EqualityMaine

02/28/2026

Did you know that as of this year, 32 states criminalize people living with HIV for exposure or transmission of the virus? Additionally, many of these states have laws that impose harsher penalties based on a person's knowledge of their HIV status. Swipe to look at the legislative map, created by Movement Advancement Project .

These laws undermine public health efforts by deterring people from seeking HIV testing and treatment, stigmatizing those with HIV, & the communities most impacted by HIV— including BIPOC folks, women, LGBTQ+ people, s*x workers, and the formerly incarcerated.

02/26/2026

In case you missed it - EqualityMaine is offering an all-day LGBTQ+ Informed Su***de Prevention Training institute at the Safer Schools Conference!

This training is for school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and LPCs - join us to enhance your skills in supporting LGBTQ+ students with EqualityMaine’s day-long interactive Safety Plan Intervention (SPI) Training! Participate in engaging discussions, explore real-world applications, and connect with fellow professionals. This training will incorporate the QueerCare Model to bring empathy, cultural humility, and identity awareness to crisis planning and use Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) to create effective, evidence-based safety plans for LGBTQ+ youth.

Register now:
equalitymaine.org/safer-schools-conference

02/25/2026

As Black History Month comes to a close, we wanted to share some Black History reads with you that should be on everyone’s list.

BLACK ON BOTH SIDES offers a new imagining of both black and trans history beginning in the early 19th century through the present.

Arguing that both gender and s*xual expression have been an intimate and intricate part of Black freedom struggle, A BLACK Q***R HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES presents historical contributions of Black q***r, trans, and gender expansive Americans from enslavement to the present day to highlight how the fight against racial injustice has always been linked to that of LGBTQ+ liberation and gender justice.

SURVIVAL IS A PROMISE talks about the role of survival in Audre Lorde's life -- her profound interest in science and the natural world along with the intersectional issues around race, gender, q***rness, class, and disability.

02/24/2026

02/24/2026

⚠️Action Alert! Testify in support of family planning funding on February 25!📣

On Wednesday, February 25, Maine lawmakers will hold a public hearing on LD 335, An Act to Protect Funding for Family Planning Services, a bill that would ensure patients can continue to access essential healthcare through Maine's family planning providers in the face of federal attacks.

Family planning clinics make up the bulk of services in rural Maine, and due to federal budget cuts, they are struggling.

As strong as the laws of Maine are in protecting rights to trans healthcare and LGBTQ+ family planning, they mean nothing without access to care.

If you believe Mainers deserve access to basic healthcare, consider testifying in support of LD 335!

Head to equalitymaine.org/testimonyhowto/ for some helpful tips on crafting and submitting testimony.

02/22/2026

In case you missed it - registration is officially open for this year’s Safer Schools Conference! Register today at equalitymaine.org/safer-schools-conference! Registration closes March 13.

This conference dedicated to school safety and inclusion is perfect for students grades 7-12, and people who work with youth. Educators, school staff, and youth service providers are welcome! Listen to our keynote speaker Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, attend incredible workshops, and make new friends.

For more information, visit:

https://www.equalitymaine.org/safer-schools-conference/

02/21/2026

This Black History Month, it’s important to remember that Black LGBTQ+ organizers and activists built the LGBTQ+ liberation movement brick by brick. At the core of any movement for human rights, Black q***r leaders have always shown up and fought hard for the justice of all people, even when their methods differed.

Ernestine Eckstein believed in intersectional liberation and took risks in her activism, even when she was the only Black woman at civil rights and gay liberation protests. Bayard Rustin nonviolently disrupted the system, first as a conscientious objector during the World War II drafts, and later as an organizer of the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington. Audre Lorde challenged the status quo with subversive and transformative poetry that celebrated all parts of her Black le***an political activist, feminist, poet, mother identity and personhood.

Phill Wilson, AIDS/HIV activist and founder of the Black AIDS Institute, said, “Eventually I came to understand that the only way to save my life and the lives of those I love was to fight. To fight the disease, to fight all the 'isms,' to fight the stigma, to fight an uncaring government, to fight an ignorant public, to fight an inadequate health care system, and to fight my own fears of inadequacy."

Let’s honor the Black q***r and trans activists who paved the way, and the Black q***r and trans Mainers carrying this legacy forward in their movement work.

02/21/2026

Staff applications for our summer camp are now open!

🌞New Leaders Project Summer Camp is a week-long LGBTQ+ youth summer overnight camp that aims to strengthen leadership skills, build resilience, and provide opportunities for self-affirming discovery and personal growth.

🏕We are looking for compassionate, energetic, and dedicated cabin counselors and counselors-in-training to join us for a week of community, love, advocacy, and joy.

🌈Cabin Counselors: 21+ in age.
🏳️‍⚧️Counselors-In-Training: folks who have graduated high school or have a GED and are age 18-20* at the time of camp. *Only 17 year olds who have graduated their senior year are invited to apply.
📅August 9 - August 15
📍Central Maine
Applications are open from February 20th - March 27th.

Learn more and apply by visiting our website! 🌞
equalitymaine.org/nlp/summercamp/

02/20/2026

Tomorrow, join us in partnership with Queerly ME for another intergenerational storytelling & speed-friending gathering! and learn about matters of the heart. Stories will highlight romantic, platonic, or familial love. Swipe to learn about our storytellers! 💞

Following our storytelling hour, we invite participants to engage in an intergenerational speed-friending activity during which we will pair up folks from different generations to hold mini-conversations with each other. Every 2 to 5 minutes, we will create new pairs and introduce a new conversation prompt to discuss.

Exact location and additional details will be shared with those who register. Please keep in mind that capacity is limited, and that if we reach capacity, we will not be able to allow drop-ins. Masks offered at the door—please stay home if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms.

Register now:
https://secure.givelively.org/event/q***rly-me/love-in-all-ways

02/19/2026

We look out for each other. That means protecting ourselves from mpox.

Mpox is out there. Anyone can get it from skin-to-skin contact. But there's a vaccine that is free, safe, and available now. Get both doses. Find a vaccine near you.

Learn more about mpox and LGBTQ health at equalitymaine.org/lgbtqhealth

02/18/2026

This week is Aromantic Awareness Week. ASAW is the perfect time to learn about the diverse experiences within the aromantic spectrum! Swipe through to learn more about aromanticism and the aro spectrum.💚🤍🩶🖤

Some reminders:
💚Love exists in so many more forms than just romantic love. Aromantic people aren't lonely - they have friends and found family and platonic love.
🤍Relationships do not have to exist in a hierarchy or escalator.
🩶Queer platonic relationships to aro people can be just as important as a romantic relationship to others.
🖤Attraction isn't inherently romantic or s*xual.

If you’re aromantic and feel comfy sharing, say hi and share a bit about your experience or identity!

02/18/2026