Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP and NCLR File Federal Complaint in Florida’s Northern District On March 31, 2022, lawyers from Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed a federal complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida challenging Florida House Bill 1557 (widely […]

Following Governor Ducey’s decision to sign a bill that bans some types of medical care for transgender youth into law, the ACLU and NCLR have pledged to challenge the law in court.  PHOENIX, Az. – Governor Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1138 into law today. SB 1138 is an anti-trans piece of legislation that aims […]

NEW YORK, NY – The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) leads a coalition of over 400 signatories in condemning the coordinated political attack on books in schools playing out across the country. As a staunchly non-partisan organization dedicated to defending students’ right to read for nearly 50 years, NCAC is gravely concerned by the increasing […]

New website from GLAD, GLSEN, NCLR, and PFLAG National provides support and resources for LGBTQI+ students. SAN FRANCISCO, CA — As schools and school districts across the country face hostile protests of LGBTQI+ inclusive education, students who are experiencing discrimination, bullying and harassment based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression now have […]

NCLR partners with the Pacific Juvenile Defense Center on “COVID-19 and California’s Detained Youth: Vulnerable and Overlooked.” Published in the California Journal of Politics and Policy, this article describes the unique dangers posed by COVID-19 to incarcerated youth in county-run detention facilities in California. It delves into the efforts of advocates to urge government stakeholders […]

In the latest Our Voices Blog series, NCLR’s Youth Policy Director Shannan Wilber reminisces on her many years of advocacy work on behalf of the most vulnerable LGBTQ youth.

SB 225 will help people born with variations in their physical sex characteristics, some of whom identify as intersex, make their own choices about their bodies SACRAMENTO —  Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced SB 225: the Bodily Autonomy, Dignity and Choice Act, to provide children and their families a chance to make informed decisions about […]

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in collaboration with legal and education experts at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Education Association, released Advocating for LGBTQ Students with Disabilities, a powerful new resource that provides educators and parents an overview of the rights of LGBTQ students with disabilities, […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation released a new resource to help both parents and educators advocate on behalf of LGBTQ students with disabilities. NCLR partnered with HRC Foundation, the National Education Association, and the National Association of School Phycologists to produce the new resource, Advocating for LGBTQ Students with […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 4, 2020 CONTACTS:Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director415.365.1337 | cvasquez@nclrights.org PHOENIX, AZ – Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), along with co-counsel Cooley LLP and Osborn Maledon, P.A. filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s requirement that transgender people undergo surgery before the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will correct the sex […]

This practice guide provides an overview of SOGIE data collection in pubic youth-serving systems in California and nationally, discusses the lessons learned from these efforts, and conclude with recommendations for public agencies in Santa Clara County that are contemplating or implementing SOGIE data collection. SOGIE Data Collection in Public Systems of Care: A Practice Guide […]

NCLR collaborated with the National Juvenile Defender Center to create this tool for juvenile defenders who represent transgender, gender nonconforming or intersex (TGNCI) youth. The checklist identifies policies and procedures necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of TGNCI youth in detention and correctional facilities, as well as other types of secure and nonsecure facilities. […]

NCLR partners with Ceres Policy Research on “The Whole Youth Model, “ an approach to serving youth in the justice system that prioritizes health and well-being over punishment and surveillance. The model is based on the premise that public safety is furthered by authentic conversations with young people and individualized responses tailored to their unique […]

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new and urgent justification for ending the harmful, ineffective and expensive practice of locking up youth who are in conflict with the law. Youth in custodial settings are at great risk of exposure to a highly contagious virus. Probation personnel, facility staff, attorneys, youth and others […]

Anyone who met Kyler Prescott knew that he was special. A gifted artist, pianist, and poet, Kyler expressed his creativity through every aspect of his life. He worked hard perfecting his passions and loved to spend any additional free time advocating for animal justice and LGBTQ rights. Kyler Prescott came out as transgender at age […]

On November 25, 2019, the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed an amicus brief in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who was mistreated in school because he is transgender. Representing a coalition of organizations that work with families raising transgender youth, the brief tells […]

“Perseverance in almost any plan is better than fickleness and fluctuation”—Alexander Hamilton When we adopted our NCLR tag line—”The audacity to fight for justice, the perseverance to win”—it was before President Obama’s book “The Audacity of Hope” and years before the cultural phenomenon that is “Hamilton” ushered in a refreshed examination of Alexander Hamilton’s writings. […]

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 all know that LGBTQ people are everywhere, which is why NCLR launched our #RuralPride Campaign, which includes holding day-long summits in rural regions across the country to help LGBTQ folks connect with federal agencies, national organizations, and one another. For the past two years, we have worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and […]

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 […]