Equality NC Celebrates 2007 Achievements

Legislation

• ENC and Covenant with North Carolina's Children secured introduction of the School Violence Prevention Act to protect students from bullying and harassment. The bill's passage in the House marked the first time either chamber passed legislation including protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill remains eligible for final passage in 2008.
• While all of our neighboring states have now passed anti-LGBT, anti-marriage constitutional amendments, ENC successfully fought off attempts to write discrimination into our state constitution for the fourth year in a row.
• ENC and NC AIDS Action Network secured a 142% increase in state funding for HIV prevention programs.
• ENC secured a record number of bill sponsors: 20 out of 50 senators and 50 out of 120 representatives.
• ENC Foundation gave our first legislative leadership award to Rep. Rick Glazier for his work on the School Violence Prevention act. The award was presented at the Equality Conference & Gala by N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney.

Community Organizing

• ENC Foundation held our first statewide Equality Conference & Gala, drawing more than 300 supporters from across the state for cutting-edge policy workshops. Highlights included keynote speakers Alabama Rep. Patricia Todd and GLAAD President Neil Giuliano.
• Our Lobby Day drew more than 100 supporters to the legislature to speak with officials about their lives and our legislative priorities.
• Our list of online activists grew from 3,500 to 6,500 and generated more than 116,900 contacts with elected officials.
• ENC continued to expand our presence in smaller communities in our state, with events and programs in towns like New Bern, Wilson, Hickory, Salisbury and others.
• ENC reached out at seven pride festivals and other community events, collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition supporting safe schools legislation.
• ENC was featured in media outlets from local TV news and papers across the state to the New York Times.

Elections & Appointments

• Governor Mike Easley appointed former ENC PAC Board Chair John Arrowood to the NC Court of Appeals. He is the first openly gay statewide official in NC.
• Voters elected ENC supporters and out candidates Lydia Lavelle to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and Elic Senter as Franklinton Mayor.

Organization Building

• ENC hired a new contract lobbyist, Randolph Cloud, to work with our lobbyists on staff. Cloud was ranked the 15th most effective lobbyist in the 2005 session by the NC Center for Public Policy Research.
• ENC and ENC Foundation strengthened our fundraising programs to increase our combined income to $350,000, a 36% increase over the previous year.
• The Equality Council, our major donor program, grew dramatically in 2007. An astounding 44% joined or increased their previous level of giving, providing us with the critical financial support we need to achieve astounding goals.
• Equality NC Foundation received increased support from national and local foundations, including Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Triangle Community Foundation, Freeman Foundation and the State Equality Fund of Tides Foundation.
• ENC held its largest regional reception ever, attracting 175 people to a major fundraising event in Asheville that honored Representative Susan Fisher.

Leadership & Coalition Work

• Our Executive Director, Ian Palmquist, received the first Leadership Award from the Equality Federation, the national association of state equality groups, for his work during three years as the group's board chair.
• ENC provided leadership in several standing coalitions, including the NC AIDS Action Network, Blueprint North Carolina, the Base-Building Initiative, the Democracy Project of the Gill Foundation, and the Equality Federation.
• ENC and ENCF also participated in Covenant with North Carolina's Children, the NC Coalition for Lobbying Reform, NC Voters for Clean Elections NC Women United, and the Same-Day Registration Coalition.
• As a member of United ENDA, ENC joined with most state and national LGBT organizations to strongly advocate for inclusion of gender identity in federal non-discrimination legislation.
• ENC also participated in collaborative work with many non-LGBT partners, including the NC Association of Educators, the Arc of NC, Alliance of Disability Advocates, ACLU-NC, National Association of Social Workers NC, Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice NC, NC NOW, Conservation Council of NC, NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and others.