Florida Parents and Students Challenge “Don’t Say Gay” Law as Harmful and Unconstitutional, and included in legal team is renowned attorney Robbie Kaplan who argued for her client, the late Edie Windsor in our winning marriage equality case, at the Supreme Court of the United Sates. Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP and NCLR File Federal … More Florida Parents and Students Challenge “Don’t Say Gay” Law
Today the Equality Act (H.R. 5) was reintroduced into Congress. The Bill is a comprehensive federal civil rights bill that would create permanent protections for LGBTQ individuals, women, and people of color from discrimination in seven critical sectors, including healthcare, housing, education, employment, federal funding, and public accommodations. The bill was passed by the House … More The Equality Act Re-introduced into U.S. Congress
New York, NY- Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund applauds news that a federal court in the District of Columbia has blocked enforcement of the Trump Administration’s transgender military ban. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction today. Earlier this month TLDEF filed an amicus or “friend of the court” brief with the federal court in Washington, D.C. … More TLDEF Applauds Federal Court Blocking Enforcement of Trump Admin’s Transgender Military Ban
TLDEF Files Brief in Support of Transgender Servicemembers Challenging Trump Administration’s Military Ban New York, NY- Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund has filed an amicus or “friend of the court” brief with the United States federal court in Washington, D.C. in support of transgender troops who are challenging the ban on open transgender military service. Last July, … More TLDEF Files Brief Supporting Transgender Servicemembers’ Challenge to Trump Military Ban
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Condemns Reported Ban on Transgender Military Health Care and Deployment New York, NY – Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund today responded to reports that the White House is forwarding guidance to military officials that directs Defense Secretary James Mattis to implement policy within six months to cease all … More Reported Ban on Transgender Military Health Care and Deployment Condemned
Now is a Critical Time to participate in your Equality Finally we are seeing a national LGBTI organization push for passage of the Equality Act that is currently before Congress. Today the National Center for Lesbian Rights, NCLR, launched a national campaign, Support the Equality Act, to urge municipal and state leaders across the country … More NCLR Pushes for LGBT Rights in Call to Action for Equality Act
Legislature to clarify controversial measure and simply reaffirm current law
Screen Shot 2016-03-02 at 8.35.45 AMTallahassee – Avoiding the disastrous route of their Georgia colleagues, the Florida House of Representatives today is expected to pass an amended version of the so-called Pastor Protection bill (HB 43) to limit its scope and send the message that controversial amendments allowing discrimination would not be entertained.
The bill had been widely criticized as a vaguely worded and unnecessary duplication of existing laws that served as a Trojan Horse for more nefarious measures to be added. That was the route Georgia lawmakers took by amending their pastor protection bill last month to allow any individual or faith-based business, for-profit entity, or taxpayer-funded organization to ignore nondiscrimination protections or any law that conflicts with their religious beliefs about marriage. The state is roiling from the public outrage and the economic backlash that has been strong enough to draw the threat of a veto from the Georgia governor. … More Florida House & Senate Avert Disaster of Expanded Pastor Protection Bill
Transgender activists, Trans Community and all who care please take note of this call to action by the Federal Government and leading organizations! Posted by Melanie Nathan, January 14, 2016. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently published a new regulation that it is considering adopting, one that would, for the first … More HUD Wants your Input on New Rules for Transgender Shelter Seekers
Posted by Melanie Nathan, January 05, 2016. Yes there is still fallout from DOMA and it is scandalous to note that FedEx did not have the decency to apply the Edie Windsor case retrospectively. So now let fairness, equality and justice prevail, with thanks to these Plaintiffs, NCLR, Feinberg Jackson Worthman & Wasow, the Civil … More Judge Rules Against FedEx in Same-Sex Benefits Case
SB 703 takes effect on January 1, 2016. By Melanie Nathan, October 07, 2015. SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation today that prohibits state agencies from doing business with companies that fail to offer transgender employees the same health care coverage and benefits they provide all other workers. Senate Bill 703, authored by … More California Governor Signs Bill Ensuring Equal Benefits for Transgender Employees
Retired General and Flag Officers Call on Military Services to Comply with Recent Department Of Defense Rules Affecting Transgender Personnel Posted by Melanie Nathan, November 26, 2014. Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, Major General Vance Coleman, and Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, issued a joint statement today to accompany a new report showing that the Army, Air … More Generals Call on Military to Comply with DOD Transgender Rules
Why is one of the nation’s most prominent Catholic archbishop scheduled to speak at a virulently anti-gay rally? By Melanie Nathan, June 11, 2014. Well when we protested his installation we knew he would hurt us and we were right! (See picture of Melanie at protest against his installation.) Perhaps he is drunk again – … More STOP San Francisco Catholic Archbishop Marching with Extreme Anti-Gay Haters
#ENDAIsNOTequal #DeadENDA #ENDENDA #WTFHRC By Melanie Nathan, June 05, 2014. Washington Blade is reporting that The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) announced today that it does not support the current version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act pending before Congress because of the bill’s religious exemption. A schism has developed amongst activists with grassroots pitted … More NCLR Takes A stand Against Onerous ENDA While HRC Fights for It
Posted by Melanie Ntahan, May 29, 2014. From The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is alive and well in rural America and your government wants to hear from you! In a historic partnership, NCLR has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a new … More LGBTQ Organization and USDA Team up for Rural Pride
Federal Court Rejects Discrimination Claim Against Catholic Hospital’s Refusal to Cover Same-Sex Spouse Under Employee Benefit Plan and ENDA is in danger Why I am calling on Freedom to Marry, NCLR, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, ACLU, Transgender Law Center, GetEQUAL to thwart the HRC push for Senate’s ENDA By Melanie Nathan, May 07, 2014. Although both … More Federal Court’s refusal of benefits in Employee Plan shows why religious exemption hurts ENDA
By Melanie Nathan, May 02, 2014. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) will be honored on May 28th at the 2014 Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) Awards Reception! NCLR has worked for many years in partnership with MEUSA and both organizations have done a tremndous amount of work to further the marriage equality gains in … More NCLR to be Honored by Grassroots MEUSA
URGENTLY Calling on HRC, NCLR, Get EQUAL and Other U.S.A. Organizations to Start Preparing Now to Form a Coalition to Rally for Nigeria By Melanie Nathan, February 13, 2014. Nigeria’s LGBT community, through The Solitary Alliance, is calling on the world to help protest against the anti-gay law that has caused major persecution and mob … More U.S. Organizations Remain Silent while Nigerian Gays Desperate for Global Rally March 07
An OBLOGDEE and Melanie Nathan account of the year 2013. By Melanie Nathan, December 30, 2013. As usual at the risk of being controversial, including, excluding, forgetting, remembering, here is my list of the year’s best and worst for 2013. Please feel free to weigh in! This was a year of reckoning for the religious … More Heroes and Zeroes 2013
Help California Action Alert for Transgender Youth Posted by Melanie Nathan, July 08, 2013. On July 3, 2013, The California State Senate passed the School Success and Opportunity Act (Assembly Bill 1266), sending the bill that ensures transgender students have the opportunity to succeed in school to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature. Authored by … More Help Call for California Governor Jerry Brown to Sign Transgender Law
by Melanie Nathan, Feb. 06, 2012, 10.20 am. After a long and thorough national search for a new deputy director, NCLR is announcing that they have found the perfect fit in Arcelia Hurtado, who is one of the nation’s leading civil rights attorneys. Hurtado will be joining NCLR staff in April as the new deputy … More National Center for Lesbian Rights NCLR hires New Deputy Director
HUD has officially announced publication of the final rule entitled Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today new regulations intended to ensure that HUD’s core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of … More HUD Announces LGBT Equal Access to Housing Guidelines
Posted by Melanie Nathan, January 05, 2012, San Francisco — The National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Sports Project Director Helen Carroll and Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s Changing the Game Project Director Pat Griffin have been named by Outsports readers as the 2011 “Persons of the Year.” Outsports made the announcement today, noting that … More Outsports Persons of the Year Named
We applaud the First Major Speech to push LGBT rights Abroad. by Melanie Nathan San Francisco, CA, December 6, 2011—Amongst the many accolades this morning, The National Center for Lesbian Rights applauds Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for her groundbreaking speech today on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people … More USA GAY Lesbian Advocates Applaud Geneva Speech of Secretary of State Clinton
Posted by Melanie Nathan; The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), K&L Gates LLP, and the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) have negotiated a settlement in a case brought against NAGAAA by three bisexual softball players whose team was disqualified from competition following a protest hearing at the 2008 Gay Softball World Series … More Case Disqualifying Bisexual Players’ Team At 2008 Gay Softball World Series Settled
by Melanie Nathan, (San Francisco, CA, July 22, 2011) Today, President Barack Obama, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen notified Congress that the military is ready to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the discriminatory two-decade old policy that bars lesbian, gay, and bisexual people … More Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Certified
By Melanie Nathan, (Minneapolis, MN, July 21, 2011)—The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and Faegre & Benson, LLP, filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the alarming anti-gay harassment in schools within the Anoka-Hennepin School District as well as the district’s “gag policy” that prevents teachers from discussing issues … More Lawsuit Sheds Light on Anoka-Hennepin School District’s LGBT GAG Policy
July 21, 2011,Melanie Nathan, NCLR and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the “gag policy” at Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District that prevents school staff from talking about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, and creates an environment where LGBT students are relentlessly bullied. The lawsuit was filed on behalf … More Lawsuit Challenging Anti-LGBT Environment in Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District
July 06, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, In support of NCLR, National Center for Lesbian Rights, I am highlighting their program for their summer tour. NCLR will advocate, legislate and educate, as the case may be – to ensure the rights of the entire LGBTI community. I am proud to recommend the following events, overseen by … More NCLR Summer Tour – Events Across the Continent
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) presented its highest honors to five trailblazers, including country singer Chely Wright, in the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality at its 34th Anniversary Celebration … More NCLR’s 34th Annual Celebration in San Francisco Honors Chely Wright, Kye Allums
Breaking by Melanie Nathan “We are pleased that the Alameda County Fire Department and CalPERS are complying with SB 54, and providing benefits to LGBT employees and their spouses just like they do for all other married couples,” said Ilona Turner, a staff attorney with NCLR. “We trust that other public agencies in California will … More Breaking – Equal Ca Benefits Awarded To Same-Sex Bi-National Spouse
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