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Married Same-Sex Couples Get Many – But Not All – Federal Spouse Benefits

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By

June 20, 2014

Because many married same-sex couples face discrimination in their home states and won’t receive critical federal Social Security and veterans benefits, continuing hardships demand swift resolution.

See Also: DOMA, Marriage, Same-sex relationships
Attorney General Confirms More Federal Protections for Married Same-Sex Couples

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February 11, 2014

In broad and unequivocal language, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder emphasized in a memo released Monday that “It is the Department’s policy, to the extent federal law permits, to recognize lawful same-sex marriages as broadly as possible, and to recognize all marriages valid in the jurisdiction where the marriage was celebrated.”

See Also: DOJ, DOMA
From Marriage Recognition to the Jury Box, the Windsor Decision Continues to Extend the Promise of Equality

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By

January 30, 2014

Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits excluding lesbians and gay men from juries based on their sexual orientation.

See Also: Discrimination, DOMA, Fair Courts Project, U.S. Supreme Court
Momentum: A Healthy Move Forward

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December 13, 2013

2013 will be remembered as the year the country took a quantum leap forward in securing access to quality healthcare. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act was a major victory for LGBT people and those with HIV.

See Also: Affordable Care Act, DOMA, Golinski v. OPM, Health Care Fairness, Health Care Reform, HIV, HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, HOPE Act, Transgender Rights
Lambda Legal Deplores India Supreme Court Ruling Recriminalizing Sexual Intimacy Between Same-Sex Adults

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December 12, 2013

This week, India's Supreme Court overturned an earlier ruling by the Delhi High Court that had decriminalized sexual intimacy between same-sex adults. In 2009, the Delhi High Court ruled Section 377 of the India Penal Code unconstitutional because it denied rights to a certain set of citizens.

See Also: DOMA, Same-sex relationships
Momentum: State of the Courts

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December 10, 2013

In 2013, it became crystal clear just how critical our courts are in the fight to secure legal equality for LGBT people and those with HIV. Unfortunately, when courts rule on important civil rights issues, they often come under attack from individuals and groups — going beyond criticizing outcomes and legal arguments — seeking to intimidate judges and undermine the function of the court system.

See Also: DOMA, Fair Courts Project, Momentum
2013 Timeline: A Year of Moving Equality Forward

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By

November 26, 2013

2013 has been a watershed year for Lambda Legal and the LGBT and HIV rights movement as a whole. Some of the biggest victories were a direct result of Lambda Legal’s four decades of work and the enduring legacy of our earlier wins. Here is a brief look at some of the year’s highlights on the road to equality.

See Also: Adoption and Parenting, DOMA, Employment and Rights in the Workplace, Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA, Health Care Fairness, Immigration and Asylum, Marriage, Marriage at the Supreme Court, Momentum, Same-sex relationships, Teens & Young Adults, Transgender Rights, U.S. Supreme Court, Youth in Schools
Después de DOMA: Lo que significa para ti

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August 7, 2013

Lambda Legal, en colaboración con otras 10 organizaciones que trabajan con las comunidades LGBT, emitió 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.

See Also: DOMA, Employment and Rights in the Workplace, Immigration and Asylum, Marriage at the Supreme Court, Proyecto Igualdad, Same-sex relationships, social security
Marriage Equality Is Everyone's Issue

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August 7, 2013

Some people within our community feel that resources and attention are disproportionately directed towards marriage equality, perhaps at the expense of transgender rights, immigrant rights or poor people’s rights—all communities that fall under our LGBT umbrella.

See Also: DOMA, Immigration and Asylum, Marriage, Marriage at the Supreme Court, Same-sex relationships, Transgender Rights
Ninth Circuit Dismisses Appeal in Lambda Legal DOMA Case

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July 23, 2013

Citing the Supreme Court's recent DOMA decision, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the appeal in Lambda Legal's DOMA challenge on behalf of Karen Golinski, a federal court employee denied family health coverage for her spouse.

See Also: DOMA, Employment and Rights in the Workplace, Golinski v. OPM, Health Care Fairness, Marriage at the Supreme Court