The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights community has for sometime been dispersed and disparate. We have often been more willing to criticise each other than to join together to achieve our common goals. Yet, when we have stood side-by-side we have been a formidable force in changing public opinion.

Across the UK, individuals and organisations have been working and campaigning for many years. We have all built up considerable experiences and skills that have achieved significant change across all spheres of our lives. Change has been achieved in government, at work, in our local communities and in our private lives. The differences between the organisations and campaigners of the 1970s and the next generation are wide and reflected by the different times within which we live. Some mountains we have conquered, but there are many more barriers that we need to breakdown.

In 1998 80 organisations from across the UK met and formed the Equality Alliance ("EA"). The aim was to create a democratic membership organisation that would unite LGBT activists and groups behind common demands. These organisations wanted to share their ideas, experiences and resources to maximise their campaigning.

The Equality Alliance went through a rocky two years as it battled against the infighting of the LGBT rights movement. It tried to steer a course through often rocky waters and break down barriers between organisations and individuals.

In 2001 the Equality Alliance, following its AGM at the QueerTalk 2000 conference, relaunched itself as a campaigning network. We have listened to what activists want and identified ways to facilitate their growth and increase the impact of their campaigns. We have also recognised that the EA must be an organic network, working from the grassroots to build upon its strength.

It is a purely voluntary organisation that is steered by activists from a broad range of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campaigning organisations. Together we work to build the effectiveness of activists and grassroots organisations through providing information, conferences, meetings, discussion forums, e-mail discussion groups and our bi-monthly newsletter Queer Update.

Our Aims

The Equality Alliance was launched to:

• Apply maximum pressure on Government bodies and other institutions to end discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people
• Increase inter-group communication
• Achieve co-ordinated member campaigning