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 […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – NCLR is saddened to hear of the passing of our long-time friend and LGBTQ philanthropist and trailblazer, Ambassador James (Jim) Hormel. Jim made history in 1999 when former President Bill Clinton appointed him to serve as the first openly LGBTQ United States Ambassador.   NCLR Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon issued the following […]

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 […]

Gay Parent Magazine profiled NCLR’s Deputy Director and Family Law Director Cathy Sakimura for their July-August 2021 Issue, discussing how to make the world a better place for LGBTQ parents everywhere.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States after campaigning on a platform that advocated for the strongest protections for LGBTQ individuals in the history of the nation. As one of his first official acts in office, President Biden signed a series of executive orders […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – After witnessing President Trump’s role in instigating the violence that took place in Washington, D.C. yesterday, NCLR joins the growing bipartisan call for removal and impeachment of the president in order to protect the American people.   “Given the gravity of the President’s role in inciting yesterday’s violent attack on our […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Last night, Georgia voters made history by electing Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to represent the Southern state in the United State Senate. Rev. Warnock’s election is truly historic as he will be the first Black Senator to represent Georgia in Congress. A statement from Imani Rupert-Gordon, NCLR Executive Director: […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, Martin Jenkins was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments to serve on the California Supreme Court, filling the vacancy of Justice Ming W. Chin, who retired from the court last in August. Jenkins, who is gay, becomes the first openly LGTBQ individual to serve on the highest court […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, the Associated Press made the call that based on receiving a majority of votes in the electoral college, former-Vice President and Senator Kamala Harris have been elected as the next President and Vice President of the United States. This announcement ends a historic election, which saw one of the highest […]

If confirmed, Jenkins would be the first LGBTQ Justice to serve on the highest court in the largest state in United States SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he has nominated Martin Jenkins to serve on the California Supreme Court to fill the vacancy of Justice Ming W. Chin, who retired […]

To all of our NCLR friends and family, It goes without saying that our entire globe is fighting a shared battle against COVID‑19 today. Countries all over the world and most immediately our own communities are closing down, staying inside and reducing or eliminating school, work and events. Today, in particular, we are seeing cities […]

By a slim margin, this nation has elected a demagogue who trafficked in bigotry, stoked racist hatred and normalized misogyny. The election of Donald Trump as President threatens basic principles of human dignity and justice. Many of our most cherished values—inclusion, honoring difference, embracing equality, dismantling oppressive systems—are in jeopardy, but we will not be […]

We know that having one-on-one conversations about equality is one of the best ways to change hearts and minds. Our work around marriage showed us that when we reach out, listen, and share our stories we can create monumental change towards a more just community. Now we have an amazing new opportunity to create that […]

“…Later that night I held an atlas in my lap ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered where does it hurt? it answered everywhere everywhere everywhere” —Warsan Shire   Two days after a sniper killed five Dallas police officers, this poem, by expat Somali poet Warsan Shire, who came to world’s attention when […]

Recently, a colleague at a legal aid organization told me about a client who came in for help because he had quit his job. It wasn’t until the attorney gave the client an overview of their legal programs, including their LGBTQ work, that the client opened up and said he had quit because he was […]

There we were. Around the illustrious circular United Nations briefing tables at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, among the 70 human rights advocates from across the United States, the largest delegation in the history of the U.N.’s Committee Against Torture (CAT). Together, as leaders of the National Center for Lesbian Right’s (NCLR) #BornPerfect campaign, […]

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to voting rights by allowing Texas to enforce one of the most restrictive voter identification laws in the country. The new law will not only subject Texas voters to a highly restrictive identification process, but it will also have a devastating impact on the right […]

On Monday morning, I was in my hotel room in Washington, D.C. The news was on, all was as expected, and I was finishing up e-mails before heading out to a breakfast meeting. A minute later, the world was gloriously, fabulously, improbably turned upside down. I was nervously waiting, as we all were, to see […]

When I joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) as its Major Gifts Officer in February, I felt like I finally found my home—an organization that not only embraces every part of me as a Blacklesbian, but also is devoted to protecting every member of the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Not […]

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This month is a reminder that through a combination of stigma and myths, sexual assault in the LGBTQ community is often rendered invisible or dismissed outright, despite CDC statistics that show the sexual assault rate for LGBTQ individuals is comparable or higher than the sexual assault rate for heterosexual […]