Campaign for Southern Equality

10/20/2026

We want to congratulate our Supportive Schools Director Craig White on receiving the 2026 Douglas O. Wilson Rising Tide Leadership Award from Maine Council on Aging. While Craig’s work at Campaign for Southern Equality is focused on LGBTQ+ youth and school communities, at The Maine Council on Aging, they work to change the culture surrounding aging and fight ageism. This is a perspective we are grateful they bring to our work advancing equality for LGBTQ+ Southernerners. Read more: https://southernequality.org/supportive-schools-director-craig-white-awarded-2026-douglas-o-wilson-rising-tide-leadership-award/

10/20/2026

A new rule from the federal government that blocks Medicaid and CHIP from covering gender-affirming care for trans youth. Many states have stepped up to bridge the gap by allocating state funds to ensure no one loses access to care due to this change – but as of now Virginia has not stepped up, putting the healthcare of Virginia's trans youth at risk.

Gov. Spanberger – do the right thing and protect access to gender-affirming care for trans youth in Virginia. Read more: https://virginiamercury.com/2026/10/15/va-lawmakers-spanberger-grapple-with-loss-of-federal-healthcare-funds-for-trans-youth/

10/17/2026

After Fairfield High crowned Sammi it’s Homecoming Queen, some parents and social media users responded with hateful comments simply because she is trans. But amid the online backlash, Sammi’s school and community rallied around her, filling a school board meeting to standing room only to make it clear that she is loved, supported, and celebrated for who she is. Hate may be loud, but love is louder ♥️
Read the full article here:

"The whole point of homecoming king and queen is the student votes. And we voted, and Sammi is our homecoming queen.”

10/15/2026

🪻💜 📖 Tonight we are proud to be launching THE LAVENDER SOUTH, an anthology of essays, poems and artwork from LGBTQ+ artists and writers all across the South! Come see us in Asheville tonight 6-8pm at 🌞DayTrip🌈 to get your copy and hear powerful readings, live music, and check out the artwork featured in the anthology! Thank you to all of the contributors of the anthology, the readers and musicians tonight (including Brennan Page and LYRIC), and a huge thanks to 🌞DayTrip🌈 to hosting in their beautiful space.

10/15/2026

NEW: We just launched an LGBTQ+ Wellness grant for South Carolinians!

It's been a really hard year across the country, in the South, and in South Carolina, so we'd like to support our community and the people who continue to show up again and again. In that spirit, we're excited to announce our South Carolina LGBTQ+ Community Care Mini Grants!

These grants are available to individuals, mutual aid groups, grassroots organizations, nonprofit organizations, and community collectives who are offering community care to LGBTQ+ South Carolinians. Our priority is helping LGBTQ+ people connect, unwind, and spend some good time with each other.

Apply now for a grant of up to $500, and please help us spread the word to folks doing good work for the LGBTQ+ community in South Carolina! Applications are due by November 15th at midnight.

https://southernequality.org/caregrantsc/

10/15/2026

Election Day is coming up on November 3, 2026, and voters across the country will be deciding on ballot measures that could impact thousands of trans folks in our community.

We need your help calling and texting voters to talk with them about the measures on their ballot! Even one volunteer shift can make a huge difference. Sign up for a virtual phonebanking or textbanking shift now at the link below: https://www.mobilize.us/advocatesfortransequality/

10/14/2026

Our Asheville launch party for the Lavender South Anthology is tomorrow night at DayTrip from 6-8pm! It will feature poetry and essay readings from Lavender South authors and live musical performances from Leeda Lyric Jones and Brennan Page. Plus, enjoy food from Norah’s food truck and sweet treats from Mama Bear!

Get your free ticket at the link:

Help support the Campaign for Southern Equality and our work to help transgender youth and their families who are impacted by the wave of bans on gender-affirming medical care. 

10/14/2026

As we’ve seen attacks on our community rise, legislatively and socially, it can feel like the South will never be accepting of LGBTQ+ people, but there is always hope and people fighting for change. Take a moment to read the article, featuring insight from our Executive Director Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, and remember that even in the face of adversity, our communities are full of people creating a more hopeful future 🏳️‍🌈

Endless public attacks on LGBTQ+ communities cannot erase LGBTQ+ people from the families and spaces where they are valued.

10/13/2026

The Lavender South is art, poetry, and essays by and for q***r Southerners. This moving collection, for the first time in print features work from LGBTQ+ people across the South, telling their stories of resilience and resistance, joy and pain, during a time when our rights are under attack. Order your copy today at the link below! Or– attend one of our launch parties in Asheville and Nashville and pick up your copy in person. southernequality.org/lavsouth

10/12/2026

New research showing a sharp decline in the mental health among supportive parents of transgender youth following the 2024 election does not come as a surprise to our team. We know what parents who love and support their transgender children are facing. Everyday, our Trans Youth Emergency Project care navigators talk to parents who are wondering where they can turn for gender-affirming medical care and community resources. These parents love their kids fiercly, and seeing their rights debated, and taken away, has a major toll.

If you are the parent of a transgender child, we invite you to join our monthly support group for parents and caregivers of trans youth. This is a space to gather in community, especially those who are navigating accessing gender-affirming care for their kids right now. Learn more and register at the link in the comments.

Read more: https://www.them.us/parents-trans-youth-mental-health