In 2021, NCLR held a series of conversations about pressing issues in the LGBTQ movement with staff talking about what NCLR is doing to respond and what we see in the future. You can find out about those series of discussions (Forgotten LGBTQ Youth, 1st Amendment Rights vs. Anti-Discrimination, and The Modern Family) and watch full recordings of the conversations below. Forgotten LGBTQ YouthFirst Amendment Rights vs. Anti-DiscriminationModern Family PAST IN CONVERSATION DISCUSSIONS Forgotten...
At NCLR, we have been fighting to end the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy even before we launched our Born Perfect campaign in 2014. Since then, we have passed laws in 20 states and more than 100 localities protecting LGBTQ youth from this harmful practice. That’s why we are excited today to present Bobby’s Big Problem, co-created by Born Perfect and Enfranchisement Productions. This short film includes an all-star cast including Patton Oswalt, D’Arcy...
NCLR’s Federal Policy Director Julie Gonen penned a powerful OpEd for the Los Angeles Blade about the perils of Texas’ recently enact SB 8 anti-abortion bill – and why the future it may usher in should terrify our LGBTQ community as a whole. Give it a read and share widely. SB 8 puts us one step closer to life in Gilead – and that should worry every LGBTQ person SB 8 should alarm the LGBTQ community as we also find ourselves the targets of religious and right-wing ideologues I...
Because of the strength and courage of survivors, today is Andrew Cuomo’s last day as the Governor of New York. It has taken years of abuse, a 5-month long investigation, a 7-day waiting period, and a 14-day transition for a man credibly accused of sexually harassing and abusing women on his staff, to step down from his position. And while we owe a debt to the women who came forward, it should not take the incredible bravery of these 11 women to achieve this level of accountability. It should...
In 2020, I began my first year as a law student at UC Davis, moving from my home state of Utah to Northern California. After arriving in Davis I knew I wanted to continue working on behalf of LGBTQ people as I had done in the past as part of the close-knit queer community in Salt Lake City, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Beginning college in a new city, I didn’t have any friends or connections, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging to get involved and meet new people in...
[Re-published with permission from Gay Parent Magazine | July-August 2021 | Issue #137] Catherine “Cathy” Sakimura, Esq. is the Deputy Director & Family Law Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). Cathy identifies as queer, using she/her pronouns, while her spouse, Melia, identifies as non-binary, using they/them pronouns. Cathy and Melia live just outside of San Francisco, California with their two children, ages 2 and 4. Cathy asked that her children’s names not...
Happy Juneteenth! Something pretty incredible happened this week. On June 17th, President Biden signed a bill that officially commemorates Juneteenth as the 11th annual federal holiday in the United States. Slavery is perhaps our country’s most appalling and shameful legacy. Even after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 declaring the end to slavery in the United States, this was not enforced in every part of the country. In fact, it was not until more than two years...
As we celebrate Pride Month and the one-year anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sex discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, we must continue to fight for LGBTQ equality. When we reflect on the Bostock decision and its incredible impact on our community, we must also remember the tough work that still remains to ensure...
Today marks the five-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL that took the lives of 49 mostly Black and Brown LGBTQ people who were out enjoying their night in what they considered a safe space. As a native Orlandoan, and someone who started going to Pulse when they first opened in 2004, I will never forget the feeling of shock, grief, and anger that coursed through my body when I first saw the news about the horrendous loss of life in a place I once...
Protecting families has been a core part of our work at the National Center for Lesbian Rights since we started in 1977. We envision a world where all families — no matter how they are formed — are given equal dignity and respect. Even though we have made a lot of progress over the last 45 years, LGBTQ families are still separated in every state because of discrimination and lack of legal recognition of our family relationships. Last year, NCLR’s client, LaNesha Matthews, was removed from her...
