Today, on National Coming Out Day, countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people around the world will find the courage, through one another, to tell the world who they really are. But this day is more than a just a celebration of the freedom to be ourselves. It commemorates the 1987 National March on Washington, a grass roots protest against the Supreme Court decision in Bowers v. Hardwick upholding criminal sodomy laws, and the Reagan administration’s refusal to...
Our Voices
On Monday morning, I was in my hotel room in Washington, D.C. The news was on, all was as expected, and I was finishing up e-mails before heading out to a breakfast meeting. A minute later, the world was gloriously, fabulously, improbably turned upside down. I was nervously waiting, as we all were, to see which case(s) the U.S. Supreme Court might take this term to decide whether same-sex couples throughout the country have the freedom to marry. Then, that penultimate question was suddenly...
NCLR Is Here for All Of Us
When I joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) as its Major Gifts Officer in February, I felt like I finally found my home—an organization that not only embraces every part of me as a Blacklesbian, but also is devoted to protecting every member of the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Not leaving anyone behind in its pursuit of equality and justice is ingrained into all aspects of its work, which has transformed the nation’s legal and political landscape...
Last weekend was Pride in Austin, Texas, the place I left a year ago to move across the country with my spouse and child to work for NCLR. My Facebook feed was filled with pictures of friends and loved ones celebrating over 1,700 miles away. As a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, I was particularly moved by a photo of over 400 rainbow-shirted Methodists marching in the parade, including many church leaders who had embraced my family and unfailingly loved and supported us just as...
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”). As initially passed, the Act aimed at targeted and addressing crime that disproportionately impacted women by providing federal money for investigation and prosecution of these violent crimes and imposing automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted. In the twenty years since its passage, VAWA’s focus has expanded to capture a broader and more comprehensive segment of violence that...
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...
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...
