Press Release

(Platteville, WI, March 24, 2008) — Lambda Legal has reached a settlement agreement with a man charged with the anti-gay attack of a University of Wisconsin student.

Making the case for Brett Timmerman, an openly gay former college student, Lambda Legal invoked the civil recovery provision in Wisconsin's hate crime law, which provides special damages for victims of violence on the basis of sexual orientation. The parties have agreed upon payment of an undisclosed amount.

(Honolulu, March 10, 2008) — At a press conference today, Lambda Legal announced its intent to file a lawsuit against the University of Hawai`i, representing Phi Ngo and Joseph O'Leary, a gay couple not allowed to move back into family housing after living there for one year.

(New York, March 5, 2008) — A New York State Judge has upheld the New York Department of Civil Service's policy recognizing Canadian marriages of same-sex couples for purposes of spousal health insurance coverage for public employees.

"Yet another court is saying that respect for out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples is the law in New York," said Susan Sommer, Senior Counsel at Lambda Legal. "In recent months there has been a steady drumbeat of courts recognizing long-established New York law as it applies to same-sex couples — we are very pleased."

(San Francisco, March 4, 2008) — Abogados representantes de parejas del mismo sexo presentaron argumentos hoy ante la Corte Suprema de California en un pleito histórico que busca la derogación de una ley estatal que prohíbe casarse a las lesbianas y hombres gays.

(San Francisco, March 4, 2008) — Attorneys for same-sex couples presented arguments to the California Supreme Court today in a historic lawsuit seeking to strike down a state law that bars lesbians and gay men from marriage.

(New York, February 20, 2008) — The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center has settled its lawsuit against the City of Kingston over the Center's property tax exemption.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with the City of Kingston, and that the City now recognizes the important work that the Center does in the community. This agreement will help the Center's work to continue and to grow," said Thomas W. Ude, Jr., Senior Staff Attorney at Lambda Legal.

(Los Angeles, February 26, 2008) — Lambda Legal has sent a strongly-worded request to Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo that the city honor its own nondiscrimination policies and cut ties with a Boy Scouts of America affiliate that currently administers youth programs for the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments.

(New York, February 25, 2008) — Lambda Legal has been honored by the estate of Seattle philanthropist Ric Weiland with a bequest of over $11-million — the largest ever received by Lambda Legal, to be paid out over eight years.

(Miami, Florida, February 21, 2008) —  "There is nothing that can make up for what my children and I endured that day," said Lambda Legal client Janice Langbehn about the way she was treated on the day her partner, Lisa Pond, died. "We only want the hospital to take responsibility for how they treated us and ensure that it doesn't happen to another family."

On the one-year anniversary of Lisa Pond's death, Lambda Legal announces its intent to file a lawsuit on behalf of Pond's same-sex partner and family.

(New York, February 15, 2008) — New State Department guidelines lift the agency's blanket ban under which candidates who have HIV were barred from becoming Foreign Service Officers.