A Season of Pride

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary year, Lambda Legal will take part in more than 40 Pride events this season. It’s a time to come together as a community, to celebrate our victories and mourn our losses, to take stock of recent developments and look at what lies ahead on the road to equality.

Last week, Lambda Legal kicked off Pride season by joining 35 other LGBT and HIV/AIDS groups in pledging to re-engage our community in the fight against HIV. Three decades into the epidemic, more than 80 gay and bisexual men become infected in the U.S. each day. These trends are even more pronounced among gay and bisexual men of color, with young black gay and bisexual men having a higher rate of HIV infection than any other population in this country. Many in the broader LGBT community have simply stopped talking about the issue. This must change.

While there is much still to be done we have a lot to celebrate and plan for in this Pride season. The past year has seen an unprecedented six-state winning streak in the fight for marriage equality: same-sex couples in Maine, Maryland, Washington, Rhode Island, Delaware and Minnesota are now free to marry.

We had hoped that Illinois would join the list, and we’re still stunned by the state House’s failure to bring a marriage bill to a vote in May. But the fight is not over. We’re pressing ahead in our lawsuit seeking the freedom to marry in Illinois, and we won’t stop fighting until all Illinois couples and families are treated with dignity and respect.

We also have plenty to look forward to. We’re eagerly awaiting two decisions this month from the U.S. Supreme Court that may change the lives of same-sex couples and their families throughout the country. One case challenges the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples. The other challenges California's Prop 8, which revoked same-sex couples' freedom to marry in that state. We’ll keep you posted with expert analysis from our Supreme Court legal team as soon as the decisions are out.

Throughout the course of our work but especially during Pride season, we are inspired by people in our community who stand up for fairness and equality, including our clients whose bravery makes progress for us all. This year, we’re celebrating our 40th Pride by inviting you to share your story. Tell us who inspires you, and we’ll publish a tribute to them on our 40th anniversary Wall of Inspiration.

Thank you for your continued support—and happy Pride!