort, big and small, moves us one step closer to a world where liberation without exception is our reality.

Dear Friends,

This week, our entire HRC staff convened in Washington, D.C. for a powerful and transformative retreat. We came together, not just as colleagues, but as a community. We took the time to refine our strategic goals and equip ourselves with the invaluable tools necessary to uplift our crucial work. Being together in person was not only rejuvenating but also served as a powerful reminder of the leadership role HRC’s talented team will play in overcoming the challenges we face.

Equidad MX

While we gathered in Washington, our work pressed on. We proudly introduced the seventh edition of HRC Foundation’s Equidad MX Report, a Mexico-based initiative inspired by HRC Foundation's annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This program mirrors the CEI's role as the leading benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion among Mexican businesses. The latest Equidad MX Report reflects unprecedented growth, with 253 companies earning a perfect score of 100 this year, including the commitment of 49 new companies. The program's impact has grown by 10%, now reaching more than 1.5 million people across Mexico!

Here at home, we kept up the fight for liberation without exception. House Republicans again used this week to target transgender kids at a House Oversight Committee hearing. Our strong ally Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center, was the Democratic witness. She did an amazing job in unequivocally supporting the inclusion of trans women while also raising the real challenges facing women in sports.

We stood with equality champions like Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers who recommitted to equality by vetoing a dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would have banned lifesaving healthcare for trans youth. The contrast between MAGA Republicans and leaders like Evers couldn’t be clearer. Pressed during a Fox News town hall to promise not to abuse power if he returned to the White House, Donald Trump said he wouldn’t be a dictator, “except for Day 1,” a powerful reminder of the importance of mobilizing Equality Voters in 2024

As we approach the close of this year, my heart extends a special message of love and light to members of our family who are Jewish. In the spirit of Hanukkah, celebrated by millions worldwide, may we all lean into bringing more light into our world. During this time of rising hatred and violence, let our collective prayer be for more light, love, and peace in the coming year. Happy Hanukkah from the depths of my heart to all who celebrate.Com

Dear Friends,

This week we made clear that when it comes to the fight for liberation without exception, the Human Rights Campaign, its partners, and members are determined to finish this year strong.

We threw our support behind trailblazing LGBTQ+ leaders like Mondaire Jones, who is running to reclaim his previously held seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mondaire is a storied leader with a proven record of delivering results for New Yorkers, having been a fighter for healthcare access for all and a defender of our families. The path to a pro-equality U.S. House majority weaves through New York’s 17th congressional district and its 227,000 Equality Voters, and HRC is committed to mobilizing them to the polls for Mondaire.

We continued our support of barrier-breaking LGBTQ+ leaders by endorsing Senator Tammy Baldwin’s re-election bid.

As a historic trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community, Senator Baldwin has shattered barriers, showing countless young folks that no dream is too big, no love is too different. Her leadership in passing the Respect for Marriage Act and ditching "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is just the beginning.

Senator Baldwin isn't just a lawmaker; she's a bridge builder, a champion for progress. We're fighting for Tammy Baldwin to remain in the halls of power, because she has always fought for us. Because with leaders like Tammy, we're not just making history; we're shaping a brighter, more equal future.

Now more than ever, we need to tap into our broader HRC Team to build collective power and push back against the forces of hate seeking to divide us. Just last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson received an award and gave a keynote address at a Christian nationalist conference, where speakers and other award recipients spread virulent anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and warned of an ongoing “spiritual war” against “demonic” forces.

The gala, hosted by the National Association for Christian Lawmakers — a “faith based para-legislative organization” that produces model legislation for statehouses across the country — featured a range of right-wing media figures who have pushed extreme anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion, and Christian nationalist rhetoric.

Johnson’s address to the NACL comes as Christian nationalism is growing in popularity among Republican voters and dangerous rhetoric about “demonic” influence and “spiritual war” proliferates among right-wing media figures.

The fight for liberation without exception has reached a new threshold, and we must remain vigilant because we face an uphill battle.

But those challenges only make our victories sweeter.

This week we celebrated the exclusion of anti-LGBTQ+ provisions from the final version of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill, which had previously included everything from bans on gender-affirming care to a ban on Pride flags at military bases, cleared the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday and now heads to President Biden's desk for his signature.

The removal of the harmful provisions was the result of months of effort by HRC, members and supporters like you, and pro-equality lawmakers to combat a coordinated attack on LGBTQ+ people through the annual defense bill. As part of HRC’s efforts, more than 15,000 calls were placed in opposition to the discriminatory provisions, and HRC broadcasted a TV ad calling on the anti-equality majority in the House to stop attacking the LGBTQ+ community and start addressing the real needs of our country.

House Republican lawmakers tried to use the traditionally bipartisan, must-pass annual defense bill as a vehicle to attack LGBTQ+ service members and their families — but because of the work of champions in Congress, HRC’s supporters, and our partners in the movement, they failed.

Among the anti-LGBTQ+ provisions that were removed from the NDAA:

Bans on best-practice, medically necessary health care for transgender service members and trans family members of those in service

A ban on books featuring content relating to LGBTQ+ people

A ban on drag performances at military locations

A ban on flying Pride flags at military locations

A restriction against listing pronouns or gender in official correspondence

Also this week, HRC also released its 2023 Change-Makers Report, a product of our All Children - All Families (ACAF) program, highlighting the crucial work we lead with partner agencies to advance LGBTQ+ equality in the child welfare system. Together, we’re improving the services provided to the LGBTQ+ community, including children in foster care and prospective foster and adoptive parents who are LGBTQ+.

This year alone, this multi-organization partnership assessed 9,500+ policies and practices within child welfare organizations to ensure they meet ACAF best practices criteria — approximately 6,000 more than were assessed when this report was first released in 2019. This allowed for over 1.4 million children, youth, and families across 43 states to benefit from these LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and affirming practices.

This work is transformative — and life-changing for LGBTQ+ young people and their forever families.

Finally, as we approach the last days of 2023, I want to acknowledge the challenges many of us on our HRC Team face, especially during this time of the year. Our hearts carry the weight of loss and the memory of our dear colleague, Henry Berg-Brousseau, who served on our communications team and passed away one year ago this week. Henry wasn’t just a member of our team; he was a force of kindness, resilience, and unwavering dedication to a world where everyone could live authentically and with dignity.

I’m also uniquely aware that members of our team, myself included, are entering the holidays mourning other losses in our lives. Our journeys are finite; that is why now, more than ever, I am dedicated to utilizing every available moment to champion a world where the evils of hatred and discrimination have been defeated, and equality rules the day without exception.

Dear Friends,

It’s that time again! We've reached the close of another remarkable year, and oh, what a journey it has been. Serving as president of the Human Rights Campaign alongside you all is an absolute honor. We've seen progress and faced challenges, but through it all, our unity has been our guiding force.

Thank you for making our work possible. Thank you for all that you do for our community. I am so grateful for you, Norman.

As we bid farewell to this year, I hope you grant yourself the gift of grace. Take the time to rest, rejuvenate and gear up for the battles that lie ahead. And if you get the chance, take a moment to check out the year-end video message I’ve recorded for you. I wanted to remind you just how much you mean to HRC and our life-changing work.

My hope is that you embrace the season with joy and reflection. Let's carry the spirit of togetherness into the new year, knowing that when we stand together and fight together, we can win together.

Wishing you all a restful holiday and a powerful start to 2024.