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...
Our Voices
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...
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...
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...
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...
The National Center for Lesbian 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...
The National Center for Lesbian 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...
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...
This week, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) joins our allies in the reproductive justice movement urging Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to remove harmful restrictions on emergency contraception (EC). The LGBTQ community – especially our young people – need access to emergency contraception without political roadblocks. Please lend your voice to this campaign! In the United States, the sale of non-prescription emergency contraception (EC) to females under...
Every year, more states and countries allow same-sex couples to marry. But in the states that continue to bar same-sex couples from marriage, a new legal question is emerging: will the state permit married same-sex couples to divorce, even though it will not allow them to marry? If not, these couples are stuck in a terrible legal limbo. They are legally married, and their mar- riages are recognized in many places. But they cannot get a divorce where they live, and they cannot file for divorce...