On May 14, 2014, Gildas Dousset, a student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, filed an appeal in state court seeking recognition of his marriage to his husband. The appeal argued that Florida’s laws barring recognition of the valid out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples violate the United States Constitution. Dousset and his spouse legally married in Massachusetts in 2013 and lived together in Fort Lauderdale. When Dousset sought in-state tuition at Florida Atlantic...
Our Voices
Annie and Lyndy had been together for nearly thirteen years when Annie suffered a debilitating stroke. Lyndy began caring for her immediately. About ten years later, Annie entered hospice care while Lyndy continued to care for her. During this time, Annie signed several legal documents, designating Lyndy as the person responsible to make medical decisions for her. Despite these documents, a state entity removed Annie from her shared home with Lyndy and petitioned for a public guardian. NCLR...
NCLR represented Kelli Davis, a senior at Fleming High School, who was denied the right to appear in her senior yearbook because she wore a tuxedo rather than stereotypically feminine clothing. After receiving a demand letter from NCLR and Equality Florida, the school board agreed to change its senior portrait policy, add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy for both students and teachers, distribute a copy of the new non-discrimination policy to all secondary school students,...
V.A., a lesbian who lives in Florida with her partner, has been raising a baby boy, E.L.A., since nine days after he was born. He was placed with V.A. in part because she is a relative. After Florida’s Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) terminated the parental rights of E.L.A.’s birth mother, V.A. applied to adopt E.L.A. During a hearing to determine whether the adoption was in E.L.A.’s best interests, V.A.’s partner, family members, friends,...
This FAQ answers questions for families who wish to adopt in Florida. Open PDF
Lara Embry (L.E.) and Kimberly Ryan (K.R.) are a female couple who had two children together in Washington. Each partner gave birth to one child, and each adopted her non-biological child through a second-parent adoption in Washington. The couple moved to Florida, and their relationship ended several years later. They entered into an agreement and successfully shared equal custody and visitation with both children until K.R. broke the agreement. Although the children had been raised together...
A chart outlining the municipalities in Florida that have Human Rights Ordinances and the extent of their coverage. Download PDF
Seventeen-year-old J.W. and 18-year-old D.A. had been dating for almost six months when J.W.’s mother, Ms. W., learned about their relationship. Because she disapproved of her daughter dating another woman, in December 2007, Ms. W. petitioned a Florida court to get a restraining order to prohibit any contact between the two. Ms. W. admitted in court that she was seeking a restraining order only because she did not want her daughter to have a relationship with another woman. Even though...
This document provides a summary and discussion of relevant Florida law for attorneys who are representing LGBTQ parents in custody and visitation cases in Florida. Open PDF
NCLR represented Susan Stanton, who was threatened with termination from her longtime position as the City Manager for the City of Largo, Florida after her employer learned that she is transgender and will be undergoing sex reassignment. Despite Stanton’s 17 years of dedicated service to the City of Largo, the City Commission voted on February 28, 2007 to begin the legal process of firing Stanton, who informed the Commission that she is transgender after learning that a local newspaper...
