In 2021, NCLR held a series of conversations about pressing issues in the LGBTQ movement with staff talking about what NCLR is doing to respond and what we see in the future. You can find out about those series of discussions (Forgotten LGBTQ Youth, 1st Amendment Rights vs. Anti-Discrimination, and The Modern Family) and watch full recordings of the conversations below.

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PAST IN CONVERSATION DISCUSSIONS

Forgotten LGBTQ Youth

Tuesday, October 26
12 pm PT/3 pm ET

NCLR’s Shannon Minter, Amy Whelan, and Shannan Wilber plus special plaintiff guest

The LGBTQ movement has made stunning progress – progress that would have been unthinkable even ten years ago. Even so, LGBTQ youth still face the most severe, damaging, and gut-wrenching harms. For decades, the horrific statistics about high rates of suicidality among LGBTQ youth have not changed, nor have the appalling realities that LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth, and that LGBTQ youth (overwhelmingly youth of color) account for up to 40% of youth in foster care and juvenile justice facilities. Every single day, LGBTQ youth from every economic stratum are forced into so-called “residential treatment centers,” where they are subjected to prison-like conditions and relentless abuse.  

NCLR is one of very few national LGBTQ organizations tackling these issues and seeking to stop this hidden human rights crisis. Please join us to hear more about our work on these critical issues, including both systemic reform and litigation on behalf of individual young people whose voices are almost never heard.

Watch Now:

First Amendment Rights vs. Anti-Discrimination

Thursday, November 18
9 am PT/12 pm ET

NCLR’s Shannon Minter, Asaf Orr, and Julie Wilensky plus special plaintiff guest

For decades, the First Amendment guarantee of free speech has been one of our movement’s most powerful legal tools. But now, anti-LGBTQ groups are using the First Amendment to challenge anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, leading to what Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has called “the weaponization of the First Amendment.” 

NCLR has been at the forefront of efforts to combat these anti-LGBTQ strategies, both in court and in state legislatures. Please come learn about these critical new battles and NCLR’s work, including recent cases defending a California law protecting transgender elders and a university anti-discrimination policy protecting transgender students. The outcome of these cases will have a huge impact on our community nationwide. 

Watch Now:

Modern Family

Thursday, December 9 
5 pm PT/8 pm ET 

NCLR’s Shannon Minter, Cathy Sakimura, and Ming Wong plus special guest 

Family law has been at the core of NCLR’s work since our founding. LGBTQ families are formed in many different ways, including through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, adoption, and kinship care. NCLR is a leader in developing laws that truly protect all families, no matter how they are formed. For example, NCLR has helped draft and pass laws that recognize that children can have more than two parents, allow LGBTQ parents to have children through surrogacy while also protecting the health and rights of people acting as surrogates, recognize transgender parents, and protect low-income parents who may not be able to go to court or consult with an attorney. 

Join us for a conversation about recent victories and current efforts to recognize all our families, including our work to pass ethical surrogacy laws. 

Watch Now: