October 4, 2013
Articles by Kate Kendell, Esq.
August 13, 2013
Our Summer of Landmark Victories!
NCLR has been on a tear the past several weeks. Each week, we’ve reported a great new success—our win for high school student Dynasty Young in Indiana, our federal court victory in Pennsylvania for surviving same-sex spouse Jennifer Tobits, our historic partnership with the Department of Justice on behalf of a transgender student in Arcadia, CA, and this…August 2, 2013
Love Wins: A Widow’s Marriage is Vindicated
When I first heard Jennifer’s story, I was angry and shocked. Not shocked in the sense of “how could something like this happen?”—I’ve been doing this work too long to be that naïve—but shocked in the way we are when faced with cruelty and a lack of common decency. Jennifer Tobits and Sarah “Ellyn” Farley…August 1, 2013
Read All About it! The New York Times Celebrates NCLR’s Historic Victory!
Just yesterday, you heard from us about the groundbreaking settlement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education in our case to win equal access and protections for young transgender people. Last night, The New York Times published an editorial celebrating this agreement, calling on every school district in America to adopt the guidelines…July 31, 2013
A Victory for Youth!
You already know that the NCLR staff is comprised of talented and wicked-smart individuals who possess an unwavering commitment to the full dignity and humanity of all LGBT people. But you don’t often hear directly from the key staff members who make so much of what we do possible. Today, in this message from NCLR…July 12, 2013
We Won for Dynasty!
In the same week that we celebrated the end of Proposition 8 and Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), NCLR was on the brink of settlement in a key case for one of our most inspiring clients. Dynasty Young is gay, African-American, and proudly gender non-conforming. What happened to him is appalling…February 28, 2013
All For One And One For All
I have been lucky enough to have had many mentors who led by modeling the adage “we are all in this together.” At a time of such tremendous gains for the LGBT community in this country, I am mindful every day of the importance of that mindset. There is an often unseen—but nevertheless unbreakable—link between…February 19, 2013
Ever Had a Dream? You’re Not Alone
It’s been an incredible few weeks. President Obama made history last month when he announced his plan to bring humanity and decency to our nation’s immigration policy, and underscored the urgency of coming together to bring major reform now. The President’s speech outlined his vision for a clear path toward citizenship that includes a streamlined…January 29, 2013
Immigration History Made, Humanity Wins Out—Now the Real Work Begins
I saw President Obama today. I am in Las Vegas, where the President came to unveil his proposal for overhauling our inhumane and frequently—and justly—criticized immigration system. So of course, I was joined by hundreds of others, and with millions of others who watched online and on TV, but still, I saw the President today….November 7, 2012