Equality Connecticut 2025 Legislative Session Policy Priorities
- Funding the LGTBQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network: In 2018, Connecticut established the LGBTQI+ Health and Human Services Network, as a subcommittee of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity (CWCSEO), with the charge of building a more just, safer, and healthier environment for the community. Now called the LGBTQIA+ Justice and Opportunity Network, this subcommittee informs policy, conducts community needs assessments and builds capacity through grantmaking. With robust leadership and an established grantmaking system in place, the Network is positioned to expand.
The Network is studying initiatives including increasing grantmaking capacity; conducting a needs assessment; adding a public schools grant program to fund professional development related to guidance from the State Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education; expanding access to gender-affirming care; adding staff capacity to support new programs; and creating an LGBTQIA+ policy analyst position.
Equality Connecticut endorses and supports the strategic priorities contained within the Network plan and budget.
- Protecting LGBTQ+ Seniors: Building on related legislation in Massachusetts and New Jersey, Equality Connecticut supports a law to advance and protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ seniors in longterm care facilities, or receiving home healthcare.
An Act Concerning The Standards of Care for Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community in Long-term Care Facilities(HB 6597) codifies the provisions of federal and state nondiscrimination laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, for older people living with HIV and older LGBTQIA+ people in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and assisted living residences.
- Healthcare: In January 2025, the State Comptroller’s Healthcare Cabinet released a comprehensive report of policy recommendations and legislative priorities. Equality Connecticut supports their recommendations and pledges to work with the Comptroller’s office to turn them into state law. The following priorities are particularly urgent:
- Ensuring continued access to gender-affirming care.
- Increasing LGBTQIA+ cultural competency by requiring Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) for licensed providers.
- Maintaining and enhancing existing shield laws for providers.
Equality Connecticut will also work with advocates and elected officials to mitigate healthcare damage due to federal Executive Orders and Congressional Acts.
- Fertility access for queer people and single people: Equality Connecticut supports providing equitable access to fertility treatment to queer and single people, who are denied coverage of these services due to narrow definitions of fertility that do not recognize our lived experience. Equality Connecticut and the Fertility Access CT (FACT) Coalition demand that HUSKY and insurance providers be required to cover IVF and fertility treatments for our families.
- Housing: Equality Connecticut, as a member of the Just Cause Coalition, supports An Act Expanding the Protection of Just Cause Eviction to All Tenants (H.B. 6348). The bill seeks to end no-fault evictions for all Connecticut residents in buildings with four or more units. Connecticut law currently prohibits no-fault evictions only for renters living in complexes with five or more units who are aged 62+ and/or have a disability. Landlords can evict renters not covered by this law by refusing to renew a lease or ending a month-to-month contract, even if the tenant pays rent on time and does everything else “right”.
Just Cause would prevent discrimination against LGBTQIA+ tenants. No-fault eviction is one of the last vestiges of potential legal discrimination against our community in the state. Because landlords do not have to provide justification for a no-fault eviction, it is very difficult for renters to prove discrimination.
- Safe schools for all: Working with the lead organization The Out Accountability Project, Equality Connecticut will support policy efforts to make schools safe and affirming for all LGBTQIA+ students.
Constitutional amendment: Equality Connecticut will advocate that any changes to the state Constitution’s equal rights amendment include LGBTQIA+ people, with specific language on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
