[4] The organization, an offshoot of Media Matters for America, was founded as a "communications war room for gay equality," and was launched on December 23, 2010.

Through strategic communication, research, training and media monitoring, Equality Matters will strengthen efforts for full LGBT rights and correct anti-gay misinformation.

Its goal is to enhance advocacy and activism across all platforms and to leverage expertise in support of others who are working to make full equality a national imperative.According to Media Matters founder David Brock, Equality Matters should "expose right-wing bigotry and homophobia wherever we find it" and "stiffen the spines of progressives.

"[3] David Mixner, gay author and activist, said of the group that "while a range of groups are working to advance gay rights, the movement has lacked a national rapid-response war room of the sort that can push back against homophobic messages in the media and the political arena and keep the pressure on elected officials.

Peter Rosenstein of the Washington Blade stated that he believed "Over the past couple of months it appears that Equality Matters may have been launched too soon and before its organizers had a real strategy and mission for what they would do.