Equality NC

Equality NC is the statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation for North Carolina, headquartered in Raleigh to maintain proximity to the state legislature and the political apparatus that has repeatedly been the arena for North Carolina's battles over LGBTQ+ rights. The organisation was at the centre of the resistance to HB2 — the 2016 "bathroom bill" that made North Carolina a national byword for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — and was part of the coalition that contributed to its partial repeal and to the electoral defeat of the governor who signed it. Equality NC works through legislative lobbying, electoral engagement, legal advocacy, and public education on issues ranging from nondiscrimination protections to trans healthcare access to conversion therapy bans. For LGBTQ+ visitors who want to understand the political landscape that has shaped North Carolina's queer community — and who want to support the ongoing work of protecting and expanding rights in a state that remains contested — Equality NC is the organisation to know. The McDowell Street location in northwest Raleigh is accessible by car from downtown.