Though domestic violence is a serious problem in countries all over the world, not all governments offer help and assistance to survivors of domestic violence. And even in countries where survivors can seek help, LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence may not be able to come forward due to fear of persecution and discrimination by governments that do not recognize—or actively disparage—their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Yesterday, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), after a...
Date
Month: August 2014
Involuntary part-time work. Unpredictable schedules. Fear of employer retaliation for taking time away to care for a sick child. These are all incompatible with reproductive justice, and yet this describes the current employment situation for many low-income workers. This is particularly true for women, since women are still disproportionately the primary caregivers, while also acting as the primary breadwinner in 40% of families. Moreover, women in the LGBTQ community are especially...
As a first year law student at Stanford in 2006, I didn’t know much. I knew I wanted to help people. I knew I wanted to do something that helped queer people or people of color. And I knew I was homesick for my family I left back in Nebraska to start this new adventure in my life. When I walked into a small classroom to volunteer for NCLR, I had no idea that I would be able to learn so much and address all of my first year law student wants. At NCLR, I’ve found a place that helps both LGBTQ...
The killing of Michael Brown has dominated the headlines and my thoughts over the past few days. An African-American 18-year-old dead with multiple gunshot wounds. The shots fired by a St. Louis police officer. The circumstances reeking of cover-up, profiling, and racism. My African-American 18-year-old son Julian has spent the last two weeks as an intern at Equal Justice Society (EJS), an organization for which I have been a long-time board member. Founded more than 14 years ago by my friend...
Hobby Lobby is not the beginning—nor the end—of laws controlling the reproductive choices of oppressed groups and privileging the reproductive choices of a select few. Our legal system has a long and continuing history of restricting the reproductive choices of women, especially American Indian women, other women of color, low-income women, and people with disabilities. These restrictions have not been limited to access to birth control or forced sterilization. They have also targeted who can...
On July 30th, a 15-year old trans girl was stabbed on a metro platform in Washington, D.C. Though it has not yet been formally designated a hate crime, given the facts surrounding the incident, it seems clear that this young girl was attacked because of her gender identity. This is sadly the case for most violence against trans people, particularly trans women of color. While the victim of this horrendous crime is fortunately in stable condition, this is not the case for many of our sisters...
