A national group plans to seek anti-discrimination state laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.
Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin says Tuesday that the Washington-based group is spending $8.5 million for its "Project One America" in the three southern states.
The three states do not have laws to protect people from being fired from a job or evicted from housing because of sexual orientation.
Griffin, an Arkansas native, says the group hopes to start conversations in families, churches and other places to show a need for equal protection.
Project One America publicly launches in Alabama tomorrow morning on the capitol steps in Montgomery with two more events later at Birmingham's City Hall and the Museum of Art.