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Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family Article
Photo shows a couple sitting together on a park bench.

Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family

In order to better support all workers—especially LGBTQI+ workers—policymakers must design paid leave policies that are inclusive of chosen family and reflect the diverse caregiving needs of people across the country.

Caroline Medina, Molly Weston Williamson

Making the Case for Chosen Family in Paid Family and Medical Leave Policies Article
Transgender women at an outreach center in Washington in 2016. (Getty/Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Making the Case for Chosen Family in Paid Family and Medical Leave Policies

To ensure that LGBTQ individuals are included in paid family and medical leave policies, lawmakers must design the policies to cover diverse family relationships and allow for caregiving of chosen family.

Lindsay Mahowald, Diana Boesch

Supreme Court Case Could Give Taxpayer-Funded Service Providers a Broad License To Discriminate Against LGBTQ People Article
A pride flag is waved in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2013, in Washington, D.C. (Getty/AFP/Saul Loeb)

Supreme Court Case Could Give Taxpayer-Funded Service Providers a Broad License To Discriminate Against LGBTQ People

A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could allow discrimination against same-sex couples seeking to foster children and may also have broad negative impacts on nondiscrimination laws that affect a broad range of services and individuals.

Lindsay Mahowald, Caroline Medina

Expanding Definitions of Family in Federal Laws Report
Members of an extended family gather together in their living room in Burlington, Vermont, December 2015. (Members of an extended family gather together in their living room in Burlington, Vermont, December 2015.)

Expanding Definitions of Family in Federal Laws

Federal statutory definitions of family often fail to reflect the wide diversity of family structures in the United States, which can be particularly harmful to members of the LGBTQ community.

Frank J. Bewkes

Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination Took a Foster Child From Her Loving Foster Dads Video

Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination Took a Foster Child From Her Loving Foster Dads

John Freml—whose foster daughter was taken from his home—is one of a growing number of LGBTQ individuals who has faced discrimination in adoption and foster care.

Jasmine Hardy, Frank J. Bewkes

Welcoming All Families Report

Welcoming All Families

Religious exemptions allowing child placing agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ prospective parents will likely reduce the number of families available to adopt, further overburdening the child welfare system and harming the best interests of children in care.

Frank J. Bewkes, Shabab Ahmed Mirza, Caitlin Rooney, 3 More Laura E. Durso, Joe Kroll, Elly Wong

People Need Paid Leave Policies That Cover Chosen Family Report

People Need Paid Leave Policies That Cover Chosen Family

Nearly one-third of people in the United States have taken leave to support a chosen family member’s health needs—but public policy largely fails to support them.

Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Laura E. Durso, Frank J. Bewkes, 1 More Eliza Schultz

Making Paid Leave Work for Every Family Report
Gregg Pitts feeds his son Thomas Brunson-Pitts, 6 months, a bottle as his husband Brooks Brunson gets ready for work at their home in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2016. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

Making Paid Leave Work for Every Family

Inconsistent and restrictive family definitions have historically marginalized many families, but improvements can be made to serve a fuller range of diverse family structures, especially LGBTQ families.

Moira Bowman, Laura E. Durso, Sharita Gruberg, 5 More Marcella Kocolatos, Kalpana Krishnamurthy, Jared Make, Ashe McGovern, Katherine Gallagher Robbins

Fired for Being Who I Am: The Fight for LGBT Equality Continues Video

Fired for Being Who I Am: The Fight for LGBT Equality Continues

Despite historic progress on LGBT rights, many LGBT people and their families still face serious and life-altering discrimination in their daily lives.

Kulsum Ebrahim, Sarah McBride, Claire Markham

Filling in the Map: The Need for LGBT Data Collection Article
A married couple is pictured with their infant daughter, July 2014. (AP/Rick Bowmer)

Filling in the Map: The Need for LGBT Data Collection

Federally supported population surveys need to keep up with the growing visibility of LGBT issues by beginning to routinely collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Kellan Baker, Laura E. Durso

Their Baby Was Denied Access to Care Because They Are Gay Video

Their Baby Was Denied Access to Care Because They Are Gay

LGBT couple Krista and Jami Contreras discuss what happened when they took their infant daughter to the pediatrician for the first time.

Andrew Satter, Sarah McBride

Bridegroom Past Event

Bridegroom

A Reel Progress Screening and Discussion

DOMA’s Impact on LGBT Older Americans Article
Edith Windsor, left, the plaintiff in the historic <em>United States v. Windsor</em> case before the U.S. Supreme Court, accompanied by her attorney Roberta Kaplan, arrives at the LGBT Center for a news conference, in New York, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (AP/Richard Drew)

DOMA’s Impact on LGBT Older Americans

By striking down key sections of the Defense of Marriage Act, the Supreme Court has removed a number of discriminatory obstacles once blocking full and equal access to a variety of federal benefits critically important to older gay and lesbian couples. But much more remains to be done, particularly on the state level.

Andrew Cray, Sunny Frothingham

Guide to Same-Sex Couples After Historic Ruling on DOMA Article
The U.S. Supreme Court Building is seen in Washington, D.C. (AP/Susan Walsh)

Guide to Same-Sex Couples After Historic Ruling on DOMA

The “After DOMA: What It Means for You” LGBT Organizations Fact Sheet Series details many of the ways federal agencies accord legal respect to married same-sex couples.

What the DOMA Decision Means for LGBT Binational Couples Article
Gay rights advocate Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court at sun up on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Today the Supreme Court repealed Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

What the DOMA Decision Means for LGBT Binational Couples

The Supreme Court repealing Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act will help LGBT immigrants married to American citizens and lawful permanent residents, but more must be done for our immigrant community.

Sharita Gruberg

2 Victories for Marriage Equality at the Supreme Court Article
Jo Ann Whitehead, left, and Bette Jo Green joined the marriage-equality supporters at the Supreme Court as the justices heard the case <em>Hollingsworth v. Perry</em>, a challenge to California’s Proposition 8, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Washington. (Paul Morigi/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign)

2 Victories for Marriage Equality at the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court stripped private parties of the ability to appeal a decision striking Proposition 8. The court also held that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, representing a huge victory for same-sex couples and equal justice under the law.

Andrew Cray, Crosby Burns

Marriage Equality and the Supreme Court Report
With the Capitol in the background, supporters of gay marriage carry signs in front of the Supreme Court before the Court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Marriage Equality and the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court’s rulings on two marriage equality cases have widespread implications for the future of LGBT rights.

Crosby Burns, Joshua Field

Marriage Equality Will Not End LGBT Discrimination Article
Linda Baker, foreground left, of Renton, Washington, and Kim Nuesse, right, of Kelso, Washington, join others on the Capitol steps during a rally in support of legislation to protect gay and lesbian citizens from discrimination in housing, employment, and insurance, January 23, 2006, in Olympia, Washington. (AP/John Froschauer)

Marriage Equality Will Not End LGBT Discrimination

As the Supreme Court decides who can say “I do,” finally passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is something that Congress must do.

Sally Steenland

FAFSA Modernizes to Recognize LGBT Families Article
Kim Pollock, 17, goes through college materials in her bedroom in Bedford, New Hampshire. FAFSA will soon start recognizing same-sex parents on their financial aid applications. (AP/ Cheryl Senter)

FAFSA Modernizes to Recognize LGBT Families

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will soon begin collecting information about applicants who have same-sex parents, giving them equal access to college financial aid.

Crosby Burns, David A. Bergeron

Infographic: How the Defense of Marriage Act Is Harming 1 Military Couple Article
 (DOMA military infographic)

Infographic: How the Defense of Marriage Act Is Harming 1 Military Couple

As the Supreme Court considers overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, it must take into account the ways the law harms our men and women in uniform and undermines our military readiness.

Katie Miller

How the Defense of Marriage Act Is Harming One Military Couple Video
 (Service member)

How the Defense of Marriage Act Is Harming One Military Couple

Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex military spouses are not eligible for nearly 100 spousal benefits freely available to other military spouses. This inequality harms our military families and weakens our entire force.

Lauren Santa Cruz, Katie Miller

Collateral Damage Report
The Defense of Marriage Act neither defends marriage nor contributes to the actual defense of our country. (AP/Gregory Bull)

Collateral Damage

By preventing the military from recognizing the legal marriages of same-sex military couples, the Defense of Marriage Act contradicts numerous military initiatives.

Katie Miller

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