Human Rights Campaign Launches Nationwide “American Dreams Tour” To Elevate LGBTQ+ Voices and Reclaim the Promise of a More Inclusive Future

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Human Rights Campaign announced the launch of the American Dreams Tour: Equality Across America—a bold, nationwide initiative to spotlight LGBTQ+ resilience, resistance and joy at a time of rising political attacks and cultural erasure. Beginning this Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, and running through November 2025, the tour will travel to cities and towns across the country to celebrate the communities pushing back against hate and fighting for a future of equality for all. 

Watch the Tour Launch Video here. 

The American Dreams Tour comes amid an unprecedented wave of attacks against LGBTQ+ people—from bans on gender-affirming care and curriculum censorship to anti-trans legislation and HIV funding cuts. These attacks aren’t happening in isolation. They’re part of a coordinated strategy by far-right extremists, from the White House to the courthouse, to silence our stories, undermine our health, and erase us from public life. 

“The American dream has never belonged to just one kind of person. It's been built by people who dared to demand more—by women who marched, by workers who organized, by Black folks who bled for freedom, and by LGBTQ+ people who refused to disappear. And every time this country tried to erase us, we rebuilt something stronger—with our stories, our truth, and our refusal to be silent,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

 “For half a century, our movement has changed hearts and minds with our stories – Harvey Milk in the Castro, Pedro Zamora in the Real World, trans youth and parents coming forward in statehouses across the country. When people know who we really are, everything changes. This tour is about reclaiming that legacy. We’re traveling to the places where harm is happening—and where hope is rising. We’re showing up for communities who’ve been told they don’t belong and reminding them, and the country, that they are the American dream.”

The tour coincides with the launch of HRC’s “One Million Voices for Equality”— a nationwide campaign to engage one million LGBTQ+ people and allies and put a renewed focus on one of the most powerful tools we have for changing hearts, minds, and policies: our personal stories. This initiative will be deeply embedded within the American Dreams Tour, and each stop will feature training by HRC Foundation’s “Voices for Equality” storytelling program. These trainings help people harness their personal experiences as tools for change–whether speaking with their neighbors, engaging with lawmakers, or posting content on their social media channels. 

“For years, our movement made critical progress through legal strategies and electoral victories. While those efforts must and will continue, at this moment, it’s clear that building lasting equality requires us to expand support, shift narratives, and grow the visible, vocal community of people standing on the side of LGBTQ+ equality,” Robinson added. “Together, with 1 million voices raised, we will change hearts, shape minds, and build the foundation for lasting equality.”

To accompany the tour, HRC will create a new YouTube series, “Our American Dreams” that captures stories from the tour and around the country rooted in LGBTQ+ joy and resilience. You’ll hear from people from all walks of life: advocates, experts, celebrities, students, teachers and publicly elected officials — all united in the belief that the American Dream is only possible when everyone gets to live their lives authentically, freely and equitably.  The series will help relaunch HRC’s YouTube channel as a space with more fresh, conversational, and curated content. 

The American Dreams Tour will anchor in six major cities, with rural and suburban activations woven throughout. Additional stops will be announced in the upcoming weeks. 

• Columbus, OH (July 30–31): A launch in the heartland that honors Ohio’s legacy of LGBTQ+ activism while confronting today’s political backslide and barriers to HIV care.
• Las Vegas, NV (August 23): A national visibility moment tied to coalition-building events with healthcare and LGBTQ+ leaders.
• Washington, DC (September 13): A strategic spotlight during HRC’s National Dinner and Equality Convention, with policy-focused engagements.
• Dallas, TX (September 19-20): Ground zero for LGBTQ+ legislative attacks and a hub for organizing around transgender justice and health access.
• Atlanta, GA (October 11-12): Aligning with Atlanta Pride, this stop amplifies LGBTQ+ leadership and community-led care models.
• Nashville, TN (October 15-16): Celebrating the rich stories and culture of HBCUs with a focus on youth engagement and HIV prevention.

If you are a member of the media interested in covering the tour, please reach out to press@hrc.org. 

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.