Home : Lesbian & Gay Rights

Utah Court Rules Anti-Gay Amendment Doesn’t Bar Salt Lake City from Offering Domestic Partner Benefits (05/16/2006)
SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah court has ruled that its anti-gay relationship amendment, one of the most sweeping of its kind to pass in the 2004 elections, does not bar Salt Lake City from offering health insurance benefits to the domestic partners of city employees. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of a lesbian employee of the Salt Lake City Police Department the local branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), cheered the decision as an important victory for lesbian and gay couples in states with similar anti-gay relationship amendments.

Religious and Civil Rights Groups Urge New York’s High Court to Strike Down Laws Barring Same-Sex Couples from Marriage (04/24/2006)
ALBANY, NY -- In 14 friend-of-the-court briefs filed with the New York Court of Appeals, national and statewide religious and civil rights leaders and organizations urge the court to put an end to state laws that deny same-sex couples the protections of marriage. The court is hearing oral arguments in lawsuits brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and others on behalf of same-sex couples on May 31, 2006.

ACLU of Washington Challenges Dismissal of Lesbian Air Force Officer (04/12/2006)
SEATTLE, WA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington today challenged the dismissal of a decorated Major and flight nurse in the U.S. Air Force Reserves for engaging in “homosexual conduct.” The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, seeks to forbid Major Margaret Witt’s discharge.

The ACLU Freedom Files On Court TV Shows Why Lesbian and Gay Couples Shouldn’t Be Denied Protections for Their Families (04/07/2006)
NEW YORK – The ACLU Freedom Files, a revolutionary new 10-part series, tells the stories of everyday Americans whose civil liberties have been threatened, and how they fought back. On April 15, the show illustrates the tragic consequences for lesbian and gay families when they are denied protections. The series debuted on Court TV in February and has already addressed religious freedom and voting rights.

Federal Court Rules Transgender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Library of Congress Can Proceed (03/31/2006)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today a federal judge found that an employment discrimination lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a transgender veteran against the Library of Congress can go forward.

ACLU Defends Blogger's Right to Parody "Ex-Gay" Group (03/22/2006)
SAN FRANCISCO – Citing First Amendment protection for parodies, the American Civil Liberties Union today came to the defense of a California man who received a cease-and-desist letter after posting a parody of a billboard advertisement for so-called “reparative therapy” on his website.

ACLU of Virginia Commends Proposed Policy Providing Equal Treatment for All School Clubs (03/10/2006)
CHESTERFIELD, VA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today commended the Chesterfield County School Board for a proposed policy that would guarantee equal treatment for all student clubs. Conversely, the civil liberties group also warned county officials against approving an anticipated amendment to the policy that would ban Gay-Straight Alliances and similar student organizations.

ACLU Expresses Disappointment Over Supreme Court Ruling in Military Recruitment Case (03/06/2006)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment over a Supreme Court ruling that upholds a federal law requiring colleges to allow military recruiters on campus or else lose out on federal funding. The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, Rumsfeld v. FAIR, arguing that it is unconstitutional for Congress to force law schools that object to discrimination against gay people to give the military access to their recruitment programs.

ACLU Urges New York’s High Court to End Unfairness Against Gay Couples in Marriage (03/03/2006)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today asked New York’s highest court to strike down a New York law that bars lesbian and gay couples and their families from the protections of marriage.

ACLU Files Federal Lawsuit Against White County, Georgia School District for Illegally Blocking Gay-Straight Alliance Club (02/27/2006)
ATLANTA, GA – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal court against officials at White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia for illegally banning a gay-straight alliance club (GSA).