tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38786771877370325542024-03-05T22:47:56.580-05:00Equal Justice Under LawReports and thoughts on LGBT issues from Gay & Lesbian Advocates & DefendersGLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-13256619272553798432013-09-16T11:28:00.002-04:002013-09-16T11:28:58.954-04:00It’s a Noun! It’s a Verb! It’s … GLAD Answers!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Post by Laura Kiritsy </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Earlier this month we unveiled </span><b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD </span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, a reboot of our Legal Info
Line, the information and referral service GLAD has run since the organization
was founded. After 35 years, it was time to freshen things up a bit. Given that
these days many people contact us by email and live chat, the idea of an “Info
Line,” which conjures up a telephone in the minds of most, seemed a bit
outdated. The name <b><span style="color: #365f91;">GLAD </span><span style="color: #e36c0a;">Answers </span></b>better encapsulates what this service
does: no matter how you get in touch with us, if you’ve got questions we’ve got
answers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Personally, I
love the clever construction of <b><span style="color: #365f91;">GLAD </span><span style="color: #e36c0a;">Answers</span></b>. As Carisa Cunningham, our director of
public affairs and education is fond of saying, “It’s a noun! It’s a verb!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Along with the snappy new
name and this awesome new logo, </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXWdCn1eVp6fOOsiAwTeXIW8TRKXlyzbl7ccXPO9u2RZJBl6UIXzRYQrLYX99xkTwkVUoYpqkwox1vJgZSKfQkIj30Zxbj288hBWYliZKf18_qc4OhXOxhMzd2N6KGryF0iEJwa-yIKs4/s1600/glad-answers-noejc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXWdCn1eVp6fOOsiAwTeXIW8TRKXlyzbl7ccXPO9u2RZJBl6UIXzRYQrLYX99xkTwkVUoYpqkwox1vJgZSKfQkIj30Zxbj288hBWYliZKf18_qc4OhXOxhMzd2N6KGryF0iEJwa-yIKs4/s320/glad-answers-noejc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">we’ve added some other new features that will enable
us to help more people throughout New England who have questions or concerns
about their legal rights as LGBT people : <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A dedicated URL, </span><a href="http://www.gladanswers.org/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">www.GLADAnswers.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">An enhanced live chat function<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A new, direct email address: </span><a href="mailto:GLADAnswers@glad.org"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">GLADAnswers@glad.org</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Use of an interpretation service for non-English
speakers</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD </span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers</span></b> retains its regular phone hours of 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday, and its phone number, 1-800-455-GLAD. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So how can <b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD </span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">help you?</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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The service is staffed by highly-trained
volunteers who provide callers with legal information and referrals that can
help resolve issues ranging from school bullying to employment discrimination.
The primary function of <b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD
</span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers</span></b> is to empower people by providing them with legal
information and explaining the steps they can take to resolve their situations
on their own. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For instance, we recently heard from a mother
in Maine whose son was getting resistance from his school when he tried to
start a Gay-Straight Alliance. We informed her of her son’s legal rights (under
federal law, schools cannot prohibit public school students from starting GSAs)
and gave her the tools she needed to talk with school officials. Within two
weeks, the school approved the GSA.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another call we got a few years ago was from
Sherry Dranch of Provincetown, who had been denied Social Security survivor
benefit after the death of her spouse Edie because of DOMA. We informed Sherry
that despite DOMA, she could still appeal the decision, which would boost her
chances of receiving the survivor benefit retroactively once DOMA was off the
books. We walked her through the appeals process and in November 2012, Judge
James H. Packer, an administrative law judge at the Social Security
Administration ruled in Sherry’s favor, clearing the way for her to receive the
benefit after the Supreme Court declared DOMA unconstitutional. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sherry’s
financial situation is now much more secure in part because of the
information we provided her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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"I had a small business with my partner Edie for decades, and then
became a seasonal waitress,” Sherry wrote in a recent email to me. “Once again,
I was having difficulties in [Provincetown] finding a year-round rental, after
the latest of my apartments was sold. Because of GLAD and my local bank, the
widows' monthly Social Security benefit has made it possible for me to get a
mortgage, and I have just purchased a small condo."<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to empowering those who make use
of the service, <b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD </span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers </span></b>enables us to identify new legal issues, patterns of
discrimination, and cases to litigate. That’s how we heard about Rhiannon
O’Donnabhain, a transgender woman who was rebuffed by the IRS when she tried to
deduct the cost of her transition-related medical care from her federal taxes.
The federal government denied the deduction on the grounds that the treatment
Rhiannon received was cosmetic and thus not deductible. GLAD ultimately filed a
<a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/in-re-rhiannon-odonnabhain">lawsuit</a> on Rhiannon’s behalf and we won groundbreaking ruling from
the U.S. Tax Court that enables transgender people to deduct medical expenses
related to gender transition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">No matter your situation, if you have a
question about your legal rights as an LGBT person, we please get in touch with
us. </span><b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 12.0pt;">GLAD </span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Answers</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-1506557459218307492013-09-13T17:52:00.001-04:002013-09-13T17:52:27.437-04:00The Power of Perseverance: a Black Gay Man Reflects on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pbK1e-dNf25K-5lxgQjSbDBQ2i9ku78UGg7_O9q7YQgo3mZoq5osKJM5ZoGXpIHmeBHoXn_ywC0GV8kL1V8h_p4oHUlPI5oWBt1Zqa3Z1_8bYWrIklVBvL4waXdQq8CkjRAyEyTOQF9z/s1600/David+Wilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pbK1e-dNf25K-5lxgQjSbDBQ2i9ku78UGg7_O9q7YQgo3mZoq5osKJM5ZoGXpIHmeBHoXn_ywC0GV8kL1V8h_p4oHUlPI5oWBt1Zqa3Z1_8bYWrIklVBvL4waXdQq8CkjRAyEyTOQF9z/s320/David+Wilson.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
David Wilson in front of the<br />Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in DC</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Fifty years
ago I felt like I was living in two countries, two communities, two
neighborhoods; among two distinct races and cultures, but in one class of
poverty. I was born in an all- black housing project, but my parents thought
opportunities would be better in an all-white housing project so we moved from
the South End to Roslindale when I was five years old.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">My parents, both Pennsylvania transplants,
worked as domestics for white families west of Route 128, a secret I held
closely because of shame, guilt and pride.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The message
to this only child was keep your head down, fit in, get along, study hard, go
to college, get a good job, marry, have children and you’ll be equal. During
those formative years in this predominantly white environment, I felt pretty
equal to my peers, attending school, playing sports, and accepting invitations
to hang out with friends after school. We were all poor and living on some form
of government assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our family moved
to Dorchester when I was 16 so I could meet other black kids and experience
black culture. My mother was hopeful that I’d date black girls and attend
church on a more regular basis. For the first time in my life I felt un-equal. The
clothes, shoes, music, cars were not the same as in my old neighborhood, and
for the first time in my life class differences and cultural differences were
very evident. Neighborhood and racial disparities were reflected in our stores,
food choices, streets, and city services that I had taken for granted in my old
neighborhood but now understood were absent in my black neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same
time, my brothers and sisters south of the Mason-Dixon line not only lived in
segregated, marginalized neighborhoods like I did, they suffered under local,
state and federal Jim Crow laws that prohibited equal access to housing,
employment, education, full citizenship and basic human rights.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having been
awakened to racial injustice at home and in the South, I wanted to join the
Civil Rights Movement. Well, Mom and Dad made it very clear that the road to
success for their son did not include the March on Washington. So I went off to
college, got a good job, got married, had three children and quickly realized I
was still not equal in either my personal or professional life. At work, I helped organize a black employees
group that fought for better working conditions for union members, equal pay
for management employees, promotions to all levels of management, hiring and
firing protections, healthcare, medical leave, and pension equity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
something was missing in my personal life. After extensive therapy and
self-assessment, I finally came to terms with being a gay man. My wife and I separated and then divorced
after my youngest daughter graduated from high school.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I did
not have the courage to come out at work and risk losing my job and my ability
to provide for my family. It was the death of my first partner that jolted me
into full disclosure. How could I return to work after a six-week leave of
absence and not tell the entire company that the person I had loved and lost
was a man?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a year
of grieving and coming out to everyone from the company president to the very
last employee in my work group, I resigned/retired. I needed a new beginning as
a black, openly gay man!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three years
later I met Rob Compton. Rob was fired from a job in Michigan for being gay; he
came to Massachusetts because of our state law prohibiting such discrimination.
After an early recognition that we had fallen in love and a brief courtship, Rob
and I began a journey to secure full legal protections for our family. One of
the highlights of our journey was being a plaintiff couple in GLAD’s <i>Goodridge </i>lawsuit, which resulted in the
2003 Supreme Judicial Court ruling that said we could not be denied a marriage
license under our state constitution. Another was seeing DOMA struck down by
the United States Supreme Court in July. The love and commitment Rob and I
share is now recognized and respected by both our state and federal government.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up
in the segregated City of Boston, it took the physical move from an all-white
to an all-black community and the 1963 March on Washington for me to see the
stark reality of being black in America. Dr. King’s, “I have a dream speech,”
the civil rights laws in ’64, and the voting rights laws in ’65 emboldened me
to break out of my risk-averse upbringing and begin my journey towards personal
freedom and professional equality. My church had been the foundation of the
Civil Rights Movement, but my coming out defied those beliefs. My family initially
resisted my quest to live an open and honest life as a gay man but evolved over
time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing in
front of the Lincoln Memorial alongside the National Mall reflecting pool 50
years later, I could see and hear the voices of clergy and faith leaders, civil
rights heroes, generations of families from across the country, LGBT leaders and
throngs of people of all races, ethnicities, religions, and ages re-committing
themselves to racial, social and economic justice. The 2013 March on Washington
was a moment of full disclosure for me: I am a black, gay, husband, father, and
grandfather pursuing my quest for full equality.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-31718111126481093032013-08-13T12:06:00.004-04:002013-08-13T12:13:53.912-04:00El matrimonio civil es muy importante para la comunidad latina, en particular con asuntos de immigracion y el seguro social<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Después de la victoria en el caso <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Estados
Unidos v. Windsor</i> en la Corte Suprema al derribar la discriminatoria Ley en
Defensa del Matrimonio (<i>Defense of Marriage Act </i>[DOMA])<b> </b></span><span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">GLAD junto con otras 10
organizaciones trabajando por la comunidad LGBT, emitió conjuntamente una serie
de hojas informativas para proporcionar orientación a las parejas del mismo
sexo y sus familias que intentan acceder los derechos, beneficios y
protecciones federales.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">“Después de
DOMA: Lo que significa para tí" Una Serie de Materiales Informativos de Organizaciones
LGBT describe las diferentes maneras como las agencias federales determinan la
validez de los matrimonios de parejas del mismo sexo. Se encuentran los
siguentes temas entre los materiales informativas disponibles en Español:<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-immigration-spanish.pdf" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">la inmigración</span></a>, <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/publications/downloads/spa-post-doma_federal_taxes.pdf" target="_blank">los impuestos federales</a>,<a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-private-employers-spanish.pdf" target="_blank"> los beneficios por el empleo privado</a>,
<a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-medicaid-spanish.pdf" target="_blank">Medicaid</a>, <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-social-security-spanish.pdf" target="_blank">Seguro Social</a>, <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-tanf-spanish.pdf" target="_blank">Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas</a></span> <span style="color: black;">(TANF,
por sus siglas en inglés)</span> y una hoja <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/post-doma-summary-spanish.pdf" target="_blank">introductoria</a></span>.La guía incluye <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/current/post/after-doma-fact-sheets" target="_blank">materiales adicionales</a></span> en inglés sobre los siguientes temas: Bancarrota, Solicitud
Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FAFSA), beneficios para los
Empleados Federales, Ley de Ausencia Familiar y M</span><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">édica</span><span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">, Medicare, beneficios de la Militar para
cónyuges, , Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario, y beneficios de veteranos para cónyuges. </span></div>
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<span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">Hay más de
1,100 puntos en la ley federal en donde acceso a una protección o
responsabilidad depende del estado civil de la pareja. Las agencias federales
—burocracias grandes—pueden necesitar tiempo para cambiar las formas,
implementar los procedimientos, capacitar al personal e incorporar eficázmente
a las parejas del mismo sexo en el systema conyugal.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">Hasta que
las parejas del mismo sexo puedan casarse en todos los estados de la nación,
habrá incertidumbre sobre el grado en que los c</span><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">ónyuges del mismo sexo recibirán </span><span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">protecciones civiles federales en
todo el país. Para los programas federales que evalúan el estado civil de los
matrimonios con base en las leyes de los estados que no respetan los
matrimonios de parejas del mismo sexo, esas leyes estatales probablemente
plantearan obstáculos para las parejas casadas legalmente y cónyuges
sobrevivientes cuando intenten acceder a las protecciones y respondabilidades
federales.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="ES-US" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-US;">Las hojas
intentan proporcionar información general sobre los principales aspectos de los
derechos y protecciones federales basados en el matrimonio . Antes de tomar una
decisión, es esencial que las parejas del mismo sexo consulten con un abogado
para recibir asesoría legal individualizada. Las personas deben tomar
decisiones cuidadosamente sobre cuándo y dónde casarse, mientras trabajamos
juntos para poner fin a esta injusticia. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Las hojas son creadas por: American Civil Liberties Union,
Center for American Progress, Family Equality Council, Freedom to Marry, Gay
& Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Human Rights Campaign, Immigration
Equality, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force and OutServe-SLDN.</div>
AJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16766198192692227934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-4929972912801052972013-07-18T11:30:00.000-04:002013-07-18T11:30:20.323-04:00Fighting For Our Next Generation at the Massachusetts State HouseBy: Allison Wright <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KiNLXqKCPnCOiZ6OKPKXWG9T72k02YXRsk9T0AitLLfFefljHujeC04MHxFA23yJRnM_8O2CCZA9zKg7TFba4px32RNuiLL8oDinGlsZhgcDjZ-csKY221SMyyEAnwG_mP1ZMkz27mk1/s1600/allisonwright-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KiNLXqKCPnCOiZ6OKPKXWG9T72k02YXRsk9T0AitLLfFefljHujeC04MHxFA23yJRnM_8O2CCZA9zKg7TFba4px32RNuiLL8oDinGlsZhgcDjZ-csKY221SMyyEAnwG_mP1ZMkz27mk1/s1600/allisonwright-blog.jpg" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1607229274"></span><span id="goog_1607229275"></span>Tuesday was a momentous day for unaccompanied homeless LGBTQ and HIV
positive youth in Massachusetts. As I finagled my way to a corner of an
over-crowded and sweltering room located in the basement of the State
House, where over 50 people waited to offer testimony for one of the 15
bills listed, I was pleased to see many familiar faces.<br />
<br />
Youth workers from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YouthOnFireMA">Youth on Fire</a> and <a href="http://www.jri.org/services/health-hiv-lgbtq-services/health-and-prevention-services/boston-glass">Boston GLASS</a> waited
patiently in the back of the hearing room fanning themselves in an
attempt to deal with the almost unbearable heat. Current and formerly
homeless LGBTQ youth I’ve worked with at <a href="http://www.bagly.org/">BAGLY</a> or spoken with during my many trips to Boston GLASS slowly began to creep their way through the masses.<br />
<br />
We were all there for the same reason – to show our support for “An Act
Providing Housing and Supportive Services for Unaccompanied Homeless
Youth.”<br />
<br />
“An Act Providing Housing and Supportive Services for Unaccompanied
Homeless Youth” is a key step to improving housing and residential
stability, reducing the risk of harm and improving educational, physical
and mental health outcomes for unaccompanied homeless youth.<br />
<br />
With recent reports suggesting that <a href="http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Durso-Gates-LGBT-Homeless-Youth-Survey-July-2012.pdf">up to 40% of unaccompanied homeless youth in the United States identify as LGBT</a>, this bill will particularly benefit unaccompanied homeless LGBTQ youth in Massachusetts.<br />
The lack of youth-specific resources in Massachusetts is alarming. As
one youth testified, “there is only 1 shower for 16 guests” at Bridge
Over Troubled Waters – one of the few youth specific shelters in
Massachusetts.<br />
<br />
Youth, particularly LGBTQ youth, avoid adult shelters due to fear of
violence, harassment, and lack competency on LGBTQ issues. As a result,
youth opt to sleep on the street and resort to survival crimes, exposing
them to increased violence, incarceration, and HIV transmission.<br />
<br />
Homelessness has also been linked to school drop-out rates. The
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education estimates that nearly
6,000 high school students are experiencing homelessness and are out on
their own.<br />
<br />
The need for greater resources for LGBTQ youth in the out-of-home care
setting as well as stronger anti-bullying laws for LGBTQ students are
two of the many priorities for GLAD’s Youth Initiative Project.<br />
On May 30, Senior Staff Attorney and leader of GLAD’s Youth Initiative,
Vickie Henry, testified in support of “An Act Relative to Bullying in
Schools.” The proposed legislation would make much needed improvements
to the state’s anti-bullying law by adding important provisions for
enumerating protected classes - including LGBTQ students; for tracking
and reporting bullying behavior; and for conducting a student school
climate survey.<br />
<br />
Bullying harms academic performance and, sometimes, leads to the ending
of a young life. Through GLAD’s extensive outreach in the LGBTQ and HIV
positive youth community, we have heard the stories of numerous
students who report being bullied because of their sexual orientation,
gender identity, and/or gender expression.<br />
<br />
GLAD joins in supporting the passage of “An Act Providing Housing and
Support Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth” and “An Act Relative
to Bullying in Schools.” Both bills will greatly improve the everyday
lives our next generation.GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-25739709820663302772013-07-17T14:06:00.001-04:002013-07-17T14:09:44.286-04:00If it ain’t broke…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwG4joDc79kEu6zdmArp2xbuylcZ8mJ9wNH03FnKnpDSvPjpVly-999aWanDb0FOnVJJsSzA0391RhFPXl_gsBYM9XFf3y1diKGcf9K02fC6JdN8CN0_eXQxSFuv3piypM-UMQaEbYzE/s1600/BenKlein-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwG4joDc79kEu6zdmArp2xbuylcZ8mJ9wNH03FnKnpDSvPjpVly-999aWanDb0FOnVJJsSzA0391RhFPXl_gsBYM9XFf3y1diKGcf9K02fC6JdN8CN0_eXQxSFuv3piypM-UMQaEbYzE/s320/BenKlein-web.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<br />
Yesterday, GLAD attorney Ben Klein testified at the State House in favor of “An Act relative to abusive practices to change sexual orientation and gender identity in minors,” legislation to outlaw so-called “reparative therapy” – the dangerous and discredited practice which purports to change people from gay to straight and transgender to non-transgender – for people under the age of 18.<br />
<br />
“So-called conversion therapy is a disgraceful chapter in our society’s mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,” Ben told members of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. “It’s been proven ineffective, it defies modern medicine, and it inflicts serious psychological harm on young people.”<br />
<br />
Sponsored by state Rep. Carl Sciortino, an openly gay legislator, the bill prevents healthcare professionals licensed in Massachusetts from using “reparative therapy” techniques on young people. GLAD is among a coalition of LGBT, mental health and child welfare organizations supporting the legislation.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
“Passage of this bill will send an important message that sexual orientation and gender identity do not need changing,” Ben also told the committee. “Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is normal and healthy.”<br />
<br />
That’s what it’s all about – it’s okay to be LGB or T!<br />
<br />
While that’s basically a no-brainer in 2013, there were folks who turned out to testify against the bill. Among them was one Joann Highley of New York’s L.I.F.E. Ministry, a faith-based “conversion” organization. Joanne has some interesting things to say about “curing” homosexuality, which apparently entails <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0wcL_mYpxw">the casting out of demons from bodily orefices</a>. You can’t make this stuff up. Not surprisingly, Joanne didn’t include that helpful tip in her testimony to the committee yesterday.<br />
<br />
You can read Ben’s complete testimony <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/advocacy/ben-klein-ma-h154-testimony-07-16-13.pdf">on our website</a>. Boston Magazine also did some <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/07/16/sexual-orientation-change-therapy/">great coverage</a> of the hearing.<br />
<br />
To learn everything you ever wanted to know (and plenty you don’t) about “reparative therapy,” – also known as “conversion therapy” and “ex-gay therapy” – and it’s many harms and bizarre tactics, check out the website for <a href="http://www.truthwinsout.org/">Truth Wins Out</a>, an ex-gay watchdog organization. We also recommend <a href="http://www.beyondexgay.com/">Beyond Ex-gay</a>, an organization founded by performance artist and ex-gay survivor Peterson Toscano.Laura Kiritsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14338649009257463793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-52114095769074963882013-06-27T14:28:00.002-04:002013-06-27T14:28:33.693-04:00The Day DOMA Died<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETzca8mGSH_r_GNbCtzgN2BBbnoiyAc32svVTA7de5kthH-MP0jvvxTul5zsLA-a_7bra6l3sJ-QjV9-YeA-y9VOKg4zN0P4Ogel8RQZ4z1lZvuTodXKUEW2XwwrrO8g4KvJGzZ4hAFnU/s640/more-signs2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETzca8mGSH_r_GNbCtzgN2BBbnoiyAc32svVTA7de5kthH-MP0jvvxTul5zsLA-a_7bra6l3sJ-QjV9-YeA-y9VOKg4zN0P4Ogel8RQZ4z1lZvuTodXKUEW2XwwrrO8g4KvJGzZ4hAFnU/s320/more-signs2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />It’s
not every day you get to stand at the foot of the marble stairs (quarried from
Vermont!) of the U.S. Supreme Court on the day a blockbuster decision related
to LGBT rights is handed down. But there I was in the sweltering heat at about
8:00 a.m. yesterday, waiting on two decisions. Though rulings in the <i>Windsor</i> DOMA case and the <i>Perry </i>Prop. 8<i> </i>case were at least two hours from being handed down, the media was
already out in full force, with dozing cameramen seated in folding beach
chairs, all shaded by umbrellas. The line of folks hoping to get inside for a
front row seat to history was already growing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcobrHQ13AgCA7bH3gA__b1P9UydtvIcbdeQOqzxVOYoyMtAakeonbYeGQZAFS8ZBcRhzQRRPWNPvDLWovIqEuNtyzztvfX2LgfQATqSgHgWY6wZ5oeNlfg_pyOyEqnBzWaYEHivszdEgb/s640/mary-arrives-at-court.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcobrHQ13AgCA7bH3gA__b1P9UydtvIcbdeQOqzxVOYoyMtAakeonbYeGQZAFS8ZBcRhzQRRPWNPvDLWovIqEuNtyzztvfX2LgfQATqSgHgWY6wZ5oeNlfg_pyOyEqnBzWaYEHivszdEgb/s320/mary-arrives-at-court.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>GLAD Civil Rights Project Director<br />Mary L. Bonauto arriving at the Court </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">It
wasn’t long before I caught up with my colleague Mary Bonauto, who laid so much
of the foundation on which the <i>Windsor </i>victory
was built, as Justin Peters described so well in this </span><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/06/mary_bonauto_doma_repeal_why_every_gay_marriage_supporter_should_be_thanking.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">piece</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on Slate
yesterday. As the sun rose higher over
the courthouse, we continually moved around in a mostly useless attempt to keep
cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />But
soon there was nowhere left to move, as the sidewalk by the court was quickly clogged
with LGBT people and allies from around the country, singing and chanting and
keeping their hopes high. I was surprised there wasn’t a more visible presence
of people who oppose LGBT rights. Maybe they were all in a bunker somewhere,
bracing themselves for the end of the world. I did glimpse Brian Brown of the
National Organization for Marriage strolling along the edge of the crowd, where
no one seemed to notice him. He was still smiling at that point, but I’m
guessing his day went a little south after the big news got out.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prop.
8 attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies, on the other hand, were definitely
noticed. Pulling up to the curb in a black SUV, they were instantly engulfed by
a swarm of TV cameras, photographers, and reporters with outstretched tape
recorders and microphones. It was nice bumping into old friends and friends of
GLAD like Jeremy Pittman, the former deputy campaign director at MassEquality
who is now the deputy field director at HRC, and Amy Senier, an attorney from
Foley Hoag who acted as co-counsel on our <i>Gill
</i>DOMA challenge. Amy was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap as a way to represent
for our </span><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/plaintiffs-gill/"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gill </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">plaintiffs</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">, all of whom
hail from Massachusetts.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_UCt6Am6dA0HS5UvrQJwHXr4nDesxeleJTQMBJXIUOX1MhjbEugG4gFBYDKBPF7wM6xKB8lgGlltGmHUVjU6wUVeGaTwIJoySCsipQexVkgmcKODxYfums4BFNImdjuHJFgsnN4OI_X8/s640/waiting-w-mary-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_UCt6Am6dA0HS5UvrQJwHXr4nDesxeleJTQMBJXIUOX1MhjbEugG4gFBYDKBPF7wM6xKB8lgGlltGmHUVjU6wUVeGaTwIJoySCsipQexVkgmcKODxYfums4BFNImdjuHJFgsnN4OI_X8/s320/waiting-w-mary-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although I was right in the
center of the action and anticipation, as the clock ticked closer to 10:00
a.m., Mary and I retreated to the United Methodist Building next door to the
court where the staff graciously let us camp out for the day. Like just about
half the country it seemed, we logged on to </span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SCOTUSBlog</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> with a handful of other activists in
the room and on the phone from remote locations and held our breath. News of
the 5-4 win in <i>Windsor</i> at 10:02 a.m.
produced a round of cheers, but people quickly returned to their screens for
more detail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I must say, it was gratifying to
see the first quote posted on the blog from Justice Kennedy’s decision: “DOMA
singles out a class of persons deemed by a State entitled to recognition and
protection to enhance their own liberty.” It sounded a bit like the argument we
made in the complaint we filed in our </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gill
</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">case back in 2009: “DOMA operated to
single out one class of marriages legally recognized by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, those of same-sex couples, and to deny their existence for all
conceivable ends and purposes of federal law.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3AMr3LzA95pw5jM6y26Y32To4g_cA_YEKIXd2jPchcdaPSpaxyM7os6Nk8qUfRmh38mo973j2hNsog55eWyD1MaAd_zEeA4cPmvwjxRXNrpr5DMR3h_6DkRotNRvKmM1hQ2pb0erZPmd/s1600/DOMA+Decision+Day+-+DC+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3AMr3LzA95pw5jM6y26Y32To4g_cA_YEKIXd2jPchcdaPSpaxyM7os6Nk8qUfRmh38mo973j2hNsog55eWyD1MaAd_zEeA4cPmvwjxRXNrpr5DMR3h_6DkRotNRvKmM1hQ2pb0erZPmd/s320/DOMA+Decision+Day+-+DC+019.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though it was only about 20
minutes, it felt like an hour before <i>Perry</i>
was released. It quickly became clear that the net effect of the case being
dismissed was that California was back on the map as a marriage equality state.
There were more cheers followed almost immediately by more quiet parsing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After that, it was back out into
the joyful blur of beaming faces and rainbow flags, where Mary was scheduled for
interviews with the BBC, CNN and the <i>Washington
Post</i> to discuss the decision. The sun seemed to be shining even more
brightly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rest, as they say, is
history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-82044115514380988502013-06-13T21:30:00.001-04:002013-06-13T21:32:53.314-04:00The Most Important Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_tSbf0zPEdhouLwyYk-PTgRnPamryqqA2wHx5bjikdWb73yRpX2-lc77-O_OezmMd-IV7EI6nrl5BYfQ70hJjaNHESXrBr_c_n7X_AJn8mEn4uX5V5AXD8NHGOl1XvvdA4zH786rWkGy/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_tSbf0zPEdhouLwyYk-PTgRnPamryqqA2wHx5bjikdWb73yRpX2-lc77-O_OezmMd-IV7EI6nrl5BYfQ70hJjaNHESXrBr_c_n7X_AJn8mEn4uX5V5AXD8NHGOl1XvvdA4zH786rWkGy/s400/067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kelly, Nicole, Jonas and Wayne Maines, with GLAD attorneys Jennifer Levi and</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ben Klein, outside the Maine Law Court after oral argument June 12, 2013</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I hope [the justices] understand how important it is for students to be able to go to school and get an education, have fun, make friends and not have to worry about being bullied by students or the administration and to be accepted for who they are. That’s the most important thing.” - Nicole Maines</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not long into
yesterday’s Maine Supreme Court arguments in our case </span><a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/doe-v.-clenchy"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Doe v. Clenchy</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, our client Nicole Maines leaned in a
little closer to her mother, bringing her head to rest on Kelly Maines’
shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s good to have a
supportive and loving parent around when things get tough, and listening to a
cadre of lawyers and judges debating the difficult, discriminatory experiences
of your life and your rights as a transgender girl can make for a tough day for
a 15-year-old. Her dad Wayne and her twin brother Jonas were also by her side
at the arguments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The family has stuck
together and supported each other through the stress of more than four years of
legal proceedings and media attention related to the discrimination Nicole
experienced as a 5</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 115%;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> grader at her Orono middle school, where
administrators rescinded her access to the girls’ restroom after a male
classmate followed her into the facility to make trouble. Nicole was forced to
use a staff bathroom and separated from the other girls, in violation of
Maine’s trans-inclusive non-discrimination law. The reversal forced Wayne and
Kelly to withdraw their children from the Orono school system and move to
another part of the state so they could attend school quietly and safely.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As Jennifer Levi, the
director of our Transgender Rights Project who argued on Nicole’s behalf
yesterday, explained in her opening remarks, “it’s undisputed that [Nicole] was
a typical girl at the school, that the school agreed that her essential
educational needs required her access to the girls’ restroom, that she did have
such access throughout the third and fourth grades and beginning in the 5</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 115%;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
grade year and that the school changed course only after another student misbehaved.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The justices asked
plenty of questions, most of them demonstrating a solid understanding of what
it means to be transgender while also making it clear that they are wrestling
with how to apply the law. Chief Justice </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Leigh I. Saufley, for instance, noted that the school was working in
“unchartered territory” in trying to address Nicole’s needs as a transgender
student. But in questioning counsel for the other side about how the school
handled Nicole’s situation she also noted, “this wasn’t a sexual identity
presented on whim. Everyone in this case understands [Nicole] to be a girl. The
school treated her as a girl, her parents treated her as a girl; for all
intents and purposes she is a female. Under those circumstances, isn’t her sex
recognizable as female for purposes of bathroom assignment?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As an LGBT advocate,
that understanding of the reality of Nicole’s life was heartening to hear in a
courtroom. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Clearly, this case, on which
Jennifer and fellow GLAD attorney Ben Klein have worked so diligently for so
long, has done much to educate the court and the public about why transgender
people like Nicole need and deserve the full protection of the law.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, we could
not have done this work without the courage and grace of Nicole and her family
and their willingness to share their story, despite stressful circumstances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When the arguments
ended, a handful of reporters stood outside the courthouse in a drizzling rain,
waiting for Nicole and her family to make a statement and answer a few questions.
As Nicole approached the door to go outside and meet them, she suddenly
stopped, feeling overwhelmed with an attack of nerves. I told her she
absolutely didn’t need to speak if she didn’t feel up to it. She responded that
she just needed a moment, and shivered a little, then took a deep breath. Then
the girl who earlier had sought the comfort of her mother’s shoulder spoke
eloquently and simply about what it meant to have her day in court.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I wouldn’t wish my experience on another trans person,” she said, with her
father by her side. “I am happy the court was able to hear my case today.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I hope they understand how important it is for students to be able to go to
school and get an education, have fun, make friends and not have to worry about
being bullied by students or the administration and to be accepted for who they
are,” Nicole added. “That’s the most important thing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, once again, we wait. The Maine Supreme Court does not
have a timeline within which it issues decisions. We’ll let you know when the
justices issue their ruling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Read some great coverage of the arguments from the <a href="http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/12/news/bangor/i-wouldnt-wish-my-experience-on-another-trans-person-girl-denied-use-of-school-bathroom-says/">Bangor
Daily News</a> and the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/transgender-student-suit-maine-high-court-19382762#.UbotDNhKDz2">Associated
Press</a>.</div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-83881892026031315222013-06-03T09:25:00.000-04:002013-06-03T21:48:32.796-04:00How to Be a Great LGBT Family<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV8kPnq-_WPlsehUvMOOCaf2VMhmAsOYuJ4TrkJxkwitFzM3Lrk-EVckDEGwD7Td-XCawCfzpwh9z8Dd2K0D2OsQnbN_i_YWFgUWOf3sUCPiInPqom-NfdpZwNg-E-K0yCj1px_6XLz4/s1600/Maines+Family+DC.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV8kPnq-_WPlsehUvMOOCaf2VMhmAsOYuJ4TrkJxkwitFzM3Lrk-EVckDEGwD7Td-XCawCfzpwh9z8Dd2K0D2OsQnbN_i_YWFgUWOf3sUCPiInPqom-NfdpZwNg-E-K0yCj1px_6XLz4/s320/Maines+Family+DC.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonas, Wayne, Nicole and Kelly Maines in D.C. last year. Wayne, Jonas and Nicole were guests at President Obama's annual LGBT Pride reception.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mombian.com/images/2013familyday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.mombian.com/images/2013familyday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Editor’s
Note: June 3 is the </span></i><a href="http://www.mombian.com/2013/04/23/save-the-date-blogging-for-lgbt-families-day-is-june-3/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">8<sup>th</sup> Annual Blogging for LGBT Families Day</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">,<i> a tradition aimed at showing support for our families in the
blogosphere brought to you by </i></span><a href="http://www.mombian.com/"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mombian.com</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">, one of our
favorite LGBT parenting blogs. We hope you enjoy this post about a loving and
courageous family with which GLAD has had the privilege to work.</span></i>
</div>
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<i><br />If you think your family is being discriminated
against based on a member’s gender identity or sexual orientation, contact <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">GLAD’s Legal
InfoLine</a> for help.</i><br />
<br />
When we think of LGBT families, we primarily think of those headed by
LGBT parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But really, any family
that includes an LGBT person is an LGBT family since so often, that person’s
experience as a member of our community impacts their entire family. When these
families stand up and share their stories, they help educate the world about
our community and serve as powerful examples about the importance of loving and
supporting LGBT family members – particularly our youth. </div>
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I can’t think of a better example than the family behind our case <a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/doe-v.-clenchy"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doe v. Clenchy</i></a>, which will be heard before Maine’s highest
court this month. GLAD is representing a
transgender teen girl, identified in court records as “Susan Doe,” whose
elementary and middle schools removed her from the girls’ restroom because she
is transgender and forced her to use a staff-only restroom in isolation from
her peers. Eventually, her parents were forced to withdraw their daughter and
her twin brother from the Orono school system and move to another part of the
state so they could attend school quietly and safely.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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Susan’s parents first stood up for their daughter’s right to be treated
the same as her non-transgender classmates way back in 2007, when pretty much
no one was talking about transgender children and their needs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t easy, especially when the story
first hit their local papers – people pointed and whispered when they were out
in the community; there were fewer invitations for the twins to attend
sleepovers and other social events. </div>
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A few years later, with “Susan” and her brother settled in a new
hometown and a more accepting school, the family took the courageous step of
going public with their story and their real names, to help fight the stigma
against trans youth. In a <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/12/11/led-child-who-simply-knew/SsH1U9Pn9JKArTiumZdxaL/story.html">moving
story</a> by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boston Globe</i>’s Bella
English, Nicole Maines and her twin brother Jonas, and their parents Wayne and
Kelly, talked frankly about their family’s journey: the struggle to understand and
incorporate into their family life Nicole’s preference for all things feminine
from her earliest years, Wayne’s denial and difficulty accepting that he had a
trans child, the decision for Nicole to transition and the ensuing pattern of discrimination
both she and Jonas faced at school in Orono, and their activism on behalf of
all families like theirs. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Wayne in particular has emerged as a powerful and inspiring advocate
for his family. He speaks eloquently of his evolution from a fearful,
disapproving parent to a Dad who is affirming and fiercely protective of both
of his children, including testifying at the Maine State House as part of a
successful effort two years ago to defeat legislation that would have rolled
back non-discrimination protections for transgender Mainers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sXid19HrwY">Speaking at GLAD’s
annual Spirit of Justice Dinner in 2012</a>, he summed up his journey this
way:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I have learned more from my two
small children and my beautiful wife than I could ever imagine possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through their courage and grace, I’m a better
man, a better father, a better husband.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
About a thousand audience members laughed through their tears when he
added, “Today, I am changed. Because when she says ‘Dad, what do you think of
this dress?’ my comment is typically, ‘It’s too short, go change your
clothes.’”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
He regularly shares his insights about life as the parent of a
transgender teen for the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-maines/">Huffington
Post</a>. It should be required reading for any parent struggling with the idea
that their child is transgender.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s impossible to overstate the positive effect that having an
affirming, loving family has on a child who is LGB or T. Despite the stress of
the lawsuit, the bullying she endured and starting over in a new town and a new
school, Nicole, now a teenager, is thriving at school and enjoys many
extracurricular activities like acting and activism. She has <a href="http://www.teenvoices.com/2012/04/28/nicole-maines-transgender-rights-activist/">spoken
publicly about</a> how important Jonas’ and her parents’ support is to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Not surprisingly, research shows that LGBT children who have supportive
homes have a much better chance to thrive and succeed as adults, while those
that do not are at higher risk for suicidal behavior, substance abuse, poor
school performance and other negative behaviors. The Family Acceptance Project
at San Francisco State University, led by Caitlyn Ryan, has produced some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-maines/">informative and eye-opening
research</a> on this topic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Parents who are struggling to accept an LGBT child should also check
out PFLAG’s publication <a href="http://community.pflag.org/Document.Doc?id=202">Welcoming
our Trans Family and Friends: A Support Guide for Parents, Families and Friends
of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://community.pflag.org/Document.Doc?id=202">The Trans
Youth Equality Foundation</a>, which provides education, advocacy and support
for trans and gender-nonconforming youth and their families, is also a
fantastic resources. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you Live in New England and think your family is being discriminated
against based on a member’s gender identity or sexual orientation, you can call
or email <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">GLAD’s Legal
InfoLine</a> for help. The InfoLine operates 1:30-4:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
Staff are available to answer calls and email in both English and Spanish. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Don’t live in New England? <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline/outside-new-england">Check out our
list of legal resources outside of the region</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In short if you’re struggling to accept a family member or friend who
is LGBT, you’re not alone. Thanks to dedicated organizations like these and LGBT
families like Nicole’s that are increasingly making their presence known in
communities across the country, the journey forward is a little easier. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Laura Kiritsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14338649009257463793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-65361975849366013222013-05-30T22:28:00.001-04:002013-05-30T22:28:56.607-04:00School’s Out – But You Still Have Rights!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Congratulations
students on finishing up another school year!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">The year may
be winding down, but GLAD still wants you to know your rights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Below is a
summary of some of the more important rights you need to know. But remember,
you can always <a href="http://www.glad.org/infoline-contact">contact GLAD’s
Legal InfoLine</a> with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> questions,
and you can check out our <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/publications/c/students-schools">detailed
information for each New England state</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="157.5" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ncO-iQ7JCr0" width="280"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Graduation</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Your school has the right to set some limits on what is
appropriate dress at graduation, but within those limits you are allowed to
dress in a way that fits with your gender identity. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">So, if the girls wear white robes
and the boys wear blue robes, you are free to choose the color robe that fits
your gender identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raise the issue
with school officials in advance so you can enjoy your ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>School Bullying</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">You
have a right to be safe at school. If you are experiencing bullying at school
and your school is not responding, <a href="http://www.glad.org/infoline-contact">contact us – we can help</a>! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
six New England states have strong anti-bullying laws that require the staff of
public schools to report bullying, the administration to investigate bullying
and then to take appropriate action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">If
you are being bullied, get a copy of your school’s anti-bullying policy and make
a report to the person designated in your school’s policy - try making the
report via email, so that you can prove that you made it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont, some private school students are also
covered by the state’s anti-bullying laws. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>School Proms, Homecoming and Other
Dances</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">You
have a right to bring a same-sex date to your school prom or another school
dance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">You
should be subject to the same rules that apply to bringing a different-sex
date. For instance, if parental permission is not needed to bring a
different-sex date, it shouldn’t be needed to bring a same-sex date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Your school has the right to set some limits on what is
appropriate dress at a dance, but within those limits you are allowed to dress
in a way that fits with your gender identity. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Remember,
school dances are for all students to enjoy! Check out this <a href="http://t.co/eNSe6qzHYk">great story about a Middleborough, MA High School
crowning its first transgender prom queen</a>! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Work</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Graduating
and have or looking for a new job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congratulations!
Or are you working a summer job between school years? When you are working or
applying for a job in New England, you are protected from discrimination and
harassment based on your sexual orientation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, in every state except New Hampshire, you
have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">explicit</i> protection against
discrimination and harassment based on your gender identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">But
even in New Hampshire if you are discriminated against because of your gender
identity there may be a way to get protection under a different characteristic
like sex, sexual orientation or disability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Don’t
assume you aren’t protected – <a href="http://www.glad.org/infoline-contact">contact
us if you have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> questions</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>HIV Privacy and Testing</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Knowing
your HIV status can be a powerful way to take care of your health. There are federal
and state laws to help you keep your medical information private, and to protect
you from discrimination if you are HIV positive. See our <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/topics/c/hiv-aids">detailed information about
HIV-related laws in New England.</a> or contact us if you have specific
questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
every New England state, you have the right to be tested for HIV without
needing your parents’ permission. In some states, the doctor <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">may</i> report the testing results to your
parents, so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it is always a good idea to
have a discussion with your doctor about your privacy rights before testing</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Hanging Out</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
the warm weather, you may want to hang out with your friends at a park or on a public
street corner. As long as it is a public place, and not someone’s private
property, and you are not preventing others from being able to access the park,
sidewalk, etc., then you have the same right as anyone else to be there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Looking Ahead to Fall</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
know that it’s not even summer yet, and the last thing you probably want to
think about is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">another school year</i>, but
here are some things to consider for next fall:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) can
make a big difference in how safe LGBTQ students feel at school. Does your
school have a GSA?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your school is
public or receives federal funding and has at least one non-curricular student
club, then it must allow you to have a GSA if you want one. So talk to your
friends this summer about forming one or, if your school has one, about ways to
strengthen it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Get a copy of GLAD’s “<a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/publications/c/students-schools">Want to Know
Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student?</a>” brochure for your state and refer to it
if you think that your rights are being violated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">And if you
do feel that any of your rights are being violated, contact GLAD’s Legal
InfoLine at <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact</a>
or 800-455-GLAD (4523).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">We want to
make sure you know your rights and the steps you can take if they are not being
respected. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Have a
great summer!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-91515566199263482013-05-17T09:53:00.001-04:002013-05-17T09:53:40.034-04:00Happy Anniversary! 9 Years of Marriage Equality Today<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvMbrUpPlZQBP8S_rvudzBgeEWLfn4UZ1hiMCwxIxC99Yj-WQAwfoTvDQ_neEML2QOxAn7Gxu0Xk9TZ0cQd_YkzUS-DPBSAZ45fy_1DME0gnna_ChM7mnPLDSUwTRC3ucGKYwmumQ-VaE/s1600/9thanniversary-marrige-ma-group-fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvMbrUpPlZQBP8S_rvudzBgeEWLfn4UZ1hiMCwxIxC99Yj-WQAwfoTvDQ_neEML2QOxAn7Gxu0Xk9TZ0cQd_YkzUS-DPBSAZ45fy_1DME0gnna_ChM7mnPLDSUwTRC3ucGKYwmumQ-VaE/s400/9thanniversary-marrige-ma-group-fb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Post by Laura Kiritsy, Manager of Public Education</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It’s been fascinating and fun to watch as legislators in Rhode
Island, Delaware and Minnesota passed marriage equality bills that their
respective governors enthusiastically signed into law in the past few weeks.<br />
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<br /></div>
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Things have changed dramatically from 10 years ago, when the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in our <i>Goodridge</i> marriage lawsuit pitched Beacon Hill -- along with our
usual opponents in the Catholic Church hierarchy and the religious right -- into
a state of hysteria.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Opposition set in in about one nano-second,” Mary Bonauto
recalled in the documentary film <a href="http://savingmarriagethemovie.com/home.html"><i>Saving Marriage</i></a>. That sounds about right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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The knee-jerk reactions from our then governor, attorney general,
House speaker and Senate president (none of whom still hold office) was that this
historic decision just could not stand, sparking years of legislative battling
– which our community ultimately won – to protect <i>Goodridge</i>
from a constitutional amendment banning marriage between same-sex couples that
would have rendered the decision moot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the midst of the uncertainty about whether the amendment
would pass, the very first marriages between same-sex couples anywhere in the
country began on May 17, 2004. As the associate editor of <i>Bay Windows</i> newspaper at the time, I had a front row seat to
history for which I’ll be forever grateful. <br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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To this day, I still get goose bumps and a little misty when
I recall the wedding of Rob Compton and David Wilson at Boston’s Arlington
Street Church on that glorious spring day. As the first of the seven <i>Goodridge</i> plaintiff couples to marry
that day, the emotion in the crowded church was palpable. As I <a href="http://www.baywindows.com/four-who-fought-for-marriage-66180">wrote</a>
at the time:<o:p></o:p></div>
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[The] tears of joy gave way to a
far more unbridled emotional display when the Reverend Kim Crawford Harvie
raised her right hand over the couple and said what Wilson and Compton - and
countless others in the pews - have long waited to hear: "And now by the
power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Crawford
Harvie, at which point the sanctuary erupted in a rafter-rattling burst of
applause, foot stomping and cheers that abated just long enough for her to say,
"I pronounce you partners for life, legally married."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After waiting so long and working so hard for equality,
those words were truly cathartic.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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From there, I hustled off to Newton, where plaintiffs
Maureen Brodoff and Ellen Wade tied the knot in the office of then-mayor David
Cohen, jammed together with their families and a media swarm. Again, the feeling of “at last” permeated the
proceedings, exemplified best when Maureen <a href="http://www.baywindows.com/four-who-fought-for-marriage-66180">addressed</a>
her parents, who married when her mother was just 19, during the ceremony:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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"Ellen and I have waited 24
years to get married," Brodoff told her parents, who were seated among
Brodoff's three sisters and Wade's sister and her nephew, "but let me tell
you - not to disapprove of your choice to get married so young, waiting does
have its advantages. You were young and foolish, but lucky enough to have
become perfect mates for each other. Here there is no luck involved. I know
exactly who it is that I'm marrying and this marriage is, for that reason, so
much more precious.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ellen and Maureen joined us yesterday in the Boston
Public Garden to celebrate nine years of
marriage equality in Massachusetts with a group photo of married couples and
other supporters of the freedom to marry. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcYngUNzizmE4KuVH3Wg71dpaCl1W4IxMpeamJSOXnmtZhou3VLNouBz_b44w5HhN6_Br0hzD0LzeIK1dFA2VeNTcYWKvsoWARx2I72djqSteEIw0dGkyx9lJtEvTWvtotwtPyiXI5k04/s1600/mayor-menino-anniversary-message.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcYngUNzizmE4KuVH3Wg71dpaCl1W4IxMpeamJSOXnmtZhou3VLNouBz_b44w5HhN6_Br0hzD0LzeIK1dFA2VeNTcYWKvsoWARx2I72djqSteEIw0dGkyx9lJtEvTWvtotwtPyiXI5k04/s320/mayor-menino-anniversary-message.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Boston's Mayor Thomas Menino honored the day with a <a href="http://glad.org/uploads/docs/news/menino-marriage-anniversary-statement-5-2013.pdf" target="_blank">statement of support</a>, and current Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick reflected on the joy - and ordinariness - of marriage equality in the Commonwealth in the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/deval-patrick-gay-marriage-and-the-right-to-be-ordinary/2013/05/16/f84633cc-bd88-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html" target="_blank"><i>Washington Post</i></a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As we celebrate the anniversary of marriage in
Massachusetts, it’s inspiring and encouraging to know that more and more
Americans are coming around to supporting the freedom to marry for same-sex
couples. <br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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For four years after the <i>Goodridge</i>
ruling, Massachusetts stood alone as a marriage equality state, until
California (however briefly) and Connecticut joined in 2008. Now, we get three
marriage states in the span of two weeks – on top of the three marriage states
we picked up at the ballot box last November, bringing us to a total of 12
along with the District of Columbia. That’s some serious progress.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On the other hand, there’s still 38 states where loving,
committed couples and their children are not treated the same as all other
families. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Supreme Court is currently weighing two cases that could
dramatically alter the trajectory of the marriage movement. Congress is
grappling with whether to include a provision to allow LGBT Americans to
sponsor foreign-born spouses or partners for U.S. citizenship in the
immigration reform billAnd we continue to wait for movement on the Employment
NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA). There’s a lot of work yet to be done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Today, we celebrate love on this historic day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tomorrow, the work continues.<o:p></o:p></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-12810594748307223312013-04-10T10:48:00.000-04:002013-04-10T11:10:26.557-04:00From Beyoncé to the Moon – the Making of a Great Summer Party Auction<br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx8K0IZiAw8pu9s7Xagfcxv9yZ1jYWaE7Q3RtPhWvIpqmIJGSiq4GpbEwz0elvl7SMaeBVX9gHFEjRDE-2uHpwe3b0uRMUHLSOeYjhlcsOTrbVqoslX6qXlkcX9GYcqzb63GdIwImvJMA/s1600/2012-summer-party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx8K0IZiAw8pu9s7Xagfcxv9yZ1jYWaE7Q3RtPhWvIpqmIJGSiq4GpbEwz0elvl7SMaeBVX9gHFEjRDE-2uHpwe3b0uRMUHLSOeYjhlcsOTrbVqoslX6qXlkcX9GYcqzb63GdIwImvJMA/s400/2012-summer-party.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Post by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Molly Paul, Special Events Intern</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now that the snow is finally melting and the on
again-off again snow flurries have become on-again-off again spring showers, it’s
time to start gearing up for </span><a href="https://www.glad.org/event/2013-summer-party"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>GLAD’s Summer
Party in Provincetown</b></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> on Saturday, July 27th</b>. With Kate Clinton confirmed as our celebrity auctioneer
extraordinaire - this is definitely an event you don’t want to miss!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi9M5FsbHEyJavR5GSqmU-sBOONR5tMJFXl1tefMHa9JTGzMRWTjMEhLu3oDcYhtcV6Ihh52dxwHA8nLm59WRx8dzHOON6W3iGIZCBDHxEuUKf1SeSKanBBvNoVzbouHYuV1mgNPpIqnU/s1600/SP12+SS_0227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi9M5FsbHEyJavR5GSqmU-sBOONR5tMJFXl1tefMHa9JTGzMRWTjMEhLu3oDcYhtcV6Ihh52dxwHA8nLm59WRx8dzHOON6W3iGIZCBDHxEuUKf1SeSKanBBvNoVzbouHYuV1mgNPpIqnU/s320/SP12+SS_0227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kate Clinton will once again be our auctioneer at the<br />annual Summer Party in Provincetown July 27</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I spent the better half of the winter months poring
through our past auction results and survey responses from winners - analyzing which
packages were an absolute hit and what new packages we should try to secure for
this year.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFHAmqPMu2_kDYmGom3Kz2XjDhL_fNYpDBjGvZ_tK_mciGEwMV04Wz88nvoXTlz20zXlLnhYt9RFuKCBYr1oUylvmTruONgBM_y5St0kJBZVEzogwKGWJkVzXTWTKg6KNknl55mho1_Bx/s1600/kimpton_logo633x181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFHAmqPMu2_kDYmGom3Kz2XjDhL_fNYpDBjGvZ_tK_mciGEwMV04Wz88nvoXTlz20zXlLnhYt9RFuKCBYr1oUylvmTruONgBM_y5St0kJBZVEzogwKGWJkVzXTWTKg6KNknl55mho1_Bx/s200/kimpton_logo633x181.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My auction outreach got a huge boost last month when </span><a href="http://www.kimptonhotels.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
generously donated 10 (yes ten!) travel packages to amazing LGBT hot spots like
San Francisco, Miami, and Aspen. For
those of you looking to get away, these packages will not disappoint.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We are also lining up everything you need to plan a jam-packed
trip to Ptown, including accommodations, dinner packages, and gift certificates
to many local shops – thanks to </span><a href="http://sageinnptown.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sage
Inn and Lounge</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><a href="http://www.anchorinnbeachhouse.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Anchor Inn Beach House</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/ajohnston/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/UZTX1SX3/mews.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mews
Restaurant</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, and many more. And thanks to </span><a href="http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/?gclid=CPbA1Yqrr7YCFVGf4Aodxy0A5g"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Boston
Harbor Cruises</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> you can get there in style with two
round trip fast ferry tickets.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sound amazing? I agree. The generosity of our
auction donors is truly remarkable. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be
reaching out to many more businesses seeking donations that will raise the bar
even higher. What new items do you want featured at the 2013 auction? <b>The
Summer Party is all about you </b>- <b>our supporters
- </b>and I want to know what you are eager to bid on!<b> </b>Send your ideas my way by filling out this </span><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R5P6ZMF"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SURVEY</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
so that this year’s auction can be bigger and better than ever. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Donations are also GLADly accepted! Donate a week
stay at your vacation home? Personal chef services? Behind-the-scenes access to
a Broadway show? Beyoncé tickets?!? Sky’s the limit – unless you can get us </span><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/10/axe-company-wants-to-launch-22-people-into-space/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">a
suborbital Lynx space plane package from Buzz Aldrin and AXE</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
– in which case the limit is out of this world!<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On behalf of the GLAD events team, I would like to
send a big THANK YOU to Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants and all of the
incredible businesses who have already sent in donations. With their support – and yours - we’ll raise
over $50,000 through GLAD’s live and silent auctions.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-15079724049918667562013-04-05T11:30:00.000-04:002013-04-05T11:30:03.094-04:00Broadening and Embracing the LGBT Family<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VC4EBSHr-DC9KbDf2ZrZPlnpcftItwA0eFwx31yLjz-q7_35zVlxvG83bQscYPWrFXPE-x_PVySHN8TFxJgF5Z0B0Q0Pihw6LxiFNHB2MzhzGrbwbSgpUBbiCHk7z-u95yYq7lABGhXp/s1600/david-rob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VC4EBSHr-DC9KbDf2ZrZPlnpcftItwA0eFwx31yLjz-q7_35zVlxvG83bQscYPWrFXPE-x_PVySHN8TFxJgF5Z0B0Q0Pihw6LxiFNHB2MzhzGrbwbSgpUBbiCHk7z-u95yYq7lABGhXp/s320/david-rob.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Wilson, together with his husband Rob Compton, was a
plaintiff in GLAD’s 2003 case <i>Goodridge
v. Department of Public Health</i>, which made Massachusetts the first state
where same-sex couples could marry. Since that experience, he has committed his
time and resources to the movement for LGBT equality, and particularly to
working within the movement to increase outreach to people of color, combat institutional
racism, and broaden and diversify who is embraced by and feels a part of the
LGBT family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And family is what it’s all about for David. He was in Washington D.C. last week for the
two days of Supreme Court arguments on marriage equality and the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA). When we sat down to talk about that experience, however,
he started with a different story, about his granddaughter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David was a keynote speaker at the 2013 GLSEN Massachusetts
Conference last weekend, and when his granddaughter Ruby, a high school
student, learned about the engagement she not only asked to attend but wanted
to speak. At the conference, she shared a story about a classmate who came out
to her as transgender two years ago and how she immediately jumped into action
as an ally, encouraging the student and asking what she could do to help him
feel supported at school. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She was a key
player in helping fellow students understand the transition and ensuring that
they use the right pronouns and be respectful of his privacy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her awareness as an ally, David pointed out, stemmed from
her upbringing in a family headed by a gay couple (between them, David and Rob
have five adult children from prior marriages, and seven grandchildren) and absorbing
the joys and difficulties that LGBT people face through the experiences of her
own family. Years and years of LGBT people forming families, he said, has led
to entire families – like his and Rob’s – that are standing up to share their
stories and join the movement for LGBT equality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David calls this phenomenon “broadening the diversity and inclusion
of the team” -- expanding the LGBT family to better represent the diversity of
our community and the diversity of our issues. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s precisely what was on his mind as he
attended the Supreme Court arguments in the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Windsor</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
case, and when he spoke at a rally on the courthouse steps last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I was there [in DC] to figure out how a ‘win’ will impact
people on the ground, especially people of color, transgender people, people
outside the movement, people who don’t feel the movement is for them,” David
explained. “As a plaintiff in the first winning marriage case, I’ve had a lot
of privilege. How can I make sure I take
the access I’ve had, and translate it to others? I’ve been at the forefront of this fight.
What about the people left out or left behind?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His concern for “the people left out” was only heightened
when he finally got into the courtroom to hear a portion of the <i>Windsor </i>DOMA argument after a lucky
opening happened for the last thirty people who were expected to stay 3 to 5
minutes but actually stayed 15 minutes until the ending statements. Once
inside, David found himself thinking, ‘Where’s the diversity in this room?’ To
my mind, it wasn’t there. There was certainly diversity among the nine justices
but it did not appear to be present in
the rest of the room.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a marked contrast to the exuberant scene outside the
Supreme Court doors, where a throng of LGBT protesters and various supporters
of the freedom to marry gathered to make their voices heard. “The rally outside
the Court was real,” said David. “The speakers, and the people gathered around were
very excited, proud and connected.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
was a really diverse crowd.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But then the people coming down the steps from the Court
didn’t reflect the people at the rally,” he added. “And there I was, coming out
of the Court feeling so proud but disconnected from the folks gathered at the
bottom of the steps of the Supreme Court”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to going into the court, David received a warm welcome
when he stepped to the microphone at the rally. “I think the organizers and the
people gathered were excited to see a man of color, someone with gray hair,
someone who has had long range involvement in this movement,” said David. “I
felt incredibly welcomed, appreciated and valued.” Once the crowd recognized me as one of the
earlier speakers, they were so happy and proud that I had been granted access as
one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He wants other members of the LGBT family to feel that same
embrace, even if they feel the marriage movement doesn’t speak to them. Justice Elena Kagan gave him a way to do that
during the DOMA argument when she quoted a passage from the House Judiciary
Committee’s report on DOMA, in which the committee concluded that by passing
DOMA, “Congress decided to reflect and honor collective moral judgment and to
express moral disapproval of homosexuality.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s when it dawned on David
that a win in <i>Windsor</i> would not just
provide married same-sex couples with federal equality in marriage, it could
also potentially strike a blow to the many other laws that have been enacted
out of moral disapproval of LGBT lives, affecting a much broader swath of our
community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“When Justice Kagan read the morality piece I really understood,”
said David. “I thought, okay, when I leave this room, leave Washington, what
can I do to make this more real? How can
I show people that this will impact you, too?
How can I translate this to the Black Church, to seniors, to kids of
color?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"That’s what I’m thinking about
now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-20442338483708119712013-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:002013-04-05T10:00:07.063-04:00Wrapping up the week at the Supreme Court with Mary Bonauto<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post by Laura Kiritsy, Manager of Public Education</span></i></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JdivsaEtVvnn3kO6bSBGwGtnO4Zt26aCvfv6cEQNagBizrxbr2_a0-TuoKnXH0dpCnm-ysE4Hcrbv9SUXodBfOz6LduGmJsa3HVTHwDZKBTDfz_Ut_L22fUns7CoTmlLLXrnLvAJpyMg/s1600/mary-rachel-maddow-show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JdivsaEtVvnn3kO6bSBGwGtnO4Zt26aCvfv6cEQNagBizrxbr2_a0-TuoKnXH0dpCnm-ysE4Hcrbv9SUXodBfOz6LduGmJsa3HVTHwDZKBTDfz_Ut_L22fUns7CoTmlLLXrnLvAJpyMg/s320/mary-rachel-maddow-show.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#51356546" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">GLAD Civil Rights Project Director Mary Bonauto (right) discusses<br />DOMA and the Supreme Court on the Rachel Maddow Show March 27</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the heels of two of the most exciting and important days
in recent LGBT history – the Supreme Court arguments in the <i>Perry </i>and <i>Windsor </i>cases – our own Mary L. Bonauto gave her expert analysis on
the arguments in a conference call with GLAD’s <a href="https://www.glad.org/help/donate">Equal Justice Council</a> late last
week. Not surprisingly, we had the most RSVPs we’ve ever had for one of our
monthly EJC calls.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before
summarizing Mary’s analysis, allow me to kvell for a moment, and point you
toward a recent <i>New York Times </i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/us/maine-lawyer-credited-in-fight-for-gay-marriage.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">profile</a>
that does a fantastic job detailing Mary’s and GLAD’s historic and strategic
contributions to the marriage movement, work that made last week’s Supreme
Court showdown possible. She also wound up on <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#51356546">Rachel
Maddow’s show</a> –– and went <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/03/gay-marriage-cases-now-in-justices-hands.html">head
to head</a> with the Family Research Council’s Ken Klukowski on <i>PBS News Hour, </i>among several other media
appearances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, a few highlights of Mary’s analysis, which was offered
with the caveat that she was giving her “tentative impressions” of the
arguments and the questions the justices asked, rather than making a prediction
about case outcomes. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjVcXmm70TuhasnGEB_mWvJVPweHNxW3y36ImywSniY0E1L5u-4xk3KnV06uovXC1rtqps0V7lS4GOe_Yc_dCeyj_Id5OmDBrlWjGDezDdzhG_fx28FNf813LGxvgb_4DcWbv9nOoza4e/s1600/mary-evan-terry-stewart-dianne-maura.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjVcXmm70TuhasnGEB_mWvJVPweHNxW3y36ImywSniY0E1L5u-4xk3KnV06uovXC1rtqps0V7lS4GOe_Yc_dCeyj_Id5OmDBrlWjGDezDdzhG_fx28FNf813LGxvgb_4DcWbv9nOoza4e/s320/mary-evan-terry-stewart-dianne-maura.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Mary Bonauto (center) with Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">San Francisco Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">in the background Maura Healy (left) from the MA Attorney General's</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">office and GLAD Board President Dianne Phillips</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Mary
sounded an optimistic note about </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">United
States v. Windsor,<b> </b></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">the challenge
to Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, better known as DOMA.<br /><br />Based
on the very active questioning, there were at least five justices who expressed
concerns about DOMA’s constitutionality because of its “uniqueness in federal
law” as a cross-cutting definition applicable through the entire US Code and
its “singularity” in wiping out only the marriages of same-sex couples for
federal purposes.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul
Clement, the attorney hired by the US House leadership to defend DOMA, did not
argue the procreation-related justifications that appeared in his brief.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">That stood in contrast to the day before,
when Charles Cooper, arguing for the Prop 8 proponents, cast “responsible
procreation” as the central justification for marriage and thus for eliminating
marriage for same-sex couples in California.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Instead,
Mary explained, Mr. Clement pressed a “federal interest in uniformity” to
justify DOMA. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">His argument was that DOMA
creates uniformity by treating a same-sex couple from Massachusetts like one
from Oklahoma.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Of course, the difference
between the two states is in their marriage laws, and several justices were
quick to observe that the only uniform federal rule has been federal deference
to state marital status determinations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Justice
Breyer, among others, also questioned whether uniformity explains why the 1996
Congress singled out the marriages of same-sex couples for disrespect under
federal law:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Why not deny respect to
marriages from states where people don’t have blood tests?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Or anyone under age 18?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Wouldn’t those distinctions be arbitrary he
asked, and Mr. Clement had no answer. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
one of the more dramatic moments, Justice Kagan questioned whether a concern
for uniformity really had anything to do with DOMA’s passage, and then read from
the 1996 House Judiciary Committee Report on DOMA citing “disapproval of
homosexuality” as one of DOMA’s purposes.
Justice Ginsburg later spoke of “rank discrimination.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of
course, both the <i>Hollingsworth v. Perry</i>
and <i>U.S. v. Windsor</i> cases are critically important,
not only because they are about access to marriage and equal treatment of our marriages,
but because they will tell us so much about whether the grand promises of equal
protection and liberty for all can eradicate official discrimination against
LGBT people’s families.<br /><br />GLAD’s marriage
work continues as we seek to secure Rhode Island as the 6<sup>th</sup> New
England state with marriage equality. And ever since same-sex couples began marrying
in 2004 as a result of our win in <i>Goodridge
v. Dept. of Public Health</i>, we have seen first-hand how DOMA inflicts harm
by treating married same-sex couples as single for all federal purposes,
including for vital protections involving social security, health insurance,
family leave, and protections for active duty military and veterans.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Eradicating
DOMA’s double standard is why we litigated two DOMA cases of our own, <a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/faq-gill/"><i>Gill
v. Office of Personnel Management</i></a> and <a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/faq-pedersen/"><i>Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management</i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>. </i></span>The cases are currently on
hold as we await the Supreme Court’s ruling in <i>Windsor</i>, but Mary lent her substantial expertise on DOMA (along
with others on the GLAD DOMA team) to the <i>Windsor</i>
legal team by coordinating the <i>amici
curiae</i> – “friend of the court”— briefs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In terms of case outcomes, the most favorable outcome is
obviously a ruling striking down DOMA </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in toto</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
on equal protection grounds.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such a precedent
would be a condemnation of sexual orientation-based double standards from our
nation’s highest court.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It could also be
a split decision where it’s four [justices for] equal protection, one [justice
for] federalism, but five of them agree on the invalidity of DOMA,” Mary
theorized. “It could also be five (or more) for equal protection.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have to wait and see.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Mary offered a few other scenarios, including the unlikely
scenario of a court ruling upholding the constitutionality of DOMA Section 3. Even then, there is a path forward. The law’s fate would then be in the hands of
our federal lawmakers, she said, noting that the Respect for Marriage Act, a
DOMA repeal bill, has been introduced in several recent Congressional sessions. Yet, with ENDA still pending after two
decades, the road ahead is unpredictable at best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another unlikely scenario is that the court could invalidate
DOMA on federalism grounds, declaring simply that the federal government has no
role in saying who is married, even for purposes of federal programs. GLAD has always stated that Congress can
determine the contours of federal programs, but that it must comply with the
Equal Protection clause when doing so, including when it bases eligibility on
“definitions” like DOMA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GLAD has also consistently
argued that federalism is relevant in informing the equal protection
analysis: where the federal government
does not itself marry people and states do, what “federal interest” justifies
DOMA’s unprecedented exclusion of a class of valid marriages from laws governing
marital benefits and burdens?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same time, the justices are also weighing if the
parties before them present a “case or controversy” that allows them to weigh
in and decide the question. The Justices
asked that the parties address the “jurisdiction” question because the Obama
administration decided to stop defending DOMA in court because it came to
believe the law is unconstitutional.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the US is now effectively on the same side as Edith Windsor, the New York
lesbian who challenged DOMA because the federal government didn’t recognize her
marriage to her late spouse and taxed that spouse’s estate, Mary is hopeful
that the court will reach the merits of the case. The court can find adversity, Mary noted,
where the lower courts found DOMA unconstitutional and ordered reimbursement to
Edith Windsor from the US Treasury, and also because the President continues to
enforce the law.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were also
arguments about whether the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, a group of U.S.
House members, had “standing” – or the legal right – to take up the legal
defense of DOMA after the Obama administration stopped. That group did not act for the whole House
and has no particular and personal injury, but instead only a general (even if
passionate) interest in DOMA being enforced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similarly, the Supreme Court is also weighing whether or not
they have jurisdiction to hear </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hollingsworth
v. Perry. </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The State of California
did not appeal when Judge Walker invalidated Prop 8 after trial in August
2010. Like BLAG in the DOMA context, the
proponents are not personally harmed by Prop 8.
Moreover, private citizens do not normally have a basis for asserting
the interests of the state itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary
noted that five justices seemed “very concerned” about whether Prop. 8
proponents should have appealed Judge Vaughn Walker’s District Court decision
that the measure was unconstitutional to the 9<sup>th</sup> Circuit Court of
Appeals, which upheld Walker’s ruling. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the Supreme Court finds that the Prop 8
proponents had no standing to appeal, the case would be dismissed, resulting in
a </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">significant victory</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in restoring
marriage in California.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite all the wrangling over jurisdiction at oral argument,
Mary theorized that it would be odd for the Court to avoid the merits of the
cases. “It would be quite odd, I think, for the Supreme Court to have granted
review in both of these cases and then suddenly to decide that neither of them
should have been before it.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The justices have now retreated to their chambers to
deliberate, digest the many party and </span><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/documents/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">amicus briefs</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> filed in the
cases, and exchange draft opinions. There’s no predicting the outcome though
the reams of speculation and analysis that have already been written will
certainly keep you – and me - occupied from now until we actually get a
decision, mostly likely sometime in June. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Like I always say, stay tuned.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-71336147297043702692013-04-03T16:30:00.000-04:002013-04-05T15:03:26.273-04:00No Ordinary Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 18.65625px;">GLAD Public Affairs and Education Intern Adam Connito was in D.C. on March 27 to watch his aunt sworn in before the U.S. Supreme Court, and was able stay for the arguments in </i><span style="line-height: 18.65625px;">Windsor v. United States. </span><i style="line-height: 18.65625px;">He shares his reflections - written in the airport on his return flight to Boston - on witnessing the historic deliberations on behalf of Edie Windsor (pictured above with her late wife Thea Spyer) and tens of thousands of others impacted by DOMA.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Airports are a good place to reflect. Something about leaving one place for another – maybe it’s the anticipation of movement, progress, and destination. It’s nice to think about where you were before you get to where you’re going, and I can’t shake the thought of serendipity when I consider that my first trip to D.C. included a visit to the nation’s highest court to hear oral arguments in</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span class="Normal__Char" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><a href="http://www.aclu.org/edie" target="_blank">Windsor v. United States</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Who was I, a twenty-five year old intern with zero credentials, to bypass the endless lines of frigid onlookers, some of whom had poured decades of grueling time and energy into this effort? I was invited as a guest to see my aunt sworn in before the court, but surely I didn't deserve to walk these cavernous halls on</span><span class="Normal__Char" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> this</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">day. Besides, up until Tuesday my understanding of the Capital was a reduced catalogue of images, video-clips and sound-bites from cable news networks – a collage of important monuments filled with monumentally important people. It’s easy to forget that those buildings are nested in the heart of a city full of ordinary people and everyday stories.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">And so it was inside the Supreme Court on March 27</span><sup style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">th</sup><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">, a case of momentous stature resonating throughout a marble-columned room packed with linoleum lives. The fate of tens of thousands of American families cupped in the hands of nine justices.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">I’ll leave it to the pundits and experts to parse through lines of questioning and analyze possible outcomes. I won’t pretend to comprehend the complexity of constitutional law or the intricacies of our justice system. But standing six feet small beneath the ornately patterned ceiling, between the grand pillars and long velvet drapes so drenched in history if you wrung them out you could fill an ocean, I couldn’t help but think of my married friends back in Boston. While they were not as privileged as I to bear witness to</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span class="Normal__Char" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Windsor</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">unfolding at the highest court, I sensed their presence in the room. Because after all the arguments are laid out clearly before the world, when the gavels have gone silent and the sound of media coverage has faded, with each right and responsibility weighed and every brief accounted for, the only thing left at the core of this issue is people.</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span class="Normal__Char" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">People in love</span><span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">As politicians keep jumping ship from the sinking moral minority and the currents of change continue to carry us towards a more perfect union, let us not forget where this all began. It started with those little heart palpitations that grew heavier with every touch until they blossomed into a lifetime of memories built upon the simple, unyielding promise of forever and always. That’s what this is about. Ordinary people and everyday stories, stories from the book of love, and whether or not the Federal Government will acknowledge the person waiting anxiously with flowers at the landing gate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Time to catch my flight.</span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-28073921471283729822013-04-03T09:00:00.000-04:002013-04-03T09:00:08.219-04:00Creating "Beloved Community" Outside the Supreme Court<br />
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<i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Post by Carisa Cunningham, Director of Public Affairs and Education</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Inside the Supreme Court on Monday and Tuesday it was all blue suits, “may it please the Court”, legal arguments, and tradition. Outside the court was a very different and yet also very American scene. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Wandering around connecting our side’s people with reporters, I was invigorated by the variety of expression and sheer joy of equality supporters. What’s not to love about signs like “If God hates gay people, then why are they so cute?” and “Nature Digs Homosexuality: Scientists for Equal Rights”? In addition to scientists, there were labor unionists, inter-racial (straight) couples, </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">African-American ministers, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">military members, kids and grandparents, civil rights leaders, people from north, south, east, and west, all supporting equality under the law for gay people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The other side cornered the market in mixed messages: we had the Westboro Baptist Church singing “Another One Bites the Dust” – by Queen; and men in skirts (okay, kilts) in an anti-equality marching band.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I ran into our wonderful plaintiffs <a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/plaintiffs-gill/melba-abreu-beatrice-hernandez" target="_blank">Melba Abreu and Beatrice Hernandez</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/plaintiffs-gill/bette-jo-green-jo-ann-whitehead" target="_blank">Bette Jo Green and Jo Ann Whitehead</a>, and <i><a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/goodridge-et-al-v-dept-public-health" target="_blank">Goodridge</a></i> plaintiff David Wilson spoke to the crowd on the second day. The media was both penned up below the Supreme Court steps, and set up on the plaza to talk to lawyers and plaintiffs immediately following argument. Both days, the first person out the building was Jeffrey Toobin of CNN, who headed straight for his camera and immediately started talking.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx2B56QVGUBeQNXB5CDeZzaij14xfz5q9lk5sGfZQcacG5vhj4-ftXZ4ZyEQKvWzsvnwTLfSfckFDY8CfMk6dKYLbz4inwhAtGtthq818KHIUPiu9HvgQJrJ1O_HYUFm4jBKXi5PmRhp6/s1600/supporters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx2B56QVGUBeQNXB5CDeZzaij14xfz5q9lk5sGfZQcacG5vhj4-ftXZ4ZyEQKvWzsvnwTLfSfckFDY8CfMk6dKYLbz4inwhAtGtthq818KHIUPiu9HvgQJrJ1O_HYUFm4jBKXi5PmRhp6/s320/supporters.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It was incredibly moving to see Edie Windsor, in her bright pink scarf, waving to the crowd, which lovingly cheered her. And it was satisfying to see GLAD’s Mary Bonauto share her wisdom with everyone from ABC News to members of the community who stopped her on the street.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Kudos go to all of the organizers, and all who showed up, whether organized or disorganized. No matter what the legal outcome, these two days were a true expression of what Martin Luther King, Jr., called “the beloved community.” He said, “But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.” </span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-7225620911326763552013-04-02T12:30:00.000-04:002013-04-02T12:30:00.245-04:00What a Day it Was: Stepping Up for Equal Rights<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i>Jo Ann Whitehead (right) and Bette Jo Green, plaintiffs in GLAD's challenge to DOMA, </i>Gill v. OPM<i>, were in Washington D.C. last week for the rallies outside the Supreme Court. They share their experiences below.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><b>Jo Ann Whitehead</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">And now we step up for our rights under the law of the land. Bette Jo and I are happy we went to DC last week to stand outside SCOTUS during the morning rallies on Tuesday, March 26 (prop 8) and Wednesday, March 27 (DOMA):</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The weather was cold, but the fervor for equality warmed us deeply. The size of the supportive rally crowd took our breath away; it felt like a cold-weather Gay Pride Day. As the rally formed, we were cheek-to-jowl, able to move slowly through the flux of the crowd; this was a great opportunity to strike up conversations and make new “instant friends.” There was a mix of young, old, lgbt, straight, racially and culturally diverse, businesses, political groups, and religious groups. When the religious leaders (representing about every denomination you can think of) came from the prayer breakfast and walked through the crowd to the speakers’ area singing “this little light” it sparked a joyous sing-along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fortunately, we were a distance from the “opposition” and the “must-hate” groups who were there, but they were much smaller numbers than the waves of support; some of their signs and banners were confusing, some were downright nasty (</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">tradition, marriage, property</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">; [</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">swastika</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">]; </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">god hates fags</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">From our vantage point we enjoyed the bountiful upbeat, colorful, and supportive signs and banners, some homemade and some provided by the rally organizers: (Jesus had two dads and he turned out fine; guys, I said I hate figs; if God hates gay people, why are they so cute?; in case you’re confused [the rainbow flag] isn’t a white flag). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We were so happy to see two other </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Gill vs OPM</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> plantiffs (Beatrice and Melba, who stood for a loooong time in the “three minute line” to get into SCOTUS for a bit of the hearing on Wednesday). Kudos go to many: GLAD, HRC and other media coordinators; the rally organizers (the lineup of speakers was notable); the legal teams, the legal teams, the legal teams... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wow, thank goodness times change! As </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Gill vs OPM</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> plaintiffs, we hope the big celebration comes soon.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><b>Bette Jo Green</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Tuesday morning early we were on our way. The Metro was humming with folks in suits carrying briefcases, getting on and off, until we arrived at our stop: Capitol South. We emerged into the crisp air, greeted by volunteers in red t-shirts and vests, giving us directions to the Supreme Court building, along with placards and smiles. Our placards read “Marriage is Love Commitment Family” and we noticed more and more warmly dressed placard-carrying folks going in the same direction. Then we joined the throng – bright colors, lots of laughter, hand-printed signs, rainbow flags – and tried to get as close to the front steps as possible. People stood in the visitor line for the hearing, but many more were just like us making their way past the cameras and reporters to celebrate this historic moment together: the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) taking on gay marriage and gay marriage rights. I shivered when I saw EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW inscribed on the building. Could that also apply to us?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">The cold wind on this sunny day didn’t seem to matter so much in such a sea of humanity. We were huddled close together, jostling, saying “excuse me” so many times that we started talking about the day, learning each other’s stories, laughing as each new sign went by, chanting, singing, applauding the speakers, thanking the volunteers for all their efforts. We were a sea of color: rainbow and American flags, scarves, mittens, hats, and skin tone with the musical interludes keeping us hopping. A large contingent of ecumenical clergy wound their way through the crowd singing “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Going to Let it Shine” drawing us all in. And the speakers from near and far gave us inspiration from their personal stories and their support of the LGBT community. We left many hours later, only after our numb feet couldn’t hold us up any more. We needed energy for the next day.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Wednesday morning we were old timers, not only in age, but in experience. We knew the route, the stop, the way and came even earlier to the front steps of SCOTUS. This time we introduced ourselves to the folks around us who came from Virginia, Maryland, California, etc. Gay, straight, young, old, black, white – all energetic, all with stories to tell. The placards read “Equality Now” and multitudes of American flags joined the handmade signs, each person with a wider grin than the last. By this time our cheeks hurt from smiling so much. We talked with each other about the joys of commitment and our families and the weather and how good it felt to be here. It was amazing to realize that each of us in that vast crowd had a story to tell if we would take the time to listen. And we cheered for Edie Windsor and her legal team when she emerged from the SCOTUS building. By that time we were happily ensconced indoors watching her on TV.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">What a good day it was.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-69211756415210862982013-03-22T17:35:00.001-04:002013-03-22T17:35:32.007-04:00Rhode Island’s Marriage Marathon<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5h9AO3Hg4ZaJibGIDeTNUfm4tMx1r0TiVmfB4-JjWvS2xszC3zqYvcnqehZDqD2v1FrAtR5FB_xzm_zkWSymU2LxK2noGOsY0MVefET8HAU26bVzjSq0ihAOC_unopPbqsSAYCQ-Bii/s1600/janson-testifying-in-RI-350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5h9AO3Hg4ZaJibGIDeTNUfm4tMx1r0TiVmfB4-JjWvS2xszC3zqYvcnqehZDqD2v1FrAtR5FB_xzm_zkWSymU2LxK2noGOsY0MVefET8HAU26bVzjSq0ihAOC_unopPbqsSAYCQ-Bii/s320/janson-testifying-in-RI-350.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">GLAD Attorney Janson Wu testifying at last night's hearing</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Advocates for the freedom to marry often say that this
movement is a marathon, not a sprint. Rhode Island is a case in point. Marriage
bills have been filed every session since the late 1990’s, yet Little Rhodey is
the only one of our New England neighbors that has not opened marriage to
same-sex couples.
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But this could be the year when loving, committed same-sex
couples finally win the opportunity to say “I do.” Not in nearby Swansea or
South Attleboro, Mass. or Pawcatuck, Conn., but in the state they call home.
Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, a coalition of which GLAD is a part, is
running a stellar campaign, thanks to dedicated local leadership and experienced
veterans of other New England marriage campaigns. The House has already passed
the marriage bill. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has pledged to sign it. Now, it just
needs to pass the Senate, a more conservative body, but nonetheless where we
have steadily built support.</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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But back to the marathon, a word that encapsulates well
yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill. The hearing began
shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon and wrapped up shortly before 5 a.m.
this morning. Yes you read that correctly. The hearing lasted 12 hours. </div>
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Yes, that was plenty of time for the parade of usual
suspects who oppose the freedom to marry for same-sex couples to malign the
good LGBT people of Rhode Island or otherwise engage in fringe talk, like the
guy who fretted that the world would become depopulated if same-sex couples
were allowed to marry, or the woman who argued that children need a mother and
a father because “a woman’s love can be smothering.” I could go on, but I’ll
spare you the ridiculousness. No matter how ill-informed, outlandish and
outright false much of the opposition’s testimony was, such trash talk is hard
to hear for hours on end. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Hopefully the good testimony will outweigh the bad in the
hearts and minds of Judiciary Committee members, and love will save the day, to
quote the late Whitney Houston. Because there was plenty of love on our side. I
didn’t stay at the hearing until the wee hours, but I had the privilege of
helping to prep many of the personal testifiers -- the average Rhode Island
folks, gay and straight, who shared personal stories about why marriage is
important to them and why they believe same-sex couples should be able to share
in that institution. I reviewed the testimony of folks like Rock Ripple, who
talked of his 20-year relationship with his spouse (they were married in Massachusetts)
and the pride they take in their college-bound teenage daughter, who Rock
characterized as “12 pounds of willful joy” when she joined their family. </div>
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I got a little misty reviewing the testimony of Julian
Harvey, a 20-year-old lesbian who wrote of her parents, “They, arguably, have
taught me everything I know that’s worth knowing. Some of the most important
lessons I’ve actually learned just from watching them and following their
example,” – including the meaning of “true love and commitment, about
steadfastness and understanding.” She attended the hearing with her mother
Susan, who passed the time waiting to testify with her knitting. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I reviewed the testimony of Galen Hamman, who showed up for
the hearing cradling her infant son Jackson. She talked of what a blessing he
is to her and her spouse Jayme “because we now have the chance to share the
love that our families gave to us.”</div>
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Every member of the Committee received written copies of testimony
from these wonderful people – and there is no way they won’t be moved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it they will have heard the truth about the
real lives of their gay and lesbian constituents, the families they are raising
or desire to someday create, and the many people who love and support them. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In addition to the many personal stories told, my colleague
Janson Wu addressed what seems to be one of the thorniest issues for several
committee members in this heavily Catholic state - the intersection of the
freedom to marry and religious liberty. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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“It
is my hope that by elucidating the clearly established principles that currently
allow religious liberty and marriage equality to freely coexist, we remove an
impediment to moving this bill successfully out of committee,” Janson said at
the outset of his testimony. Judging by the response he received, we think he held up his
end of the bargain. Let’s hope the Senators got the message. You can link to
Janson’s testimony from this <a href="http://www.glad.org/current/news-detail/rhode-island-senate-judiciary-committee-marriage-hearing-today">page</a>
on our website.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Now we pace ourselves as we wait for the Judiciary Committee
to digest the testimony and vote on the bill. There are still hearts and minds
to be changed in the legislature and around the state. But the work will get
done. This is a marathon we’re going to win, so hang in there. </div>
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<br /></div>
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See you at the finish line.</div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-32046898968513669292013-03-21T16:39:00.003-04:002013-03-21T16:39:37.337-04:00Know Your Rights: Tax Deduction for Medical Care Related to GID
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s1600/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s320/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Post by Bruce Bell, <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights">Legal InfoLine</a> Manager</div>
<br />GLAD has great news for transgender people who may benefit
from claiming a tax deduction for medical treatment The Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) determines the types of medical treatment that may qualify for a
medical deduction on a person’s federal income tax. Even though the American Psychiatric
Association in its <i>Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) </i>identified a medical condition
(called “gender identity disorder (GID)” in its fourth edition, now called
“gender dysphoria” in its fifth edition that will be released this May), until
2010 the IRS considered most treatment for GID to be cosmetic and, therefore, not
eligible to be claimed as a medical deduction.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this changed in 2010, when GLAD won the <i>O’Donnabhain </i>case in federal Tax
Court. As a result of this victory, the
IRS now considers GID a medical condition, and therefore the expenses related
to the treatment of GID may be claimed as a medical deduction. As it does with
any medical deduction, the IRS requires medical documentation that the treatment
you received was appropriate for your specific diagnosis. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have had medical expenses for the treatment of GID in
previous tax years, the IRS allows you to file an amended return for up to
three years from the date of your original filing. This means that in most cases, you still have
until April 15, 2013 to file amended returns for the 2011, 2010 or 2009 tax
years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to taking a medical deduction on your income tax,
you may be able to get reimbursed for expenses related to your medical care if
you have a consumer-directed health plan such as an FSA, HSA, MSA or HRA,
because these plans use the IRS code to determine allowable medical expenses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GLAD strongly recommends that you consult with a tax
professional about the best course of action for your particular case and that
you have sufficient medical documentation for any expense you are
claiming. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have any questions about this, or any other LGBTQ/HIV
legal issue, please contact GLAD’s Legal InfoLine at 800-455-GLAD (4523) or at <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact</a>. This is a free, confidential service where
you can receive information and resources tailored to your individual needs
from a highly trained volunteer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-27714225362676273932013-03-11T16:32:00.000-04:002013-03-11T16:32:05.728-04:00Know Your Rights: HIV Testing—Consent and Privacy Issues<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s1600/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s320/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />Post by Bruce Bell, GLAD Legal InfoLine Manager</i><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Strong legal protections for people living with HIV are
essential prerequisites to effective risk-reduction and prevention strategies.
By fighting discrimination based on HIV status, protecting people’s privacy,
and improving access to information about HIV-related legal issues, we can
strengthen the health of our communities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.glad.org/work/initiatives/c/aids-law-project" target="_blank">GLAD’s AIDS Law Project</a> continues to fight for strong
privacy protections for HIV status and medical information, and to educate the
public about the consent requirements for HIV testing across New England.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because the laws vary from state to state, it’s important to
understand what is and is not allowed or required where you live. Read on for an overview, and visit <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/topics/c/hiv-aids">www.glad.org</a> or <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights" target="_blank">contact our Legal InfoLine</a> for more information.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>What HIV testing
privacy protections exist in New England?<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode
Island all have HIV-specific laws that require a patient’s <b><i>written</i></b> consent for HIV
results to be released by a doctor or medical facility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While there is no HIV-specific law in Vermont, under general
common law principles, health providers cannot disclose private medical
information to others without the patient’s consent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Are there any
circumstances under which a person’s HIV status can be disclosed by a<i> </i>health provider without the patient’s
consent?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Maine and Massachusetts, the answer to this question is
no. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As mentioned above, Vermont has no specific laws related to
HIV and general medical disclosure laws apply.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island each allow for
disclosure without consent under specific circumstances:<b><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to another health care provider to provide
appropriate care;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to a health care worker or other employee where
there has been a significant occupational exposure;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to employees of mental health facilities if a
patient’s behavior poses a significant risk of transmission;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to life and health insurers in connection with
life, health or disability benefits;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to any person allowed access by a court order<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->NEW HAMPSHIRE<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to another health care provider directly
involved in the patient’s care;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to a blood donation agency.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->RHODE ISLAND<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->when the test results are relevant to law
enforcement investigations, lawsuits or fraud cases;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->when the information is needed to provide
emergency treatment;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to notify the Department of Children, Youth and
Families the results of an involuntary test;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->to inform third parties when an HIV-infected
patient poses a clear danger and the patient will not inform the third parties;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->when someone dies of AIDS, notify the person
picking up the body, the embalmer and funeral director;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->when a first responder is has sufficient
exposure to create a risk of transmission.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What kind of consent
is required to be tested for HIV?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->CONNECTICUT—A general consent for medical care
is sufficient as long as the general consent contains an instruction to the
patient that the patient may be tested for HIV unless the patient indicates
when giving the general consent that he/she doesn’t want to be tested for HIV. The
burden is on the patient to communicate a refusal to the healthcare provider. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MAINE—A patient must be informed orally or in
writing that an HIV test will be performed unless the patient declines. The law also requires that the patient must
be told before the test the meaning of positive and negative test results and
be given the opportunity to ask questions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MASSACHUSETTS—Only verbal informed consent is
required each time an HIV test is performed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->NEW HAMPSHIRE—Only verbal consent is required
each time an HIV test is performed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->RHODE ISLAND—To perform an HIV test the person
must: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->be provided with oral or written information and
an opportunity for discussion with a health care professional,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->be informed of the right to decline testing, and<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->orally consent to the test.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->VERMONT—No specific consent is required, so an
HIV test may be done based on a general medical consent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Can an HIV test be
performed against a person’s wishes?<br /></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->CONNECTICUT—Yes, under the following conditions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->a significant exposure to HIV occurs during a
person’s occupational duties;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->the person is unable or lacks the capacity to
consent;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->on an inmate if the person’s behavior poses a
significant risk of transmission.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->if a woman gives birth to a child and she has
not had an HIV test, the health care provider must administer an HIV test to
the newborn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MAINE—Yes, under the following conditions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->occupational exposure that creates a significant
risk of HIV infection;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->after conviction of a sexual assault;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->testing of pregnant women and newborns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MASSACHUSETTS—No.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->NEW HAMPSHIRE—Yes, under the following
conditions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->after conviction of a sexual assault;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->prisoners;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->patient emergencies where the person is
incapable of giving informed consent;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->RHODE ISLAND—Yes, the following testing is
permitted but not required:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->any person under one year of age;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->any person between one and thirteen years of age
who appear to be HIV+;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->any person under the age of eighteen who is in
state care and a test is necessary to secure health or human services for that
person;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->a patient who exposes a health care worker to a
significant risk for contracting HIV;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->emergency medical situations where it is not
possible to get the consent of the patient.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->VERMONT—Yes, when a court orders that a person
convicted of a sexual assault be tested.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Can minors give their
own consent to be tested for HIV without obtaining their parents’ or guardians’
consent?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, in all six New England states minors can be tested for
HIV without obtaining their parents’ or guardians’ consent. However, these additional factors apply:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->CONNECTICUT—the health care provider must
counsel the minor to work towards involving the parents or guardians and about
the need to notify partners.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE—the physician is not
required to but may inform the minor’s parents or guardians, so it is important
for the minor to have a conversation with the doctor about his/her policies on
this issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->MASSACHUSETTS—if the physician feels that the
minor’s life is in danger, then the doctor is required to notify the parents or
guardians.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have any questions about LGBTQ/HIV legal issues,
please contact GLAD’s Legal InfoLine—by email or live chat at <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact</a>
or by phone at 800-455-GLAD (4523). This
is a free, confidential service, and you will be assisted by a compassionate,
highly trained volunteer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-12477652672262330392013-03-05T12:51:00.001-05:002013-03-05T12:51:50.860-05:00Thoughts on President Obama’s Justice Department Brief in Support of the Freedom to Marry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"President Obama now tops the list of
influential supporters who
have<br />filed briefs opposing Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court."<br /></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Post by Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD Civil Rights Project Director</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">President Obama’s Justice Department joined the litigation
efforts for the freedom to marry with their February 28 landmark filing of a “friend of the
court” brief to the United States Supreme Court arguing that California’s
Proposition 8 is an unconstitutional violation of the equal protection clause
of the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constitution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As my colleague, GLAD Executive Director Lee Swislow, has
said, the President’s support for the freedom of same-sex couples to express
their love and commitment through marriage could not be more significant.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Department of Justice brief addresses the
constitutionality of Proposition 8 rather than the laws of other states that
bar same-sex couples from marrying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question presented to the Supreme Court
asks: “Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
prohibits the State of California from defining marriage as the· union of a man
and a woman,” and the Department’s brief answers “YES.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the brief specifically addresses why Proposition 8 is
invalid, it clearly does so in ways that could affect the legal debate beyond
California.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For example:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Justice Department argues that laws distinguishing based
on sexual orientation merit close judicial scrutiny because of “the greater
danger that the [sexual orientation] classification results from impermissible
prejudice or stereotypes.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the Department first took this position in cases
challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), including GLAD’s two
cases <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gill v.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OPM</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pedersen v.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OPM</i> [links],
this is the first time they have done so in a case seeking the right to marry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
people agree that state laws denying government marriage licenses to same-sex
couples would not survive such heightened scrutiny.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Department’s brief calls attention to the fact that
Proposition 8 took away marriage from gay and lesbian Californians, but left in
place a registered domestic partnership system providing the same legal rights
and responsibilities under a separate legal system just for same-sex couples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The brief speaks powerfully to the fact that there are no
justifications for recognizing that same-sex couples deserve such protections yet
insisting they must be placed in a separate system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
the brief does not address the law of the 7 other states that currently have
registered domestic partnership or equivalent civil union laws, its arguments
about the law of California strongly suggest what the administration’s position
would be as to each of those other states.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, even if the Supreme Court does not reach the issue
of heightened scrutiny and applies rational basis review, the force and logic
of the Department’s arguments show that there are no legally valid reasons for
denying equal treatment under law to gay people and our families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
handily refutes arguments about tradition, responsible procreation and
child-rearing, caution, democratic self-governance and protecting children from
being taught about marriage for same-sex couples in schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The brief is built around two themes: that denying
marriage to same-sex couples harms those couples; and that there is no greater
public good accomplished by withholding marriage from same-sex couples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This certainly provides a foundation for
continued involvement from the administration, if need be, in years to come.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">President Obama now tops the list - and uniquely so - of
influential supporters including religious denominations, American businesses,
Republicans, and civil and human rights groups – <a href="http://www.glad.org/current/item/glad-and-lambda-legal-argue-prop-8-literally-violates-constitution" target="_blank">including GLAD</a> - who
have filed briefs opposing Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oral argument in the Prop 8 case will take place on March 26.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
following day, the Court will hear argument in the case against DOMA, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Windsor v.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>United States</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">You can find more information about the challenge to
Prop 8 <a href="http://www.afer.org/" target="_blank">here</a>, and about the challenge to DOMA <a href="http://www.glad.org/current/item/a-broad-coalition-of-amici-curiae-ask-supreme-court-to-strike-doma" target="_blank">here</a> and
<a href="http://www.aclu.org/edie" target="_blank">here</a>.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-80981873701449950992013-02-21T11:07:00.001-05:002013-02-21T11:30:19.416-05:00Calling All GLAD Alumni!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Robbie Samuels, Senior Manager of Events and Donor Engagement</span></i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8kwP72QWSKouO7GMYMKI0j8L5mD7upO9Z4gxNtGv0xRxugtiD5Gejk3N4mVSvDxdRFCC2Tka69tVtxwCdWl8aySInV2mIyp5h-Ztx_gdBt8d-JGsYHlgxzoziOsSJegljxkaikEyVVKm/s1600/IMG_2306-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8kwP72QWSKouO7GMYMKI0j8L5mD7upO9Z4gxNtGv0xRxugtiD5Gejk3N4mVSvDxdRFCC2Tka69tVtxwCdWl8aySInV2mIyp5h-Ztx_gdBt8d-JGsYHlgxzoziOsSJegljxkaikEyVVKm/s320/IMG_2306-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did
you intern, volunteer or work at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
sometime over the last 35 years? Thank you! You helped pave the way for GLAD to
become the groundbreaking legal rights organization we are today. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
of our earliest interns, staff and founding board members (e.g. <a href="http://www.urvashivaid.net/" target="_blank">Urvashi Vaid</a>, <a href="http://www.lgbtfunders.org/about/richard.cfm" target="_blank">Richard Burns</a> and <a href="http://www.arcusfoundation.org/socialjustice/about_us/board_staff/" target="_blank">Cindy Rizzo</a>) went on to become leaders in the LGBT movement. Which made me wonder
– where are all of our alumni now?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Haven’t been in touch recently? Are you in
the Boston area? Join us at our next <a href="http://www.glad.org/event/2013-gladhour-feb" target="_blank">GLADHour on Wednesday, February 27.</a> Held three times a year, these happy hours for
fans of LGBTQ equality are the perfect opportunity to reconnect with GLAD and
meet some of our amazing supporters.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDlNFigDSoUdawoKk5JsYMm8uKu81JgK4ki6EUXdAv9b7QcBV-tSbLSb391twGRV85VdAq8a5dWyyYcuueIbj_dwKs6rzRnC0-ICmT_qMy_H5pVUaT92CdT1-gKdgPrmH1LpEYCwAqYNt/s1600/GLADHourMay2011+009-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDlNFigDSoUdawoKk5JsYMm8uKu81JgK4ki6EUXdAv9b7QcBV-tSbLSb391twGRV85VdAq8a5dWyyYcuueIbj_dwKs6rzRnC0-ICmT_qMy_H5pVUaT92CdT1-gKdgPrmH1LpEYCwAqYNt/s200/GLADHourMay2011+009-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
we started hosting these GLADHours several years ago, we wanted to create an
easy and fun way to engage with GLAD and we succeeded! Each GLADHour brings
together over 100 people of various ages, races, sexual orientations and
genders. Some have been long-time supporters and others are just learning who
we are. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrNqAmwzFEa79BjlBwZu9qhCPZcki_5KVGtORobOypoJ7QetiteWpqrREs-SBJGFaK_J7h-6jKqbrGy4MQ65H8anHgZvH-kyMEhBTbI2S756oC2h-bHdPqU_dBqoSiEF8ZB7DFiehUc6R/s1600/DSC02987-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrNqAmwzFEa79BjlBwZu9qhCPZcki_5KVGtORobOypoJ7QetiteWpqrREs-SBJGFaK_J7h-6jKqbrGy4MQ65H8anHgZvH-kyMEhBTbI2S756oC2h-bHdPqU_dBqoSiEF8ZB7DFiehUc6R/s200/DSC02987-2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
if it’s been awhile since you’ve been to a GLAD event, join us at the next <a href="https://www.glad.org/event/2013-gladhour-feb" target="_blank">GLADHour on February 27</a> at 6pm. Grab a drink,
enjoy free happy hour snacks (thanks to our friends at Reproductive Science
Center), say hello to some of our current staff and learn about GLAD’s
transgender advocacy from Jennifer L. Levi, Transgender Rights Project Director
and one of our nation's leading experts on transgender legal issues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are
you in touch with other GLAD alumni? Spread the word by inviting them to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/545328868818567" target="_blank">Facebook<span style="color: black;"> </span>event page</a>. Tweet us a hello! <a href="http://www.twitter.com/GLADLaw" target="_blank">@GLADLaw</a> #GLADHour</span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-13008660191820817292013-02-20T15:39:00.002-05:002013-02-20T15:39:22.886-05:00Know Your Rights: LGBTQ Youth Rights in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s1600/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvrbKK0S9wu8cGFLmeMHz1TgatPSSgEZh3obVO1j_eg22uy5WObEpmU_ku7ICH7PMm6ViPYCI8UPT2hAkHJKKEdtUOZ0GOvNdRiNLLN1RrOaUjoQrBRv4r-zcZHAle4MKj_gR_nfUETQP/s320/website_-_Legal_Infoline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>by Bruce Bell, Legal InfoLine Manager</i></div>
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<br />In a recent post, I focused on the rights that students,
particularly public school students, have and the anti-discrimination laws that
provide protection to youth as well as adults in employment, housing and public
accommodations.</div>
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<a href="http://www.glad.org/work/initiatives/c/youth-initiative/">GLAD’s Youth Initiative</a> is also working to make sure youth
in the child welfare system or the juvenile justice system know their rights,
and we are exploring ways to increase those protections. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If your rights are being violated or you have questions about your rights, or if you work with LGBTQ youth in one of these areas and have questions, GLAD would like to hear from you. <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">Contact GLAD’s Legal InfoLine by email or live chat</a> or call our toll-free number, 800-455-GLAD (4523). A friendly volunteer will assist you—<b>it’s free and confidential</b>.</div>
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<b>LGBTQ youth in the child
welfare system</b> have the right to safe and appropriate placements, free from
discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity or
expression, and have the right to:</div>
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<li>Be free from harassment and abuse based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in foster care placements. This means protection from both physical and emotional harm in placements and placement with caretakers who will ensure their safety and well-being both inside and outside the home.</li>
<li>Be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.</li>
<li>Be identified by the name and pronouns and wear clothing that accord with his or her gender identity.</li>
<li>Be free from religious indoctrination that condemns or disparages their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.</li>
</ul>
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LGBTQ youth have the right to equal treatment and to access
appropriate services for their sexual orientation or gender identity or
expression while in the child welfare system.
In particular, LGBTQ youth:<br />
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<li>Must have access to appropriate medical or mental health care and should not be forced to undergo improper or disreputable services damaging to their well-being, such as reparative or conversion therapy. </li>
<li>Should be treated equally to heterosexual and gender conforming youth, including with regard to age appropriate displays of affection. </li>
<li>Should have access to supportive materials and resources. </li>
</ul>
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<b>LGBTQ youth in the
juvenile justice system</b> have the right to safe and appropriate placements
free from discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation or
gender identity or expression. In
particular:</div>
<ul>
<li>LGBTQ youth are entitled to protection from physical, emotional or sexual abuse by other youth or facility staff. </li>
<li>A facility’s response to harassment or violence against an LGBTQ youth cannot be to move the victim to a more restrictive facility or to isolate the victim. </li>
<li>LGBTQ youth cannot be segregated or classified as sex offenders based on myths that LGBTQ youth prey on other youth. </li>
<li>LGBTQ youth have the right to be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. </li>
<li>Transgender youth have the right to be identified by name and pronouns and wear clothing that accords with their gender identity.</li>
</ul>
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LGBTQ youth have the right to equal treatment and to access
appropriate services for their sexual orientation or gender identity or
expression while in the juvenile justice system. In particular, LGBTQ youth:</div>
<ul>
<li>Must have access to appropriate medical or mental health care, both for general services and for any medical services that may be unique to LGBTQ youth.</li>
<li>Should not be forced to undergo improper or disreputable services damaging to their well-being, such as reparative or conversion therapy.</li>
<li>May not be disciplined for engaging in age-appropriate romantic or sexual conduct that would not be punished between two different-sex youth.</li>
<li>Have the right to be free from religious indoctrination by facility staff that condemns or disparages their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.</li>
</ul>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-70102537634675693522013-02-14T11:01:00.001-05:002013-02-14T11:04:20.314-05:00Happy Valentine's Day<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New England has led the nation in affirming the love and commitment of same-sex couples and families.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From <a href="http://www.glad.org/30years/case_may.html">securing the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children</a>, to <a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/baker-et-al-v-state-of-vermont">elevating protections for civil unions</a>, to celebrating <a href="http://www.glad.org/30years/case_nov.html">groundbreaking marriage equality in Massachusetts 10 years ago this year</a> - with <a href="http://www.glad.org/work/cases/kerrigan-mock-v-connecticut-dept-of-public-health">Connecticut</a>, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine (and <a href="http://www.riunited.org/">hopefully soon Rhode Island</a>) following suit, GLAD is proud to be a part of ensuring that the love shared in LGBT families and relationships can thrive and flourish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a look at some heart-warming New England love stories below, and have a happy Valentine’s Day!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg2yg-iWzxQ5Co4aAwWEyhNn276c4iZ1g2EJAztrWqxGKAbzoJL8kMWNC9ZH7FhdAKOHuxjt577-0fQPAHK0Y-UcCZDPl8jOiuothjih6R2pkr3dyErMI713ZqB84he5za-U-X9MVl05o/s1600/wilson-compton-story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg2yg-iWzxQ5Co4aAwWEyhNn276c4iZ1g2EJAztrWqxGKAbzoJL8kMWNC9ZH7FhdAKOHuxjt577-0fQPAHK0Y-UcCZDPl8jOiuothjih6R2pkr3dyErMI713ZqB84he5za-U-X9MVl05o/s200/wilson-compton-story.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/family-thats-what-we-are">David and Rob</a> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David and Rob had a historic wedding ceremony at Arlington Street Church as one of the first same-sex couples to legally marry in the United States on May 17, 2004. “We had so much in common and could really support each other.” Together they have five children and Seven grandchildren.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdjrnK5Ax2DpzL2xk0F_B9LtHIJHyA__tpTH8iBKi8c73oYa2BETsxXMUrZx2crnFIfqNIOSrF-J7b6mbsADGihL49Ve0x5j42Lfxjtqn68A5-a3PG4f1codygzOaqwq6f5jWPoaJOkdi/s1600/levine-ritterman-story.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdjrnK5Ax2DpzL2xk0F_B9LtHIJHyA__tpTH8iBKi8c73oYa2BETsxXMUrZx2crnFIfqNIOSrF-J7b6mbsADGihL49Ve0x5j42Lfxjtqn68A5-a3PG4f1codygzOaqwq6f5jWPoaJOkdi/s200/levine-ritterman-story.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/levine-ritterman-untitled">Barbara and Robin</a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> One fateful day, when Robin was filling in for a colleague at a clinic, she met Barbara, a computer consultant and small-business owner. The two became great friends and quickly developed a strong connection. After Barbara was no longer Robin’s patient, their relationship grew and blossomed into love.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tFJo9ioYfEPT51e8zw4Tpwds30a3Lc3oUjIW3BYjM2j_0mh15UejK9ZbrnuIIwF8qd58aF8KmRKVqLLoN8zUeW-mRRaG-HrtO65Cia_Vl1PbSnzhEEJ_LLIBnytHloygaOi0S4KgKbYu/s1600/mason-dunn-web-square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tFJo9ioYfEPT51e8zw4Tpwds30a3Lc3oUjIW3BYjM2j_0mh15UejK9ZbrnuIIwF8qd58aF8KmRKVqLLoN8zUeW-mRRaG-HrtO65Cia_Vl1PbSnzhEEJ_LLIBnytHloygaOi0S4KgKbYu/s200/mason-dunn-web-square.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/nh-stories/stories/i-always-had-a-team-by-my-side-mason-dunn">Mason and Lauren</a> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I hate to use the word ‘traditional,’” Mason says, “but we’re very much an average married couple.” Lauren’s loving support was critical in what Mason calls his “journey through gender.” “We approached this as a team, and I never felt alone because of that.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31k1OLtYUPJ8d9FH8mzusEXI2re-h7EW5v41s0pbpmgfcxOU9U-ReHSoi_sv1mhiP8Lf7w_-IutmmdsXeYj7sVNsen6SJ_h_zq_Vctivl2LcEwEPrM8XG_MIDYgaJWxtStDYmIwUgjn24/s1600/chamberlain-story.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31k1OLtYUPJ8d9FH8mzusEXI2re-h7EW5v41s0pbpmgfcxOU9U-ReHSoi_sv1mhiP8Lf7w_-IutmmdsXeYj7sVNsen6SJ_h_zq_Vctivl2LcEwEPrM8XG_MIDYgaJWxtStDYmIwUgjn24/s200/chamberlain-story.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/their-love-conquers-all-except-doma">Daisy and Jamie</a> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the time of their first date, Daisy was a member of a medieval re-enactment group, and they both knew it didn't get much geekier than hanging out in the woods, reliving the wild and woolly days of Robin Hood and Joan of Arc in puffy hats and tunics. Nonetheless, says Jamie, “I married her anyway.”</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLzJ1bNk7JzFTLon23eJdvXuOA-ib_9vignl9ks_aKNin1ClPBSnDMdiX2jkqoep4DbBUoKjXvQYsR8lvsN51usxDKeT68N81WJc-_8b9BIhwodPYw4VHQGgUw2yOn262ltZSkXRG2R1R/s1600/artis-story.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLzJ1bNk7JzFTLon23eJdvXuOA-ib_9vignl9ks_aKNin1ClPBSnDMdiX2jkqoep4DbBUoKjXvQYsR8lvsN51usxDKeT68N81WJc-_8b9BIhwodPYw4VHQGgUw2yOn262ltZSkXRG2R1R/s200/artis-story.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/theyre-not-property-theyre-my-family">Geraldine and Suzanne</a> Geraldine and Suzanne call their family - with their three boys - "Team Artis."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhAE4RxhMuAbpPobqcsdQ5zu1xrm4zFKu0zkhBFbqYg49uBUUpFjcj2yvYQbJLQbbKEcre7OSAukzfeErFKFZsbQr553YQ6ijRjX9cEHwH82APdOJNHY1_styRcuNR98K5WrCFl3cQqOI/s1600/kaden-and-brittany-web-square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhAE4RxhMuAbpPobqcsdQ5zu1xrm4zFKu0zkhBFbqYg49uBUUpFjcj2yvYQbJLQbbKEcre7OSAukzfeErFKFZsbQr553YQ6ijRjX9cEHwH82APdOJNHY1_styRcuNR98K5WrCFl3cQqOI/s200/kaden-and-brittany-web-square.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.glad.org/nh-stories/stories/a-young-family-faces-unnecessary-intrusion-kaden-and-brittany" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kaden and Brittany</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> At first they were just close friends, sharing details of their lives in frequent conversations. Then love began to blossom. “He got very flirtatious,” Brittany recalls, although Kaden remembers it differently.“I don’t flirt,” he says, smirking. Six years later, Kaden and Brittany are married and living in Strafford County.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAeNtoe28cYUVHqMTlvne4rauirFVI7iCps5CCv9Iy2QU3obnoMlf81fn-U-PLRs2qnx3pqT8s-PMw3z2VoM7jsOB9pwhVK2t6TJuUvhByD4Ia6d0Pqao63zUwYs6Yr-_VS_gYM8SFB1V/s1600/jackie-gloria-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAeNtoe28cYUVHqMTlvne4rauirFVI7iCps5CCv9Iy2QU3obnoMlf81fn-U-PLRs2qnx3pqT8s-PMw3z2VoM7jsOB9pwhVK2t6TJuUvhByD4Ia6d0Pqao63zUwYs6Yr-_VS_gYM8SFB1V/s200/jackie-gloria-web.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZxMOjwL5rhfNQDhdjrjMw7sYXKydTWmx63JT7Re84X_8Kh6b-aEBqxJaWJEpDISNJ6QjC6hyQHuNfXMJNwEUXYSdwmHTNZhJtSZDDvrJS92Wnz6kMYh6ZWH2whRgUkmjHYn1WPg1MPHj/s1600/savoy-weiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZxMOjwL5rhfNQDhdjrjMw7sYXKydTWmx63JT7Re84X_8Kh6b-aEBqxJaWJEpDISNJ6QjC6hyQHuNfXMJNwEUXYSdwmHTNZhJtSZDDvrJS92Wnz6kMYh6ZWH2whRgUkmjHYn1WPg1MPHj/s200/savoy-weiss.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/no-normal-life-for-newlyweds-living-under-domas-threat">Jackie and Gloria</a> “We complete each other’s sentences; often we’re thinking the same thing at the same time. We’re just really soul mates,” says Gloria. “It's hard to keep us apart.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glad.org/doma/stories/were-a-family-just-like-the-family-across-the-street">Jerry and John</a> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“We clicked,” says Jerry. “It worked. We have a lot in common and at the same time we’re very different. I like to say that we complement each other in those areas where we’re most deficient ourselves. We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but when we don’t it’s oftentimes for our own amusement.”</span></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-80029641243263921172013-02-13T15:52:00.001-05:002013-02-13T15:53:06.946-05:00Behind the (Event) Wizard’s Curtain<div style="text-align: center;">
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Get ready for a “behind-the-scenes” look at special events at GLAD. With three new interns, the events team has more than doubled this year. We’re the bells and whistles people - we make sure everything runs smoothly by managing data, engaging with donors, and investigating great places for events. We’ll be regularly blogging about what we’re focused on and what’s on the horizon.<br />
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Meet the team who will be bringing you all of these amazing <a href="http://www.glad.org/events">GLAD events</a>:<br />
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<![endif]--><b>Jennie Robbiano, Special Events Intern,</b> is working with us full-time so she’s getting her hands on a wide array of development projects and is excited to learn about the ‘backstage’ world of non-profits at GLAD. Originally from Upstate New York, Jennie is currently in her second year at Northeastern University studying International Affairs and Religious Studies .She’s a vegan, loves to sew in her spare time, and has a cat named Spike. <br />
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<![endif]--><b>Rachel Rapoza, Special Events Coordinator,</b> is the events teams’ “mission controller” as she deftly juggles between competing priorities, including logistics for regional events and staffing the Spirit of Justice Award Dinner Committee. She joined GLAD in September 2010 after graduating from Hamilton College with a degree in Classics. At Hamilton, she was involved in the school’s LGBT alliance, Classics Club, and served as the captain of the varsity ice hockey and softball teams. Rachel’s commitment to volunteering introduced her to many non-profit organizations, and she gained previous development experience through an internship at the Human Rights Campaign. In her free time, she enjoys playing hockey and listening to oldies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f9FXIrGfxGL7CUmsGncYMbHhyphenhyphenCQQZzRgXQIDpwvq47vaxcucO2Pq0zfEUIOnDM6JG9usAhGjtppQKHbQI6YD8a06BmZvvonU70c2HH3VYfdL2e2NzYWwCpa0BYlhm2eXGou-6t951i44/s1600/Savannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f9FXIrGfxGL7CUmsGncYMbHhyphenhyphenCQQZzRgXQIDpwvq47vaxcucO2Pq0zfEUIOnDM6JG9usAhGjtppQKHbQI6YD8a06BmZvvonU70c2HH3VYfdL2e2NzYWwCpa0BYlhm2eXGou-6t951i44/s200/Savannah.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Savannah Hughes, Special Events Intern</b>. During my 20 hours a week at GLAD, I’ll be managing mailings and data entry and keeping everyone informed about events through social media. My other life is studying Political Communications at Emerson College, but I’m looking forward to learning the ‘behind the scenes’ of event production at GLAD. Outside work, you might find me baking or watching something on Netflix. And if you see me out at a GLAD event, feel free to strike up a conversation in French or Spanish (or English!) or share a good (bad) knock-knock joke. <br />
<br />
<i>Stay tuned for a missive from Molly… </i></div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3878677187737032554.post-73332393788110611902013-02-12T09:46:00.001-05:002013-02-12T12:45:43.528-05:00Know Your Rights: DOMA and Tax Season<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Diu8-ogir40?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Suzanne Artis on one of the many ways DOMA hurts her family at tax time:<br />"I don’t like to have to divide [my children] up. They’re not property, they’re my family."</i><br />
<br />
by Bruce Bell, <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights" target="_blank">Legal InfoLine</a> Manager</div>
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<br />
Like most of us right now, you are probably working on, or
thinking about, filing your federal and state income tax returns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For married same-sex couples, the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) makes tax time extra stressful - as the <i><a href="http://nyti.ms/VPqdwP" target="_blank">New York Times</a></i> pointed out yesterday. Because
of DOMA, the federal government – and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">some</i>
states - will not allow you to file your taxes as the married couple or family
that you are.</div>
<br />
GLAD has <a href="http://www.glad.org/doma" target="_blank">led the fight to knock out DOMA</a> through litigation
and public education since same-sex couples first began marrying in 2004.
Currently, we are orchestrating the critical friend-of-the-court briefing
strategy in the DOMA challenge being heard by the Supreme Court this session, <a href="http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/windsor-v-united-states-thea-edie-doma"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Windsor v. United States</i></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We anticipate that the Supreme Court will
rule on DOMA’s constitutionality by the end of June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If DOMA is ruled unconstitutional, most of
the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">federal</span> discrimination married
same-sex couples experience should end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<br /></div>
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See the end of this post for information on how you may be
able to preserve a claim to a refund of federal taxes you over paid due to
DOMA, if and when the law is finally declared unconstitutional. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But first, since we are still living with DOMA for now, we
have put together a summary of how to file your state and federal taxes, with
links to our more comprehensive resources.</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><b>Filing Federal Taxes</b><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /> </b></div>
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For federal taxes, wherever you live, you must file your federal
income tax as “single” or as “head of household” if one of you meets the
requirements for that status. However, GLAD recommends that you indicate in
some way on your return that you are a same-sex married couple, since income
tax returns can be used for a variety of purposes, such as getting a
mortgage—and for that purpose it may be important that the mortgage company
knows that you are married. For more information, see <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/navigating-taxes-married-couples.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Navigating Income Taxes for Married Same-Sex
Couples</i></a></div>
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DOMA hurts same-sex couples and families in many ways at tax
time. In addition to not being able to file as “married,” and potentially
paying higher taxes as a result, same-sex married couples must also pay a tax
on any benefit an employer offers to the same-sex spouse of an employee, and
when a same-sex couple divorces, the alimony one spouse pays to another is not
an allowable deduction as it is for a different-sex married couple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for many, like the Artis family in the
video above, the pain of having to ‘carve up’ the family by choosing which
parent includes children on their tax form is as bad as, or worse than, any
extra money DOMA costs.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Filing State Taxes</b><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How you should file taxes in your home state depends on the way your home state’s tax law is structured, as well as the existence or non-existence of a state marriage restriction.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
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<br />
<b><i>In New England</i></b></div>
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If you are married and
live in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Vermont or Maine</b>, you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> file
your state taxes as married (either as “married filing jointly” or “married
filing separately”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since filling out
the state income tax form depends on bringing over figures from a federal form,
you also need to complete a “married” federal income tax form in order to be
able to fill out your “married” state tax form—this “dummy” federal form is
only used to complete your state income taxes and never gets filed
anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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New Hampshire has no state income tax and Rhode Island’s tax
law requires the same filing status on the state tax form as is on the federal
tax form, so if you live in Rhode Island you must complete your state income
taxes using the same filing status as on your federal form (i.e. “single” or
“head of household”).<br /><br />For more information, or if you live outside New England, see <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/navigating-taxes-married-couples.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Navigating Income Taxes for Married Same-Sex
Couples</i></a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Receiving Retroactive
Benefits after DOMA</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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If DOMA is overturned and you are in the process of
appealing a previous tax return, you may be eligible to receive a refund on the
extra taxes you paid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The IRS allows you
to file amended income tax returns up to three years after the original return
was filed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in most cases
you can still file an amended return for the 2009 tax year provided the IRS
receives it before this April’s filing deadline. </div>
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<br /></div>
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GLAD has prepared a publication, <a href="http://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/publications/tax-time.pdf"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tax Time and Preserving Your Federal Rights</i></a>,
which lists the steps to take if you want to try to preserve your right to a
refund as a married couple for a previous year. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We know that this information can be confusing, which is why
GLAD provides a free Legal InfoLine, where a friendly, knowledgeable volunteer
can work with you one-on-one to answer any questions you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit <a href="http://www.glad.org/rights/infoline-contact">www.glad.org</a>
to contact us by email or live chat or call us at 800-455-GLAD (4523).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, it’s always best to talk to a qualified tax
expert about your particular situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>Good luck with your filing, and let’s hope this is the last year we have
to share this information about DOMA and taxes!</div>
GLADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14068092865389243820noreply@blogger.com0