Welcome!
Equality Caucus was formed, and approved, in Fall 2023 following an initial gathering for conversation at Braver Angels National Convention earlier that year in Gettysburg PA. A small group of Braver Angels members from different regions of the US and from Europe drafted the statement you see here in this simple, declarative format: The Mission, Who we Are, The Challenge, The Opportunity. We welcome LGBTQ individuals, allies, family members, friends, colleagues and others who want to work with us. Thank you.
The Mission
As the Equality Caucus, we believe LGBTQ individuals are guaranteed our inalienable rights in the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which are among our shared American values. To support the movement-making work of Braver Angels to build bridges, we aim to engage in dialogue to undermine harmful stereotypes, focus on solutions, and respect our shared humanity.
Who We Are
We are members of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) communities, across generations and regions of the United States, that hold diverse views about issues affecting our communities.
The Challenge
Within our LGBTQ communities, we are witnessing polarization pitting members of the community against each other, mischaracterizing diverse views, and being both instigators and victims of cancel culture.
Within American society, some individuals in the LBGTQ communities experience harmful stereotyping, threats to their physical and psychological safety, and challenges to their rights and protections.
The Opportunity
Within our LGBTQ communities and the greater Braver Angels community, the BA Equality Caucus is a space to share concerns and hope for equality, learn to listen to each other, understand viewpoint diversity, and strive to establish common ground.
Click to Join Our Caucus
Google Form to Join Equality Caucus mailing list
Allies (friends, family members, colleagues, those concerned for themes identified in the charter, and other allies) are welcome to join. Thank you.
If you have questions please communicate directly with the Equality Caucus leadership team at email equality-caucus-info@braverangels.org
Leadership team (in alphabetical order by last name):
Dr. Melissa Bird, Oregon, Blue Co-chair
Zander Keig, MS, MSW, LCSW, Oregon, Red Co-chair
Margaret Riley, Vermont, Alternate Red Co-chair
Alysa Steenport, Wisconsin, Alternate Blue Co-chair
WE HAVE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS THROUGH MOST OF THE YEAR.
- Monthly online meetings, on the second Monday of each month
- From 5:00-6:00 pm PT Pacific Time ( so 8:00-9:00 pm Eastern Time, etc )
- Using Zoom online meeting
- Coming up for June 8: What are issues of divisiveness within the LGBTQ community and what are better bridges we could pursue to energize our movement?
- Dialogue within faith communities about LGBTQ inclusion (January 2026)
- Moments of joy we have experienced related to being LGBTQ (February)
- The controversies between LGB and TQIA activism (March)
- LGBTQIA censorship on social media (April)
- What is the Role of Allies in the LGBTQ Rights Movement? (May)
- Queer activism, in a 90 minute Braver Angels-format debate
- Coming out stories (observing National Coming Out Day)
- How recent changes with Medicaid may impact LGBTQ individuals, households and communities
- The Skrmetti decision in the US Supreme Court
- etc
Co-chairs used survey responses from members to set day & time for the monthly meetings through early 2026. For 2026 we moved the monthly meeting second Mondays, from 2025 meeting on fourth Thursdays. We are sorry that there is no time that suits all of our 100+ members, including in Europe. Thank you for your suggestions and continuing interest. We appreciate all members but don’t currently have capacity to meet everyone’s meeting preference. Adding other opportunities for online meeting may be possible in the future remembering that Braver Angels meetings are required to have co-chairs. Thank you.
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Would your local Braver Angels alliance, or other group – within Braver Angels, in the Braver Network ( link to Braver Network ) or other organization – propose a collaborative program with the Equality Caucus? We would be glad to hear from you. Please Contact Co-Chairs at equality-caucus-info@braverangels.or
Preparation for our June monthly online meeting
- Examples might include generational differences, political polarization, identity labels, strategy disagreements, class differences, race, religion, or differing beliefs about activism and inclusion.
- How do fear of social consequences, online culture, purity politics, or mistrust affect honest dialogue inside the community?
- What shared concerns—such as dignity, safety, belonging, freedom, health, family, or human flourishing—could serve as common ground?
- What does healthy internal pluralism look like, and where are the boundaries between constructive disagreement and harmful behavior?
- Examples could include cross-generational mentorship, depolarized dialogue spaces, community service projects, coalition-building with unlikely allies, focusing on shared material concerns, or creating spaces where disagreement is tolerated without exile.
Some past projects of the Equality Caucus
Braver Lens, Photovoice with Equality Caucus, Winter-Spring 2024. As our inaugural project were were delighted to receive funds and support from Interfaith Photovoice partnering with Braver Angels. One among several teams, Equality Caucus members from across the continent met February through May to walk through part of our Mission Statement by taking photos, sharing them, and discussing them under themes. A collection of our work was curated professionally and exhibited at 2024 Braver Angels National Convention. See more here Equality Caucus Photovoice project curated through Braver Lens for 2024 National Convention
Equality Caucus worked collaboratively with Braver Angels Common Ground Workshop team to develop and offer a 4 hour workshop on ‘Better Care for Gender Questioning Youth’ in November 2024: Common Ground workshop on Better Care for Gender Questioning Youth November 2024 There was remarkable participation from a spectrum of opinion on the topic. Expert facilitators guided participation through the workshop model toward our concluding development of ‘common ground’ agreement