Religious Exemptions

Today, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears a challenge by a Christian student group to the University of California Hastings Law School non-discrimination policy, Lambda Legal and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) say that public funds and student fees should not be used to support discrimination.

Lambda Legal and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) filed a friend-of-the-court brief today with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the University of California Hastings School of Law in a case brought by the Christian Legal Society (CLS) challenging the school's nondiscrimination policy.

(Washington D.C., September 26, 2008) — Proposed expansions to federal rules prohibiting discrimination against healthcare workers could in fact increase discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and HIV-positive patients, according to comments submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services by Lambda Legal and the National Coalition for LGBT Health, along with other health advocacy and medical care groups.

(San Francisco, August 18, 2008) — The California Supreme Court has ruled that a group of doctors cannot use their religion as a legal excuse for violating the civil rights of their former patient — an Oceanside lesbian — to whom they refused an infertility treatment based on their religious views about her sexual orientation.

(New York, October 1, 2007) — Lambda Legal's preliminary assessment of the revised version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act shows the bill to be riddled with loopholes in addition to failing altogether to protect transgender people against discrimination.

(New York, October 4, 2007) — Prompted by a press release issued late yesterday from Rep. Barney Frank's office, earlier today Lambda Legal sent an open letter to Rep. Frank further explaining the shortfalls in the most recent version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

"Definitions of who is protected by the bill leave gaping loopholes so that no one will be fully protected against discrimination. Congress should finish the work it began 44 years ago when it made employment discrimination based on sex illegal, and once and for all rid the workplace of sexual stereotypes."

STATEMENT

(Los Angeles, May 1, 2008) — The California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday, May 28, 2008 in the case of an Oceanside lesbian whose doctors at North Coast Women's Care Medical Group denied her fertility treatments based on their religious beliefs.

(San Francisco, May 28, 2008) — The California Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in the case of an Oceanside lesbian, Guadalupe "Lupita" Benítez, whose doctors denied her a standard infertility treatment based on their religious beliefs about gay people.

 

WHAT: Press conference to announce filing of lawsuit, Bellmore v. United Methodist Children's Home and Department of Human Resources of Georgia