This year brought our country a new presidency, and, as a national legal organization that is committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy, and education, NCLR pledges to work with the Biden-Harris Administration and the 117th Congress to advance equality for LGBTQ+ people.
NCLR’s 2021 Federal Policy Agenda works cross the full spectrum of issues that affect our diverse community. This entails devoting particular attention to the following areas: furthering racial and economic justice, ensuring justice and equality by eradicating discrimination, strengthening relationships and families, promoting the health and well-being of our youth, and ensuring just immigration policy.
Check out the following videos created by NCLR staff to get more information about the specific areas of NCLR’s 2021 Federal Policy Agenda.
Furthering Racial & Economic Justice
Tyrone Handley, Esq., NCLR Senior Policy Counsel (he/him)
Tyrone Handley explains NCLR’s commitment to pursuing economic justice for LGBTQ+ people and families living in poverty and to advocating for the rights of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people. NCLR’s policies regarding racial and economic justice also include reshaping the response to sexual violence and harm, ending the criminalization of people living with HIV, and supporting the well-being of sex-workers.
Ensuring Justice and Equality by Eradicating Discrimination
Julie Gonen, Esq., NCLR Policy Director (she/her)
Julie Gonen elaborates on NCLR’s promise to ensuring justice and equality through the eradication of discrimination. This commitment emphasizes the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County throughout federal policies and the focus on passing federal LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination legislation, such as advocating for the rights of all qualified LGBTQ+ people to join and serve openly in the military.
Strengthening Relationships and Families
Cathy Sakimura, Esq., NCLR Deputy Director and Family Law Director (she/her)
Cathy Sakimura notes that NCLR promises to highlight the intersection of LGBTQ+ equality and reproductive health, rights, and justice. This entails advocating for LGBTQ+ parents, ensuring the total recognition of marriage equality, and strengthening social safety nets in order to preserve families.
Promoting Health and Well-Being of Our Youth
Shannan Wilber, Esq., NCLR Youth Policy Director (she/her)
Shannan Wilber discusses the ways in which NCLR emphasizes the total eradication of conversion therapy and ensuring equal opportunities in education and extracurricular activities in schools for LGBTQ+ youth, such as athletics. Further, this commitment envisions two transformations: changing the youth justice system from a focus on surveillance and incarceration to a focus on restoration and healing and altering the focus of the child welfare system from family separation to family well-being.
Ensuring Just Immigration Policy
Mateo Sanchez, NCLR Immigration Project Associate (they/them)
Mateo Sanchez summarizes the ways in which NCLR is dedicated to ensuring just immigration policies and this aspect of the Federal Policy Agenda includes expanding protections for individuals fleeing persecution. Also, this includes ending the use of immigration detention centers, especially for the most vulnerable immigrants such as transgender and gender non-conforming people, children, and individuals with health conditions such as HIV/AIDS.