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The LGBT Project brings impact lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the country— cases designed to have a significant effect on the lives of LGBT people. > > Learn More > Domestic Partners Seek To Intervene In Lawsuit Challenging Wisconsin's Domestic Partner Law > Tennessee Appeals Court Unanimously Upholds Rights Of Lesbian Mom > With Congress Poised to Vote on ENDA, We Need to Hear Your Story! The LGBT Project fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and public education across five issue areas: RELATIONSHIPS – Since the first marriage lawsuit for same-sex couples in 1972, the ACLU has been at the forefront of both legal and public education efforts to secure marriage for same-sex couples and win legal recognition for LGBT relationships. SCHOOLS & YOUTH – The LGBT Project’s Schools & Youth program defends free expression in public schools, demands that learning environments do not encourage bullying and violence, and helps educators create an atmosphere respectful of students’ sexual orientation and gender identity. PARENTING – The ACLU is committed to defending the rights of LGBT parents, not only in custody and visitation arrangements but also by challenging discriminatory laws that restrict the rights of LGBT people to parent. TRANSGENDER – The ACLU works to include gender identity in nondiscrimination laws, raises awareness of the types of harms that transgender people face, and brings impact lawsuits to change biased laws against transgender people in employment, schools, and public accommodations. DISCRIMINATION – Since the 1950s, the ACLU has been defending LGBT people from discrimination. Over the years, the ACLU has fought LGBT discrimination on several fronts—from challenging “sodomy” laws to advocating for civil rights that protect LGBT people.

Montana High Court Affirms Rights Of Lesbian Parent And Her Children (10/7/2009)
HELENA, MT - The Montana Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a lesbian must be treated as a mother to the two children that she raised with her partner of 10 years. The ACLU, which represented the mother, applauds the decision giving children the right to maintain relationships with both their parents after a break-up.

House Hears Testimony On Landmark Employment Non-Discrimination Act (9/23/2009)
WASHINGTON – The House Education and Labor Committee heard testimony today on H.R. 3017, a bill that would finally end workplace discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. There is also a version of that bill, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), pending in the Senate. Currently, it remains legal to fire or refuse to hire someone for being lesbian, gay or bisexual in 29 states, while transgender workers can be denied or refused jobs in 38 states. If passed, ENDA would become the first-ever federal ban on employment discrimination of LBGT people in most workplaces.

Domestic Partners Seek To Intervene In Lawsuit Challenging Wisconsin's Domestic Partner Law (9/22/2009)
MADISON, WI - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion before the Wisconsin Supreme Court today on behalf of five same-sex couples asking that the couples be allowed to participate in a lawsuit that will decide whether the state’s newly enacted domestic partner law violates Wisconsin’s anti-gay marriage amendment. Anti-gay activists have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down the domestic partner law as inconsistent with the marriage amendment. The couples also ask the Court to reject the petition and send the case to a trial court so that evidence can be presented to show that the domestic partner law does not violate the anti-gay marriage amendment that passed in 2006.

Tennessee Appeals Court Unanimously Upholds Rights Of Lesbian Mom (9/21/2009)
NASHVILLE - A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has unanimously ordered a trial court to reconsider a ban preventing a divorced mom from having her partner of 10 years and her own children stay overnight at her home at the same time. The trial court had imposed the so-called "paramour clause" on the lesbian couple even though the psychologist who performed the custodial evaluation in the case found the partner to be a positive influence in the children's lives. The American Civil Liberties Union represented Angel Chandler in her appeal of the restriction.

Legislation Introduced To Repeal Discriminatory Defense Of Marriage Act (9/15/2009)
WASHINGTON - A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives today that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and respect state marriages by providing federal protections for married same-sex couples. DOMA, passed in 1996, authorized discrimination against lawfully married same-sex couples. Today's bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, was introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and several others.

ACLU-SC Settles Lawsuit over Orange County High School That Tolerated Homophobia and Sexism (9/9/2009)
SANTA ANA, Calif. - The ACLU of Southern California and the law firm of Hadsell, Stormer, Keeny, Richardson and Renick LLP have settled a lawsuit against Orange County's Newport-Mesa Unified School District and Corona del Mar High School over a sexist and homophobic atmosphere that officials permitted to flourish at the school.

Lawsuit Challenging Government Funding Of Religious Youth Home To Go Forward (8/31/2009)
Louisville, KY — A federal appeals court ruled today that a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State challenging government funding of a religious group youth home in Kentucky can go forward.

ACLU Urges Florida Appellate Court To Affirm Ruling Striking Florida Law Barring Gay People From Adopting (8/26/2009)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union appeared before a Florida appellate court today to urge the court to let stand an earlier ruling striking down Florida’s law barring lesbians and gay men from adopting.

American Civil Liberties Union Mourns Senator Edward Kennedy (8/26/2009)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today mourned the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) who succumbed to brain cancer Tuesday night.

ACLU Statement on Latest Obama Administration Legal Brief on Defense of Marriage Act (8/17/2009)
The brief filed by the Justice Department in Smelt v. United States, today shows that the federal government heard and understood some of the concerns raised by the LGBT community in response to the brief it filed in June. (Smelt is a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to give them equal treatment in federal programs).

Tennessee Schools And Students Reach Settlement In Internet Censorship Case (8/13/2009)
NASHVILLE, TN – As a result of a settlement reached in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, two Tennessee school districts agreed to stop blocking access to online information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. A federal court dismissed the lawsuit against the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and Knox County Schools after the settlement was reached.

Bill Introduced In Senate Today To Ban Workplace Discrimination Based On Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (8/5/2009)
WASHINGTON – A bill was introduced in the Senate today that would make workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity illegal. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would become the first-ever federal ban on employment discrimination of LBGT people in most workplaces.

Tides Foundation Awards $150,000 to ACLU of Florida to End State's Gay Adoption Ban (7/23/2009)
MIAMI - The Tides Foundation's State Equality Fund has awarded a $150,000 grant to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida and its Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Advocacy Project to defend its recent trial court victory ending Florida's ban on adoption by gays and lesbians, and to educate Floridians about the case. The grant funds will pay some of the significant costs of defending the judgment on appeal and of conducting a grass-roots public awareness campaign.

Senate Passes Hate Crimes Amendment Lacking Free Speech And Association Protections (7/17/2009)
WASHINGTON – The Senate late Thursday passed an amendment as part of the Department of Defense Authorization bill that would give the federal government new authority to prosecute certain violent acts based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. However, the Senate version of the hate crimes bill lacks the strong protections for speech and association included in legislation passed by the House of Representatives in April. The American Civil Liberties Union believes that without the speech and association protections included in the House bill, the Senate hate crimes legislation could have a chilling effect on constitutionally protected speech and membership.

Legal Documents In ACLU Challenge To Gay Adoption Ban Made Public (7/16/2009)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the ACLU national LGBT Project today announced that all of the briefs filed in the ACLU's lawsuit to overturn Florida's ban on gay adoption have been made public. The court approved the release documents, which were sealed in accordance with normal procedure in adoption cases, in response to a motion by Miami attorney Timothy H. Crutchfield on behalf of Wire Magazine seeking public access to the briefs because it is a case of public importance.