Blog of Rights
06/18/2013
ENDA

Religious Liberty and Inclusion

By Julian Bond, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP at 9:42am

By the mid-1960s, the civil rights movement had made significant cultural, legal and political progress in advancing the cause of racial...

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06/14/2013
Transgender Rights

Oregon Legislature Repeals Surgery Requirement for Gender Change on Birth Certificate

By Becky Straus, Legislative Director, ACLU of Oregon & Kevin Díaz, Legal Director, ACLU of Oregon & Amanda Goad, LGBT Project at 3:55pm

With Gov. Kitzhaber's approval of HB 2093 yesterday, transgender people in Oregon will no longer have to show proof of surgery in order to change their birth certificates to accurately reflect their gender. Previously, Oregon law required surgery in order to update a birth certificate gender marker, even for those transgender people who did not need or want it, or were unable to access surgery for financial, medical, or other reasons. The ACLU supported the great work of agency and advocate partners to reach this victory. We are glad to see Oregon's legislature and governor sign off on this important change and advance the rights of transgender Oregonians.

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06/14/2013
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

A Loving Reality for All

By Greger Calhan, Legal Fellow, ACLU, Racial Justice Program at 12:16pm

The month of June represents a double anniversary for Mildred and Richard Loving. Two weeks ago, the Virginia couple would have celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. And earlier this week on June 12th, Americans celebrated the 46th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision which bears their name, Loving v. Virginia, and which recognized an equal right to marriage for all people, regardless of race.

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06/08/2013
Transgender Rights

It's Not All About Marriage

By James Esseks, Director, ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & AIDS Project at 11:04am

With all the attention over the past several months given to our DOMA challenge at the Supreme Court and to our state marriage campaigns from Rhode Island and Delaware to Minnesota (and we haven't given up the fight in Illinois!), you may be forgiven for thinking that here at the ACLU, it's all about marriage 24/7. I write to assure you it's not. Here are a few of the non-marriage struggles we're working on right now.

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06/07/2013
Transgender Rights

Red Lion Area School District Chooses the Low Road

By Sara Mullen, ACLU of Pennsylvania & Molly Tack-Hooper, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Pennsylvania at 2:02pm

Issak Wolfe, a transgender student at Red Lion School District, graduates today. Graduation day is one of life's big milestones and cause for celebration. Unfortunately, Issak's big day will be marred by the fact that the school district has refused to respect his gender identity, and will read Issak's female birth name at graduation instead of the male name he has gone by consistently for two years.

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06/04/2013
Breastfeeding Rights

Appeals Court Holds That Breastfeeding Is “Related To Pregnancy” (Or Why My Four-Year-Old Understands Basic Biology Better Than Some Judges)

By Galen Sherwin, ACLU Women's Rights Project at 2:38pm

When Donnicia Venters disclosed to her manager...

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06/04/2013
Using Religion to Discriminate

A Wedding Cake For Fido & Fluffy But Not For Dave & Charlie?

By Kiela Parks, Advocacy Associate, ACLU of Colorado & John Krieger, Communications and Outreach Director, ACLU of Colorado at 12:03pm

Imagine being told that the love between you and your partner is less legitimate than a dog wedding. Or having your commitment to one another compared to pedophilia.

Stephanie Schmalz and her partner, Jeanine, wanted to order some cupcakes to celebrate their commitment ceremony. They contacted Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood, Colorado, but the store refused to take their order, informing the couple that they have a strict policy against selling cakes for same-sex weddings and ceremonies.

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05/16/2013
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

Bringing Marriage to "Modern Family"

By Alicia Gay, ACLU at 10:34am

You might be asking yourself: What does Modern Family have to do with an upcoming landmark Supreme Court case about the freedom to marry? Well, the ACLU launched a campaign today urging Modern Family's producers to script a wedding episode for popular gay characters Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker. The campaign comes as Americans await the Supreme Court's decisions on two important LGBT equality cases challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's Prop 8. The ACLU is direct counsel in the DOMA case, United States v. Windsor. Additionally, a stream of states have recently passed marriage equality measures.

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05/15/2013
ENDA

Momentum Continues to Build for Narrowing ENDA's Religious Exemption

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 1:28pm

The momentum behind efforts – strongly supported by the ACLU – to narrow the current sweeping, unprecedented religious exemption...

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05/15/2013
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

Three New Marriage States in Two Weeks – All Eyes Are On You, Illinois!

By Selene Kaye, ACLU at 10:34am

Yesterday, Minnesota became the 12th state in the country to approve a law allowing same-sex couples to marry. This comes on the heels of Rhode Island and Delaware approving freedom to marry laws in the last two weeks, and historic victories at the ballot box in Maine, Maryland, and Washington last November. Momentum is building across the country, and Illinois is poised to become the fourth state this month to affirm the dignity of all committed couples.

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Related

press

5/3/2013
Letter from Counsel for Red Lion School District Concerning Issak Wolfe

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4/26/2013
Letter to Red Lion Area School District Concerning Issak Wolfe

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3/29/2013
Lazaro and Matos v. Orr - Freedom to Marry in Illinois

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3/27/2013
Windsor v. United States

case

3/27/2013
Hollingsworth v. Perry