Press Releases

(New York, October 5, 2011) - Late yesterday, Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of itself and 16 other LGBT, HIV and health advocacy organizations urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a lower court ruling finding that the federal Privacy Act protects against illegal disclosures that result in suffering unrelated to financial losses.

Paula Ettelbrick, former Legal Director at Lambda Legal and lifelong activist for LGBT equality and social justice, died today, after a long battle with cancer. Ettelbrick was the first staff attorney at Lambda Legal in 1986 and served as its Legal Director from 1988 to 1993.

(Washington, DC, October 11, 2011) – The U.S. Supreme Court today denied Lambda Legal’s petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of a same-sex couple seeking an accurate birth certificate for their Louisiana-born son whom they adopted in New York. The Louisiana state registrar has refused to recognize the adoption and issue a birth certificate listing both fathers as the boy’s parents.

Today, the White House announced that former Lambda Legal client Janice Langbehn will be one of 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor.

(New York, October 12, 2011)—Frank Kameny, Harvard-trained astronomer, Army veteran, and lifelong advocate for LGBT equality, died yesterday at 86. Fired from his federal job simply for being gay, Kameny argued what is believed to be the first civil rights claim in a U.S. court based on sexual orientation.

Robbin Burr, former Executive Director of Center on Halsted, elected Board Co-chair and Gail Morse, Partner and tax attorney for Jenner & Block, elected new Board Member

  (New York, October 20, 2011) - Lambda Legal announced the election of three new leaders to serve on its Board of Directors, including Robert Kuhn of New York. Joining the Board as well are Anne Krook of Seattle and Gail Morse of Chicago. Lambda Legal also announced the election of Robbin Burr, a board member since 2009, as co-chair of the Board.

Lambda Legal and the Idaho Safe Schools Coalition today applauded a Boise-area school district for approving a student club policy that eliminated a new requirement that students get parental permission to participate in clubs and other restrictions that would have harmed lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and violated their rights.

Lambda Legal, along with several Iowa-based legal organizations, will host two forums on how best to preserve a fair and impartial judiciary after last year's ouster of three Iowa Supreme Court justices. The events will take place at public libraries in Des Moines and Iowa City.

A New Jersey Superior Court Judge ruled today that Lambda Legal will be allowed to proceed with its case seeking marriage equality on behalf of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization, and seven same-sex couples and their children harmed by the state’s unequal civil union system.