Roughly 30 states still lack clear laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, Americans from discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Nationally, there remains no explicit federal law that prohibits LGBT Americans from being fired; being refused service; or, incredibly, even being denied access to medical care. Krista and Jami Contreras of Detroit talk about what happened to their then-6-day-old daughter, Bay, when they took her to meet her pediatrician for the first time.
Andrew Satter is the Director of Video at the Center for American Progress. Sarah McBride is a Research Associate for LGBT Progress at the Center.