Equality California Institute is the charitable arm of the left-of-center LGBT-interest organization Equality California (EQCA).

EQCA claims to be the largest statewide “LGBTQ+ civil rights organization” in the United States and the only such organization working at the local, state, and national levels of the state of California.

Activities

Equality California Institute works alongside Equality California to advocate left-of-center social policies. While Equality California focuses mainly on electing left-leaning politicians and passing left-wing legislation, Equality California Institute centers its work on “reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ health and well-being,” creating “LGBTQ+ leaders,” and encouraging greater numbers of individuals in the “LGBTQ+ community” to vote and engage in civic participation and activism. ¹

Its health-oriented and other pro-LGBT programs include “Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card” which grades schools in California based on their openness to LGBT ideology, COVID-19 Resource Center, MPXV (the infectious disease formerly known as “monkeypox”) Resource Center, HIV and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) Resource Center, LGBTQ+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training, Fair Share for Equality, Equality California LGBTQ+ Leadership Academy, Equality California Mentorship Corps, OUT Against Big Tobacco, Equality California Institute Comcast Fellowship, California LGBTQ+ Leadership Summit, HIV Is Not a Crime, and #TakeIt. ²

Criticism

In March 2023, right-of-center media outlet Free Beacon published an article about Equality California holding the group responsible for California’s “radically progressive” laws and “woke” policies, citing the group’s persistent lobbying efforts and its ample financial resources provided to it by major corporate donors. The article claimed that EQCA along with its “Democratic allies” have helped implement policies that enable minors to receive sex changes without their parent’s permission and allow biological males to be imprisoned in female prisons. It also asserted that its Washington, D.C. office was as of 2023 increasingly interested in pursuing lobbying efforts that pursue a left-wing agenda beyond LGBT issues such as the legalization of and expansion of abortion, the granting of legal status to illegal immigrants, and banning firearms. ³

Funding

In 2019, Equality California Institute raised $2,679,322, spent $2,255,465, and ended the year with $747,785 in net assets. ⁴ That year, the Institute gave grants to APAIT, APLA Health and Wellness, Asian Americans Advancing Justice LA, Gender Health Center, Gender Justice LA, Health Access Foundation, Latino Equality Alliance, San Diego LGBT Pride, San Fernando Valley LGBT Community Center, the Amaad Institute, and the TransLatin Coalition. ⁵

EQCA’s supporters and sponsors include Amazon, AT&T, California Teachers Association (CTA), Edison International, the Elizabeth Taylor Foundation, DoorDash, Farmers Insurance, Google, Kaiser Permanente, La Crema Wine, Meta, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County, Reed & Davidson LLP, Sempra Energy, Southwest Airlines, Sutter Health, Tito’s Vodka, Uber, and WeedMaps. ⁶

Leadership

As of 2023, the executive committee of Equality California Institute’s board of directors included Jackie Thomas, Juan Camacho, Barbara Zacky, Jeff Freitas, Katherine M. Forster, Beth Collins, Mark Gonzalez, and Laurie Hasencamp. ⁷

1. “About.” Equality California. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.eqca.org/about/.
2. “Programs.” Equality California. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.eqca.org/programs/
3. Luthi, Susannah. “The Powerful LGBT Group Behind California’s Most Radical Laws Is Setting Its Sights on Washington.” Free Beacon, March 4, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/california/the-powerful-lgbt-group-behind-californias-most-radical-laws-is-setting-its-sights-on-washington/.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Equality California Institute. 2019. Lines 12, 18, 22.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Equality California Institute. 2021. Schedule I, Part II.
6. “About.” Equality California. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.eqca.org/about/.
7. “Our Board.” Equality California. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.eqca.org/about/our-boards/.