On November 25, 2019, the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed an amicus brief in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who was mistreated in school because he is transgender. Representing a coalition of organizations that work with families raising transgender youth, the brief tells the stories of families raising transgender children in states within the Fourth Circuit (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South...
Our Voices
The Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a rule that would open the door to increased discrimination in health care against LGBTQ people and those who use reproductive health care services. But they can’t start applying this rule before they hear from the public. We need to let them know that this new rule is unacceptable. Use the form below to tell the administration that all people deserve access to health care free from discrimination. If you are an...
NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter was awarded the John Fryer Award from the American Psychiatric Association, following a keynote lecture at the organization’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco. “It is no exaggeration to say that the modern LGBTQ rights movement owes its remarkable success to the unique partnership between legal advocates and mental health experts, who have shined the bright light of knowledge—of medical science, of evidence-based research, of fact—into the dark corners...
NCLR is honored to present the inaugural Kate Kendell Commitment to Justice Award to María “Lupita” López Segoviano. Lupita entered law school committed to do public service, with a particular interest in police brutality civil cases, immigration work, and worker’s rights. Throughout her time in school, she has worked with migrants applying for asylum, and even traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to work with members of the asylum caravan. Lupita is driven to work with and for folks affected by...
When I went to law school, there was that initial reaction of: ‘Oh! There are already too many lawyers in Washington!’ But guess what, there weren’t (and still aren’t) many lawyers who are gay and Black, grew up poor, and were raised by a Black lesbian mom. I think the policy-making world needs more people with my lived experiences because that’s what has been missing. We need to be at the table.” “there weren’t (and still aren’t) many lawyers who are gay and Black, grew up poor, and...
My name is Kate McCobb and I survived eight years of conversion therapy. This is my story.In 2006, when I was 25, I began seeing a therapist who fixated on the fact I was a lesbian – even though I didn’t seek counseling about that. He insisted that my attraction to women was pathological, a result of childhood sexual abuse even though I had no memories of that at all.He claimed that with his help, my brain could be “rewired” to reveal my “true self” – a...
* This piece originally appeared in them.us on September 10, 2018. A vote this November on trans rights in Massachusetts could have wide-ranging national consequences. by Shannon Minter & Jennifer Levi This November, Massachusetts voters will be the first anywhere to be asked whether they will retain a statewide law protecting transgender people’s equal access to public places. The law, Bill S.2047, was passed in 2016 with bipartisan support and signed by a Republican governor. For over...
Providing healthcare to all of our nation’s veterans is the right thing to do. Federal law requires the Veterans Administration (“VA”) to “furnish hospital care and medical services” to veterans. For most veterans, this means that after serving in the military they receive comprehensive medical care from the VA. Right now, transgender veterans’ healthcare coverage is at risk. On July 9, the Trump Administration announced it will be deciding whether to provide transgender veterans with...
