Legislation & Policy
Medicare for All
On February 27, 2019, Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA) introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2019 (H.R.1384/S.1804) to establish a national health insurance program to combat the high costs of healthcare and health-related services for all U.S. residents. The Medicare for All Act would provide guaranteed access to affordable healthcare for all persons living in the U.S. Establishing an universal healthcare system is a top priority for LGBTQ people, because they are less likely to have health insurance than non-LGBTQ people.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Annie F. and Lyndy R.
Annie and Lyndy had been together for nearly thirteen years when Annie suffered a debilitating stroke. About ten years later, Annie entered hospice care while Lyndy continued to care for her. Despite legal documents designating Lyndy as the person responsible to make medical decisions for her, a state entity removed Annie from her shared home with Lyndy and petitioned for a public guardian.
MoreCases & Advocacy
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.
MoreCases & Advocacy
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
Resources & Publications
Advancements in State and Federal Law Regarding Transgender Employees
Resources & Publications
AB 2356: Equal Access to Fertility Medical Care FAQs for Providers
Cases & Advocacy
Dynasty Young v. Indianapolis Public Schools
Dynasty Young is a gender nonconforming black gay student who likes to wear knee-high boots, bangles, and purses to school. Students bullied him because he is gay and didn’t conform stereotypes of how boys are expected to behave.
MoreCases & Advocacy
Apilado. v. North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association
- Racial & Economic Justice
- Racial & Economic Justice > Race & Poverty
- Discrimination
- Discrimination > Housing & Public Accommodations
- Discrimination > Sports
LaRon Charles, Jon Russ and Steven Apilado had been playing softball together in the San Francisco Gay Softball League for years. Their team had competed in the Gay Softball World Series organized by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), but had never finished better than fourth place. At the 2008 World Series in Seattle, the team made it all the way to the championship game, when they were shocked to learn that their eligibility to play was being challenged based on a NAGAAA rule limiting the number of non-gay players who could play on a World Series team.
MoreLegislation & Policy
Equal Access to Fertility
- Relationships & Family > Parenting
- Relationships & Family > Reproductive Justice
- Discrimination > Healthcare
California fertility service providers are permitted to offer people seeking to conceive using a known sperm donor access to certain fertility services on the same terms as different-sex couples under Assembly Bill 2356 (2012), which went into effect January 1, 2013. This bill was authored by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner and co-sponsored by Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Increasingly, women in same-sex couples, transgender people, and single women are asking trusted friends to act as sperm donors in order to conceive a child. California was the first state to legally recognize that people may use known donors (not just anonymous sperm donors) to conceive a child.
However, people using known donors could not access the same fertility services as women in different-sex relationships. Different-sex couples can have insemination services using fresh sperm. Known donors’ sperm must typically be frozen and quarantined for six months. Insemination using fresh sperm is more effective and less costly.
AB 2356 allows providers to provide insemination services using fresh (unfrozen) sperm to people using known donors. Providers are not required to offer this service, but this law clarifies that they may offer it.
More