Lambda Legal Defense And Education Fund Inc

THE LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC. ("LAMBDA LEGAL") IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING FULL RECOGNITION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF LESBIANS, GAY MEN, BISEXUALS, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND ANYONE WITH HIV THROUGH IMPACT LITIGATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC POLICY WORK.

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, LAMBDA LEGAL HAS BEEN THE NATION'S LARGEST LEGAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WORKING TO ADVANCE AND PROTECT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER (LGBTQ+) PEOPLE AND EVERYONE LIVING WITH HIV THROUGH LITIGATION, POLICY ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS. IN 2023, 510 ANTI-LGBTQ+ BILLS WERE INTRODUCED ACROSS 47 STATES, WITH 84 ENACTED IN 23 STATES. 74% OF THESE BILLS TOOK AIM AT TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY AMERICANS, INCLUDING NEW LEGISLATION TARGETING DRAG BANS, DEFINING "SEX" IN A WAY THAT ERASES TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY PEOPLE, AND LIMITING OR CRIMINALIZING ACCESS TO FACILITIES CONSISTENT WITH ONE'S GENDER IDENTITY. WE WERE FORCED ONTO THE DEFENSIVE IN MANY PLACES AND HAD TO FILE SUITS RAPIDLY TO COUNTER THESE NEW LAWS, WITH OUR CASE LOAD RISING TO 77 CASES IN 29 STATES BY DECEMBER 2023. ALMOST EXACTLY HALF OF THESE CASES (39) INVOLVE DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE CONSISTENT WITH LAMBDA LEGAL'S STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES. OUR 2023 LITIGATION AND POLICY WORK CONTINUED TO ALIGN WITH THE TWO TOP PROGRAMMATIC PRIORITIES OF OUR 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN: (1) WINNING NEW PROTECTIONS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SECURE FULL LEGAL AND LIVED EQUALITY, AND (2) DEFENDING OUR COMMUNITY FROM ATTACKS DESIGNED TO ROLL BACK OUR RIGHTS.THESE ATTACKS ON THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY STRETCH THE IMAGINATION IN THEIR CRUELTY. STATE LEGISLATION TARGETING TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY PEOPLE FOR DISCRIMINATION EXPLODED: PROPOSALS TO INVESTIGATE FAMILIES OF TRANSGENDER CHILDREN, EFFORTS TO BAR OR CRIMINALIZE HEALTHCARE FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH, PROHIBIT ACCESS TO GENDER-APPROPRIATE FACILITIES LIKE RESTROOMS, RESTRICT TRANSGENDER STUDENTS' ABILITY TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL AND SPORTS, OR TO PUT MORE ROADBLOCKS IN PLACE FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE SEEKING IDENTITY DOCUMENTS WITH THEIR CORRECT NAME AND GENDER. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT NO FAMILY SHOULD FEAR A KNOCK AT THEIR DOOR BY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR LOVING AND SUPPORTING A TRANSGENDER OR NONBINARY CHILD, MUCH LESS ENDURE A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED INVESTIGATION THAT COULD LEAD TO FAMILY SEPARATION OR AN INTERRUPTION OF LIFESAVING, GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR AN ADOLESCENT, LAMBDA LEGAL HAS PURSUED LITIGATION AND SUPPORTED POLICY CHANGES TO PROTECT LGBTQ+ YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN STATE HOUSES AND COURT ROOMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE ADVOCATED FOR ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE, ACCURATE IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, AND GENDER-APPROPRIATE RESTROOMS, ALL OF WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE MENTAL WELL-BEING OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH AND ADULTS. WE FILED A LAWSUIT IN MONTANA STATE COURT CHALLENGING A BAN ON TRANSGENDER YOUTH ACCESSING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE, IN WHICH WE ASSERTED THAT THE LAW VIOLATES PLAINTIFFS' RIGHTS UNDER THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO EQUAL PROTECTION, PRIVACY, HEALTH, DIGNITY, SPEECH AND EXPRESSION, AND THE RIGHT OF PARENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S WISHES AND MEDICAL STANDARDS OF CARE. WE CHALLENGED AN OKLAHOMA LAW BANNING MEDICALLY NECESSARY HEALTHCARE FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH, IN WHICH WE ARGUED THAT THE BAN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST TRANSGENDER YOUTH BASED ON SEX AND TRANSGENDER STATUS, AND UNLAWFULLY INTERFERED WITH PARENTS' RIGHTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S WISHES AND MEDICAL STANDARDS OF CARE. THE TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE ENACTED A RAFT OF ANTI-TRANSGENDER BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR BILL LEE THAT BANNED TRANSGENDER YOUTH FROM PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS; CRIMINALIZED THE PROVISION OF GENDER-AFFIRMING MEDICAL CARE FOR TRANS ADOLESCENTS; BANNED DRAG PERFORMANCES; AND REQUIRED BUSINESSES TO POST SIGNS IF THEY ALLOW TRANSGENDER PEOPLE TO USE THE CORRECT BATHROOMS. THE LATTER TWO HAVE BEEN FOUND UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY FEDERAL COURTS. LAMBDA LEGAL INITIATED AND/OR SUPPORTED LITIGATION TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN YOUTH CARE SYSTEMS AND CHALLENGED LAWS THAT TARGET LGBTQ+ AND TGNC YOUTH. WE SUED THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO BLOCK IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISCRIMINATORY LAW BANNING THE PROVISION OF MEDICALLY NECESSARY CARE FOR TRANSGENDER NORTH CAROLINA YOUTH. ADDRESSING PERHAPS THE MOST EGREGIOUS INSTANCE OF STATE INTERFERENCE, WE CONTINUED OUR SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE TO TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT'S DIRECTIVE IN FEBRUARY 2022 DECLARING GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE TO BE "CHILD ABUSE AND DIRECTING THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES (DFPS) TO INVESTIGATE THE PROVISION OF MEDICALLY NECESSARY LIFESAVING HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH AS CHILD ABUSE; DURING 2023, WE PROTECTED IMPACTED FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE LAWSUITS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SUPPORT. IN FLORIDA, WE PREVAILED IN OUR LAWSUIT, DEKKER, ET AL., V. WEIDA, ET AL., CHALLENGING A RULE PROHIBITING MEDICAID FROM COVERING GENDER AFFIRMING MEDICAL CARE, INCLUDING FOR MINORS, AND THE JUDGE USED THE FINDINGS IN DEKKER AS PART OF HIS RULING ENJOINING FLORIDA'S STATUTORY BAN ON GENDER AFFIRMING MEDICAL CARE. MEANWHILE, LAMBDA LEGAL ASKED THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES TO BLOCK A TENNESSEE LAW WHICH WOULD PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROVIDERS FROM TREATING TRANSGENDER YOUTH WITH EVIDENCE-BASED GENDER-AFFIRMING MEDICAL TREATMENT. CONCERNING DISCRIMINATORY EFFORTS TO CENSOR INFORMATION ABOUT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IN EDUCATION SETTINGS, OUR CHALLENGE TO IOWA'S SO-CALLED "DON'T SAY GAY OR TRANS" LAW, IOWA SAFE SCHOOLS V. REYNOLDS, SECURED A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION BLOCKING IMPLEMENTATION OF MUCH OF THAT LAW WHILE THE CASE CONTINUES, AND OUR LEGAL TEAM SHOWS THE HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS FOR STUDENTS IN THAT STATE. WE CONTINUED TO CREATE AND DEPLOY INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES TO EDUCATE AMERICANS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS TYPE OF DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION, SO THAT WE CAN REACH IMPACTED STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE CONTINUED OUR ONGOING FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY PEOPLE CAN OBTAIN GOVERNMENT IDENTITY DOCUMENTS WITH ACCURATE GENDER MARKERS, BUT WE FACED SOME HEADWINDS. LAMBDA LEGAL URGED THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT TO REVERSE A DISTRICT COURT RULING UPHOLDING TENNESSEE'S DISCRIMINATORY BIRTH CERTIFICATE POLICY, WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW TRANSGENDER PEOPLE BORN IN TENNESSEE TO CORRECT THE GENDER MARKER ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES, LEAVING THEM GRAPPLING WITH INCONSISTENT GOVERNMENT IDENTITY DOCUMENTS AND FORCIBLY DISCLOSING THEIR TRANSGENDER STATUS. TENNESSEE IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF STATES LEFT IN THE COUNTRY THAT STILL CATEGORICALLY PROHIBIT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM CORRECTING THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THEIR IDENTITY. IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, IN AUGUST 2023, A FEDERAL JUDGE GRANTED KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KOBACH'S REQUEST TO MODIFY A CONSENT JUDGMENT SECURED BY LAMBDA LEGAL IN 2019 THAT ALLOWED TRANSGENDER PEOPLE TO CORRECT THE GENDER MARKERS ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES. OUR YOUTH IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE PROJECT (YOHCP) CONTINUED PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2024 RELEASE OF OUR SAFE HAVENS REPORT, WHICH WILL OFFER A COMPREHENSIVE ARRAY OF RESOURCES ACROSS MULTIPLE MEDIA FORMATS AND PLATFORMS, OFFERING ADVOCATES, POLICYMAKERS, AND PROVIDERS THE INFORMATION AND STRATEGIES NECESSARY TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING FOR TGNB YOUTH IN CHILD WELFARE, JUVENILE JUSTICE, AND HOMELESS SYSTEMS NATIONWIDE. YOHCP AND OUR FAIR COURTS PROJECT OFFERED TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO NEARLY 3,000 JUDGES, ATTORNEYS, COURT PERSONNEL AND CHILD WELFARE ADVOCATES TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK IN PROTECTING AND ADVANCING LGBTQ+ YOUTH RIGHTS. THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT GRANTED A REQUEST TO STAY A LOWER COURT DECISION IN A CASE CHALLENGING WEST VIRGINIA'S CRUEL AND DISCRIMINATORY BAN ON YOUNG TRANSGENDER ATHLETES, WHICH ALLOWED OUR CLIENT BECKY PEPPER-JACKSON TO TRY OUT FOR HER SCHOOL'S SPRING TRACK AND FIELD TEAM. ALTHOUGH, THE WV ATTORNEY GENERAL PURSUED U.S. SUPREME COURT REVIEW OF THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS RULING, THE SUPREME COURT REJECTED THAT EFFORT TO BLOCK THIS 12-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER GIRL FROM CONTINUING TO PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL SPORTS WITH HER PEERS ALONG A 7-2 VOTE. LAMBDA LEGAL'S HIV PROJECT CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON REFORMING OUTDATED AND UNFAIR HIV CRIMINALIZATION LAWS; ADVANCING SCIENCE OVER STIGMA IN WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION THROUGH CONTINUED LITIGATION ON BEHALF OF PLWH UNFAIRLY DENIED A JOB BASED ON THEIR HIV STATUS; AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO AND HEALTHCARE EQUITY FOR PLWH. WE LED STATE AND FEDERAL COALITIONS WITH THE GOAL OF REFORMING CRIMINAL LAWS BY REPEALING OR MODERNIZING HIV CRIMINAL STATUTES. RATHER THAN PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF HIV, THESE LAWS DO THE OPPOSITE BY STIGMATIZING HIV, DISCOURAGES INDIVIDUALS FROM KNOWING THEIR STATUS AND ACCESSING MEDICAL TREATMENT.

OUR LEGAL WORK IS SUPPORTED BY EXPANSIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS THAT ALLOW US TO REACH A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT'S EXPERTISE IN PRINT, BROADCAST, AND SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS LAMBDA LEGAL TO REACH NOT JUST MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND ALL THOSE LIVING WITH HIV, BUT ALSO EXTENDS TO OPINION SHAPERS, LAWMAKERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL COMMUNITY.WE MAINTAINED A ROBUST ONLINE PRESENCE THAT PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES, TIMELY NEWS, ANALYSIS, AND COMMENTARY ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS, INCLUDING OUR WEBSITE, AS WELL AS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, MEDIUM AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. THROUGH THESE PLATFORMS, LAMBDA LEGAL HAS PUBLISHED HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF CONTENT THAT CAN REACH OVER A MILLION OR MORE PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. THESE COMBINED EFFORTS GENERATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEWS STORIES ANNUALLY AND ADVANCE OUR GOAL OF INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE CHALLENGES LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FACE AND OUR WORK TO ALLEVIATE THOSE CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS GREATER UNDERSTANDING WITHIN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS. WHERE POSSIBLE, WE USE ATTENTION AROUND OUR LITIGATION AND POLICY EFFORTS TO PROMOTE BROADER PUBLIC EDUCATION ON IMPORTANT ISSUES. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR HIV WORK PROMOTES OUR LARGER EFFORT TO DRIVE POLICY INFORMED BY "SCIENCE, NOT STIGMA." WE DO PUBLIC EDUCATION BUILDING ON OUR CASES ON BEHALF OF TRANSGENDER YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO SUPPORT GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY FOR THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION. OUR CASES CHALLENGING EFFORTS TO DILUTE NONDISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS AGAINST ANTI-LGBTQ+ DISCRIMINATION THROUGH THE USE OF RELIGION AND SPEECH-BASED ARGUMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO A LARGER EFFORT TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE ONGOING PROBLEM OF DISCRIMINATION AND THE NEED FOR ROBUST PROTECTIONS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. LAMBDA LEGAL'S ATTORNEYS AND OTHER STAFF ATTEND AND SPEAK FREQUENTLY AT LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES AND OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS, IN ADDITION TO VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION VIA PLATFORMS CREATED BY LAMBDA LEGAL ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY IN OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS.