Equality Maryland: www.equalitymaryland.org

Equality Maryland works to secure and protect the rights of LGBT Marylanders by promoting legislative initiatives on the state, county and municipal levels. Our professional lobbyists and legislative team work with our allies in the General Assembly to shape and pass positive legislation in Annapolis and to beat back discriminatory legislation.

Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance: www.glaa.org

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC, is a local, all-volunteer, non-partisan, non-profit political organization, founded in 1971 to advance the equal rights of gay men and lesbians in Washington, DC. We are the nation's oldest continuously active gay and lesbian civil rights organization.

Equality Virginia: www.equalityvirginia.org

Equality Virginia is a statewide, non-partisan, lobbying, education and support network for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and straight allied (GLBT) communities in Virginia.

Equality Virginia seeks equality for all Virginians by: (1) lobbying the General Assembly; (2) organizing communities; and (3) educating the public.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF): www.ngltf.org

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc. ("NGLTF, Inc."), founded in 1974, works to build the grassroots political power of the LGBT community to win complete equality. We do this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation and pass pro-LGBT legislation and other measures. We also analyze and report on the positions of candidates for public office on issues of importance to the LGBT community.

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): www.nclrights.org

NCLR is a national legal resource center with a primary commitment to advancing the rights and safety of lesbians and their families through a program of litigation, public policy advocacy, free legal advice and counseling, and public education. In addition, NCLR provides representation and resources to gay men, and bisexual and transgender individuals on key issues that also significantly advance lesbian rights.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC): www.hrc.org

Founded in 1980, HRC effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support to fair-minded candidates, and works to educate the public on a wide array of topics affecting GLBT Americans, including workplace, family, discrimination and health issues. The HRC Foundation, an HRC-affiliated organization, engages in extensive research and provides education and programming.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): www.aclu.org

The ACLU defends and preserves the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:

Your First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly. Freedom of the press, and freedom of religion supported by the strict separation of church and state.

Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.

Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.

Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

We work also to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor.