Cases & Advocacy
Pritchard v. IUOE Stationary Engineers Pension Plan
On January 22, 2016, the widower of a hotel telecommunications engineer in San Francisco sued the IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39 Pension Plan and its Board of Trustees for refusing to provide him with a spousal pension benefit required by the terms of the pension plan and federal law, solely because both spouses are men.
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Federal Court Denies FedEx’s Attempt to Throw Out Suit by Widow of FedEx Employee Denied Pension Benefits Based on Her Spouse’s 26 years of Service to the Company
Legislation & Policy
California Senate Bill 703
On October 7, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a landmark bill that protects transgender people who work for companies doing business with state agencies.
Senate Bill 703, authored by California State Senator Mark Leno, prohibits state agencies from entering into a contract in the amount of $100,000 or more with a contractor who discriminates in the provision of benefits based on an employee’s gender identity.
SB 703, which went into effect on January 1, 2016, expands existing enforcement provisions in California contracting law by adding requirements that the Department of General Services provide a web based database listing all contracts subject to this provision, and establish a method for receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints of non-compliance.
SB 703 levels the playing field in state contracting between in-state and out-of-state companies while also ensuring that state tax dollars are used in a cost-effective manner and do not go to companies that discriminate.
The bill was co-sponsored by NCLR, Equality California, and the Transgender Law Center.
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Taylor v. Brasuell
- Relationships & Family
- Relationships & Family > Marriage & Relationships
- Discrimination
- Discrimination > Employment
On July 7, 2014, NCLR and Boise attorneys Deborah A. Ferguson and Craig Durham filed a lawsuit on behalf of Madelynn Lee Taylor, a 74-year-old military veteran who challenged Idaho state laws prohibiting her from being buried in the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with her late wife, Jean Mixner.
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Jamal v. Saks & Company
On January 20, 2015, NCLR and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief supporting former Saks Fifth Avenue employee Leyth Jamal, who filed a case alleging that Saks discriminated against her for being transgender. In a request to dismiss the lawsuit, Saks argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not protect transgender workers.
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Howe v. Haslam
Nashville passed a law in 2011 that people cannot be fired from their jobs or denied services simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, only to have state lawmakers, working with a virulently anti-LGBTQ group, take it away. In June 2011, NCLR filed a lawsuit challenging this outrageous abuse of the legislative process in Tennessee.
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In re Admission of Sergio Garcia Amicus
Sergio Garcia’s parents brought him from Mexico to the United States when was an infant. Although the application Sergio’s father filed for a visa on Sergio’s behalf was approved in 1995, Sergio has not been able to apply to adjust his immigration status. Sergio completed law school and passed the California Bar Exam, but was denied admission to the bar due to his immigration status.
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Jespersen v. Harrah’s Casino Amicus
NCLR and the Transgender Law Center filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit supporting Darlene Jespersen, who was fired by Harrah’s Casino after she refused to comply with a new policy requiring female employees to adopt a hyper-feminine appearance. Harrah’s policy required all women to wear heavy makeup applied in exactly the same way every day, to match a photograph held by the supervisor.
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Burrows v. ILWU
- Relationships & Family
- Relationships & Family > Marriage & Relationships
- Discrimination
- Discrimination > Employment
Despite their long-term relationship and registration as domestic partners, the ILWU initially rejected Marvin Burrows’ claim for his partner William Swenor’s pension benefits. As a result, Burrows lost his home of 35 years and was financially destitute.
MoreResources & Publications
Florida Transgender Name Change Kit
- Youth > Transgender Youth
- Racial & Economic Justice > Legal Aid & Legal Services
- Immigration/Asylum (Hogar)
- Youth > Education
- Racial & Economic Justice > Criminalization & Incarceration
- Discrimination > Employment
- Discrimination > Housing & Public Accommodations
- Discrimination > Healthcare
- Discrimination > Elders