I’m Heading to the Supreme Court!

In December I was pretty sure I would not be going. But by January, I knew I couldn’t miss it. I’m talking, of course, about oral argument in two of the most important LGBTQ cases ever to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court—the challenges to Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). As soon as the dates of the arguments were set—back-to-back on March 26 and 27—I could not imagine NOT being there. I have never witnessed a Supreme Court argument in person. Back in 1995, I tried to...

More

We Filed a Marriage Equality Suit in New Mexico Today!

Marriage equality is coming to New Mexico! I am delighted to let you know that today we, along with our colleagues at the local and national ACLU, filed a lawsuit seeking the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in New Mexico. We have been working towards this moment for quite some time in New Mexico, and we’ve spent many months preparing the strongest possible case. And, as you likely have heard, it just so happened that on Tuesday, Santa Fe Mayor David Coss asked county clerks to...

More

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 LGBTQ 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 all civil rights and social justice movements. At our best, we learn from and lean on each other, and together we reinforce the ethic of a true commitment to justice. When I was asked by...

More

Carol Meyer and Julie Hash

Carol and Julie are sisters who grew up in Nebraska and now have a family practice in Dallas, Texas with a three-decade history at one of the world’s leading financial management and advisory companies. Their team, The Meyer Group, specializes in developing investment solutions for the unique financial planning issues of their LGBTQ clientele. Why do you support LGBTQ civil and human rights? Seven years ago we were invited by our local manager to represent the firm on the Diversity and...

More

DREAMs Come True: A Personal Story

By the time all of my peers were enrolling in driver education classes and mastering the rules of the road, I had already mastered the rules of how to go unnoticed. No jaywalking. No riding my bicycle without a helmet. And absolutely no mentioning my status as an undocumented immigrant to anyone. I was to do nothing that would set me apart from the rest. I was 2 years old when my parents, wanting nothing more than to improve their lives—and mine, brought me to America from Mexico. We soon...

More

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 pathway for DREAMers, those young women and men who came to America as children and know only this country as their home. They have waited for the...

More

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. And I got to see him do something that made me honored and moved to be among those present for this historic speech—and among those who voted for him. I have been...

More

Celebrating Roe v. Wade and Keeping Its Promise

The National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) joins our allies in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.  In this landmark decision, the Supreme Court held that state abortion bans were unconstitutional—putting an end to the shameful era in which countless women risked their health, lives and freedom to obtain abortions. But too many women are still prevented from accessing safe and legal abortions or experience severe hardship...

More

NCLR Condemns Attempt to Deny Birthright Citizenship

The National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) was outraged by the recently introduced “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2013,” discriminatory legislation that seeks to obliterate the 14th Amendment by denying birthright citizenship to the children of some immigrant parents. This legislation, which has thus far garnered little attention or support, comes amidst momentum for Congress to take up the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. Reform to the immigration system is urgently needed to...

More

NCLR Says Farewell to Senator Daniel Inouye—Champion for LGBTQ Rights

Senator Daniel Inouye, one of the LGBTQ movement’s strongest congressional allies, passed away Monday after being admitted to the hospital for respiratory complications. At the time of his death, Sen. Inouye was the most senior member of the U.S. Senate, a nine-term Senator, a Medal of Honor Recipient, and the first Japanese-American to serve in Congress. Throughout his career, Sen. Inouye tirelessly advocated for LGBTQ people and their families. Since 1996, Sen. Inouye has been a passionate...

More