Home : Lesbian & Gay Rights

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.

ACLU Asks Georgia Judge to Return Seven-Year-Old to Lesbian Mother (05/02/2007)
ATLANTA – In a hearing today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Wilkinson County Superior Court to return a vulnerable seven-year-old girl to the woman in whose care she had been thriving for a year. The county’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) has held the girl in foster care since February 20, when a judge took her away after he learned that she was being raised by a lesbian.

ACLU of Massachusetts Welcomes New Hampshire Civil Unions Law (04/27/2007)
BOSTON - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts welcomed passage of legislation in New Hampshire to provide the option of civil unions for lesbian and gay couples, with important rights, benefits and protections at the state level.

ACLU Praises House Judiciary Committee for Passing Hate Crimes Legislation (04/26/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the House Judiciary Committee for passing H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, by a vote of 20-14 late yesterday. As introduced by Representative John Conyers (D - MI), this legislation expands federal law enforcement ability to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

Iowa Legislature Outlaws Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (04/26/2007)
DES MOINES – The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Iowa legislature for approving a bill outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill, which was approved earlier by the Iowa Senate, passed the Iowa House of Representatives late last night by a vote of 59-37. Governor Chet Culver has already said that he would sign the bill into law.

ACLU Praises Introduction of Employment Non-Discrimination Act (04/24/2007)
Washington - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) introduced today by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Christopher Shays (R-CT). This legislation would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, and most conditions of employment.

ACLU Applauds Senate Introduction of Hate Crimes Legislation (04/12/2007)
Washington – The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) for introducing the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA). This legislation will expand the ability of federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal civil rights violations when state or local authorities are unwilling or unable to do so.