Lambda Legal
This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (July 2023) |
civil rights | |
Headquarters | New York City, United States |
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Chairman | John F. Stafstrom |
Website | lambdalegal.org |
The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, better known as Lambda Legal, is an American
Part of a series on |
LGBT topics |
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t |
History
Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq. submitted incorporation papers for approval to the New York Courts in 1971, but his application was denied on the grounds that its proposed activities would be "neither benevolent nor charitable in purpose" and "there was no demonstrated need for its existence". (In re Thom, 301 N.E.2d 542 (N.Y. 1973).)
The original incorporators, in addition to Bill Thom, were E. Carrington Boggan,[4] and Michael J. Lavery. At their first meeting on November 10, 1973, they elected to the newly constituted board of directors Rodney L. Eubanks, Shepherd Raimi, and D. Nicholas Russo.[5]
Because of the scarcity of openly gay lawyers in 1973, Lambda Legal formed a Board of Advisors of prominent New Yorkers sympathetic to the cause of
From its inception, Lambda Legal sought
Lambda's growth paralleled the growth of the gay movement. By the 1980s, with the crisis of the
In 2013, Lambda Legal – Midwest Regional Office was inducted into the
Its national headquarters remain in
Work
Lambda Legal has played a role in many legal cases pertaining to
Lambda Legal carries out its legal work principally through test cases selected for the likelihood of their success in establishing positive legal precedents that will affect lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those affected by HIV. Lambda Legal's staff of attorneys works on a wide range of cases, with their docket averaging more than 50 cases at any given time.
Lambda Legal also maintains a national network of volunteer Cooperating Attorneys, which widens the scope of their legal work and allows attorneys, legal workers and law students to become involved in the program by working with Lambda Legal's legal staff.[10]
Lambda Legal pursues litigation in all parts of the country, in every area of the law that affects communities they represent, such as discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and the military; HIV/AIDS-related discrimination and public policy issues; parenting and relationship issues; equal marriage rights; equal employment and domestic partnership benefits;[11] "sodomy" law challenges; immigration issues; anti-gay initiatives; and free speech and equal protection rights.[12]
Before taking on legal work on behalf of same-sex marriage rights, Lambda Legal had to resolve an internal debate over the significance of marriage for its constituency and the strategic wisdom of taking on the issue. In 1990, it declined to represent the plaintiffs in the
Lambda Legal publishes the "Little Black Book", which contains information regarding the possible consequences of gay men "cruising" for sex in public places.[14] The "Little Black Book" includes the following material: "If you cruise in parks, bathrooms or other spaces open to public view, trust your instincts, be aware of your surroundings – and know your rights. While Lambda Legal and other groups are fighting against the ways police target men who have sex with men, having sex where others might see you and take offense can subject you to arrest, publicity and other serious consequences. If you feel unsafe, you should leave."[14] The "Little Black Book" goes on to advise as follows: "If you’re cruising for sex and an undercover cop hits on you, what you do can still be a crime."[14]
In July 2012, Lambda founder Bill Thom was interviewed at his nursing home in Manhattan, and gave a first-hand account of the early years of Lambda Legal. This resulted in a letter[15] from the current co-chair of Lambda Legal to Bill Thom dated September 25, 2012, in which he says "The world is a vastly better place for LGBT people than when I started practice 20 years ago and is almost unrecognizable from the world in which you took on the heroic and unprecedented task of fighting back."
Represented by Lambda Legal,
Following a 2017 Trump administration presidential order to ban transgender troops from the US military, Lambda indicated that they would be taking action to challenge the legality of the order.[19] The order was blocked by courts until the Supreme Court allowed it to go into effect in January 2019, but was reversed two years later by executive order of President Biden, less than a week after his inauguration in January 2021.[20]
In May 2022, Lambda Legal launched the first episode of its new podcast, "Making the Case," hosted by Alex Berg. Listeners will have the opportunity to learn more about the creative strategies, unique challenges, and passion that helped win some of the most significant cases for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV in recent memory.[21]
Attorneys and legal department
The legal department at Lambda Legal consists of a broad array of grassroots activists, corporate attorneys, Help Desk staff, and administrative professionals committed to achieving the full recognition of the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and people living with HIV:
Jenny Pizer, Chief Legal Officer and the Eden/Rushing Chair for Lambda Legal:
As Chief Legal Officer, Jenny Pizer leads Lambda Legal's department of over 20 attorneys, 11 paraprofessionals, and five dozen impact litigation cases across the United States.[22]
Pizer first joined Lambda Legal's staff in 1986 as an intern while attending New York University School of Law. Pizer co-counseled the litigation that legalized marriage between same-sex couples in California on May 15, 2008, in re Marriage Cases.[23] On August 18 of that same year, Pizer won a unanimous California Supreme Court victory in N. Coast Women's Care Med. v. S.C[24] on behalf of Guadalupe Benitez, a lesbian denied infertility due to the discriminatory religious objections brought forth by her doctor.
She clerked for the honorable Ann Aldrich of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College.
Public education
As a part of Lambda Legal's education component, the organization periodically publishes articles, playbooks, and surveys to educate the general public and influence public policy on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV.
On April 20, 2023, Lambda Legal partnered with the non-profit organizations Black and Pink National, and Strength in Numbers Consulting Group to publish the Protected & Served? 2022 Report.[25] The report is a data-quantitative information of personal stories conducted across over 2,500 LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV capturing their experiences with misconduct involving police, courts, prisons, jails, schools, and other government agencies.[26]
See also
Notes
- ^ "In re Thom, 42 A.D.2d 353 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-18. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ "Lambda Legal History". Archived from the original on 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
- ^ Smyth, Michael; Sanderson, Jordan (2019), "Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund", in Chiang, Howard; Arondekar, Anjali; Epprecht, Marc; Evans, Jennifer (eds.), Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History, vol. 2, Farmington Hills, MI: Charles Scribner's Sons, pp. 891–893
- NY Times. February 1, 1992. Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ a b "Minutes of the Combined Organizational Meeting and of the First Meeting of the Members and First Meeting of Directors", Lambda Legal, November 10, 1973
- ^ Primary source – original board member, Shepherd Raimi, July 23, 2008
- New York Times, February 14, 1997
- ^ "Inductees by Year". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
- ^ "About Us". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Paquette, Monica (September 14, 2011). "Marketplace". New York Law Journal.
- ^ Pinckard, Cliff (April 3, 2009). "Gay-marriage ruling expected today in Iowa". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Pearson, Sophia; Dolmetsch, Chris (June 29, 2011). "New Jersey's Civil Union Law Challenged by Rights Group". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0521848565.
- ^ a b c "Lambda Legal Releases 'Little Black Book,' Resource Against Police Harassment And Other Dangers Gay Men Encounter When Cruising For Sex". Lambda Legal. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ "Lambda Letter to Bill Thom, September 25, 2012" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Greene, Jenna (27 May 2021). "Pro Bono Hero: How Morgan Lewis partner Manning helped win citizenship for babies of same-sex couples". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- The Advocate. Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Victory! State Department Withdraws Appeal in Cases of Same-Sex Couples' Children Refused Passports". www.lambdalegal.org. Lambda Legal. 27 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ @LambdaLegal (August 25, 2017). "Hey @realDonaldTrump, expect to get..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Detrow, Scott (25 January 2021). "Biden Repeals Ben on Transgender Troops". NPR. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Lambda Legal Launches New Podcast". Erie Gay News. July 2022. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jennifer C. Pizer Named Lambda Legal's Chief Legal Officer". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ "In re Marriage Cases, 43 Cal.4th 757 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ "N. Coast Women's Care Med. v. S.C, 44 Cal.4th 1145 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ "Protected & Served?: Voices from the Inside". Lambda Legal. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ "2022 Report". Protected & Served?. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-05-02.