Home : Lesbian & Gay Rights

ACLU Tells Federal Court It Can Protect Both Gay Students and Free Speech (07/25/2007)
CINCINNATI – The American Civil Liberties Union today told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that a school policy designed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students from harassment went too far in squelching the right of some religious students to express their views on homosexuality. The group insists, however, that schools can protect students from anti-gay harassment constitutionally.

The Chuck and Larry Next Door: 10Couples.org Features Same-Sex Couples Who Face Hardships Because They Cannot Marry (07/18/2007)
NEW YORK - After moviegoers have a laugh at Adam Sandler and Kevin James pretending to be a gay couple in the new film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging them to visit 10Couples.org to find out what it’s really like to be denied legal protections for your family. The website, developed by Public Interest and the ACLU, features videos of 10 same-sex couples who explain the difficulties of trying to protect their families without access to the many protections that come automatically through marriage.

Censorship of Gay Student Is Discriminatory Free Speech Violation, Says ACLU of New Jersey (06/25/2007)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey in a letter sent today called on the Newark Public Schools to rescind last week's decision to censor hundreds of East Side High School yearbooks that included a photo of a male student kissing his boyfriend. The ACLU-NJ advised the school district that its censorship of this photo violates free speech and New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination.

ACLU of Massachusetts Celebrates Vote to Preserve Marriage Equality (06/14/2007)
BOSTON - The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts celebrates today's momentous vote in the legislature defeating a proposed amendment to end marriage equality in Massachusetts. The final vote to defeat the amendment was 151 to 45.

Chicago Woman Challenges Blatant Discrimination: Denied Access to Homeless Shelter Because She is a Lesbian (05/21/2007)
CHICAGO – A Chicago woman denied access to a City-funded homeless shelter on a cold November evening because she is a lesbian is challenging the blatant discrimination she experienced. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today announced the filing of complaints with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the State of Illinois Department of Human Rights on behalf of Michelle Wang, a 27-year-old woman denied space at New Life Shelter after she told a staffer at that shelter she is a lesbian. Only intervention by a thoughtful, concerned Chicago city employee prevented Ms. Wang from spending another night on the streets.

ACLU Secures Return of Seven-Year-Old to Lesbian Mother in Georgia (05/21/2007)
ATLANTA – After almost three months, a seven-year-old girl has been reunited with the woman in whose care she’d thrived for almost a year before being sent to live in a crowded foster home. The child had been held in foster care by the Wilkinson County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) since February 20, when a judge took her away from her home after he learned that she was being raised by a lesbian.

ACLU of Ohio Applauds Governor for Signing Order Providing Equality for all State Employees (05/17/2007)
COLUMBUS, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today applauded Governor Ted Strickland for signing an executive order that protects Ohioans working for the state government from job discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. This executive order marks the first time gender identity discrimination has been banned by an Ohio governor and restores an earlier order by former Governor Richard Celeste banning sexual orientation discrimination.

ACLU of Massachusetts Applauds State Attorney General’s Defense of Marriage Equality (05/16/2007)
BOSTON - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley recently made a forthright statement of her well-founded legal judgment in a speech to the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association: marriage equality in the Commonwealth must be defended in the event that a proposed constitutional amendment survives the next legislative step onto the ballot. The ACLU of Massachusetts applauds Martha Coakley's leadership on this issue.

Responding to ACLU Demands, California Prisons Allow Same-Sex Couples Access to Family Visitation (05/15/2007)
SAN FRANCISCO - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has agreed that it will no longer bar lesbian and gay prisoners access to overnight family visitation with their registered domestic partners. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has requested the statewide policy change in response to demands by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a gay man who was told by prison officials that domestic partners were barred from family visits. As required by state law, the department is conducting a public hearing on the proposed policy change today in Sacramento.

ACLU Gives Tennessee High School an F in Civics for Censoring Gay and Gay-Supportive Students (05/14/2007)
Jonesborough, TN -- After a high school principal suspended a student for participating in a silent demonstration to raise awareness about anti-gay violence, the American Civil Liberties Union demanded today that David Crockett High School apologize to the student and promise not to punish students who take part in such actions in the future.

ACLU Cheers House Passage of Hate Crimes Legislation (05/03/2007)
Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, with strong bipartisan support. This legislation would allow federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute hate crimes offenses in cases where local law enforcement lacks the resources, or in some cases the willingness to do so.