The overwhelming majority of protections for lgbt people in the United States exists not at the federal level, but through laws passed by state legislatures.  Federation member organizations are at the forefront of this work – organizing voters and grassroots support, hosting lgbt lobby days, writing legislation, supporting fair-minded legislators, and educating the public about the discrimination faced by lgbt people and their families.

Thanks to laws in 20 states and the District of Columbia, over half of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans and one-third of transgender Americans are protected from employment discrimination.  Relationship recognition is also available to lgbt couples only at the state level, with marriage equality in one state and another six states providing most of the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage through civil union or domestic partnership laws; three additional states and the District of Columbia provide limited rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples.  Thirty-two states have hate crimes law that include sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression.