WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that certain businesses that involve customized expressive messages may turn away same-sex couples or other customers. The ruling came in the case 303 Creative v. Elenis, in which the Court addressed whether a website designer in Colorado could refuse to design wedding […]

If passed, historic legislation would bar discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, women, and people of color in education, employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, and other aspects of everyday life WASHINGTON, DC – Today, NCLR lauded the reintroduction of the Equality Act (S.5/H.R.15), a comprehensive federal civil rights bill that would create permanent protections for LGBTQ individuals, […]

Final District Court Order in Curb Records and Mike Curb Foundation’s challenge to HB 1182 ensures the anti-business “Not Welcome” sign law will never take effect January 6, 2023 (NASHVILLE) – A U.S. District Court has entered a final order prohibiting enforcement of Tennessee HB 1182, a law passed in 2021 requiring businesses to post a demeaning […]

LGBTQ organizations’ friend-of-the-court brief warns the “free speech exemption” sought by petitioners in 303 Creative v. Elenis would undermine the bedrock protections that public accommodations laws have long provided against discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, and more in the marketplace  WASHINGTON – LGBTQ civil and legal rights advocates today filed […]

First-of-its-kind Appeals Court ruling says transgender people cannot be excluded from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in public institutions—including carceral settings RICHMOND, VA — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit today affirmed that transgender people who experience gender dysphoria are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. […]

SUMMARY OF ISSUE The Equality Act (S. 393) would prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, credit, education, public accommodations (things like restaurants, hotels, and theaters), and jury service. It would also prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in programs receiving federal funding.  It […]

WASHINGTON, DC – National Center for Lesbian Rights today hails the quick issuance of guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which clarifies that the federal Fair Housing Act fully protects LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.   “Homelessness and housing insecurity are critical issues for many LGBTQ people – particularly transgender individuals […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 4, 2020 CONTACTS:Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director415.365.1337 | cvasquez@nclrights.org PHOENIX, AZ – Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), along with co-counsel Cooley LLP and Osborn Maledon, P.A. filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s requirement that transgender people undergo surgery before the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will correct the sex […]

SUMMARY OF ISSUE On Friday, July 23, 2020, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a new rule that would gut protections for transgender people seeking safe shelter. This rule would strip away current protections that prohibit federally-funded homeless shelters from discriminating against transgender people. The new rule permits shelters to discriminate, which will […]

If you have questions, updates, edits, or suggestions for the resource guide, please let us know The mission of the National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action Network is to end poverty in the U.S., advocate for economic justice, and pursue solutions to economic, racial, gender and social disparities as they specifically impact low-income LGBTQ people. We seek […]

“Perseverance in almost any plan is better than fickleness and fluctuation”—Alexander Hamilton When we adopted our NCLR tag line—”The audacity to fight for justice, the perseverance to win”—it was before President Obama’s book “The Audacity of Hope” and years before the cultural phenomenon that is “Hamilton” ushered in a refreshed examination of Alexander Hamilton’s writings. […]

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a regulation that requires any homeless shelter that receives federal funding to treat transgender people equally. The rule expressly requires that shelters must house transgender individuals based on their gender identity. The rule is an important coda to the groundbreaking Equal Access Rule issued […]

We all know that LGBTQ people are everywhere, which is why NCLR launched our #RuralPride Campaign, which includes holding day-long summits in rural regions across the country to help LGBTQ folks connect with federal agencies, national organizations, and one another. For the past two years, we have worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and […]

We know that having one-on-one conversations about equality is one of the best ways to change hearts and minds. Our work around marriage showed us that when we reach out, listen, and share our stories we can create monumental change towards a more just community. Now we have an amazing new opportunity to create that […]

“…Later that night I held an atlas in my lap ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered where does it hurt? it answered everywhere everywhere everywhere” —Warsan Shire   Two days after a sniper killed five Dallas police officers, this poem, by expat Somali poet Warsan Shire, who came to world’s attention when […]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced last week an historic final rule aimed at affirmatively furthering fair housing. This final rule marks the first time since the Fair Housing Act (FHA) passed in 1968 that HUD has clarified this provision of the FHA, which requires the government and federally funded program recipients […]

In a powerful speech on Saturday, January 28th, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan made history when he unveiled HUD’s LGBTQ Equal Access policy—a new rule that will protect more than 5.5 million people across the country from discrimination in public housing and Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgages. The new rule, […]