LGBT

It’s no secret the anniversary of Roe v. Wade holds a special place in the hearts of women’s rights advocates. But this anniversary has special meaning for advocates in other equality movements that have directly benefited from the principles set forth in Roe. Read more »

We have all seen tragic headlines like this: Student Commits Suicide over Homophobic Slurs. School Cancels Prom over Lesbian Couple. Parents of Gay Teen Say Bullying Caused Death.

Students who are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) are especially at risk for bullying and harassment at school. Every day, students across the country endure the devastating impacts of this kind of bullying; sinking academic performance, health risks, and dropping out.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex, but did you know there is no federal law prohibiting LGBT discrimination in schools? You can help provide a safe learning environment for all students.

Make a call today and ask your Senators to co-sponsor an important piece of legislation, the Student Non-Discrimination Act, to prevent LGBT discrimination in K-12 public schools. It's easy. Dial (202) 224-3121 TODAY and ask to be connected to your Senators' offices. Read more »

Last week, a federal appeals court in Georgia with a conservative reputation ruled in the strongest terms that “[a]n individual cannot be punished because of his or her gender-nonconformity. Because these protections are afforded to everyone, they cannot be denied to a transgender individual.”

In 2007, Vandy Elizabeth Glenn (who at that time went by Glenn Morrison) told her boss at the Georgia General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Counsel that she was planning on transitioning from male to female. He promptly fired her, after remarking that “it’s unsettling to think of someone dressed in women’s clothing with male sexual organs inside that clothing,” and describing a male in women’s clothing as “unnatural.”

In a unanimous opinion written by Judge Rosemary Barkett, the court held that “discriminating against someone on the basis of his or her gender non-conformity constitutes sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and that “discrimination against a transgender individual because of her gender nonconformity is sex discrimination.”

This case is a huge step forward for LGBT rights—it will force many employers to think twice before they fire transgender workers for discriminatory reasons. And it sends a message to transgender men and women that they are legally protected from sex discrimination in the workplace. It also reaffirms the continuing importance of the Equal Protection Clause’s protection against discrimination on the basis of gender stereotypes today. Read more »

A recent article in the New York Times finally sheds light on a question many LGBT individuals have been asking for years: why is it so hard to find culturally competent health care professionals who are willing and able to deal with the unique health issues that face the LGBT community?

In a study done by Stanford’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Medical Education Research Group, researchers found that many medical schools only provide students with five hours of training on health care for LGBT patients. One third of medical schools did not give any LGBT medical training. Also, over twenty-five percent of the medical school deans surveyed characterized their school’s LGBT training as “poor” or “very poor.” About half of the surveyed deans characterized their school’s training as “fair.”   Read more »